{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"EBB 410 - Evidence and Controversy Surrounding Freebirth","description":"In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Sara Ailshire examine the available evidence on planned unassisted birth, also known as freebirth, defined as intentionally giving birth without a qualified midwife or physician present.   They explore why some people choose a planned unassisted birth, including previous trauma, distrust of the medical system, barriers to preferred care, and a desire for greater autonomy. Dr. Dekker and Dr. Ailshire also explain how freebirth differs from midwife-attended home birth, what research shows about planned community birth, and the safeguards a trained birth attendant can provide during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the newborn period. Finally, they discuss investigative reporting concerning the Free Birth Society, including allegations of misinformation and preventable harm associated with its community.   Content Note: This episode includes discussions of stillbirth, maternal death, newborn death, birth trauma, and serious complications related to planned unassisted birth.   (00:03:20) What Is Freebirth? (00:07:41) Prenatal Care, Wild Pregnancy, and Freebirth (00:10:30) How Common Is Freebirth? (00:14:27) The History and Origins of Freebirth (00:22:16) Why Do Some People Choose Freebirth? (00:26:14) What Do We Know About the Risks of Freebirth? (00:34:42) The Role of Skilled Midwives in Home Birth Safety (00:42:28) Free Birth Society Controversy (00:53:49) Lessons from the Free Birth Society (00:55:44) Warning Signs of Controlling Group Dynamics and Influencer Manipulation (01:01:50) Final Takeaways on Freebirth, Safety, and Informed Decision-Making   View the full transcript for this episode at evidencebasedbirth.com.   ResourcesEBB 23 \u2013 Home Birth Midwives EBB 110 \u2013 Inside an Unplanned, Unassisted Home Birth with Parent Sabrina Tran EBB 122 \u2013 Home birth during the pandemic with Vicki Penwell EBB 292 \u2013 Confronting the Unknowns in Childbirth with Liesel Teen of the Mommy Labor Nurse EBB 130 \u2013 Home Birth in the Black Community with Isis Rose Count the Kicks: https:\/\/countthekicks.org\/ PUSH Pregnancy: https:\/\/www.pushpregnancy.org\/ Star Legacy Foundation: https:\/\/starlegacyfoundation.org\/ Healthy Birth Day: https:\/\/healthybirthday.org\/ CDC Stillbirth resources: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/stillbirth\/communication-resources\/index.html Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support: https:\/\/nationalshare.org\/ Stillbirth and infant loss support communities: https:\/\/postpartum.net\/group\/stillbirth-and-infant-loss-support-for-parents\/   Works Cited Birthplace in England Collaborative Group (BECG). (2011). \u201cPerinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth for healthy women with low risk pregnancies: the Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study.\u201d BMJ 343: d7400.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22117057\/ Biesele, M. (1997). \u201cAn Ideal of Unassisted Birth: Hunting, Healing, and Transformation among the Kalahari Ju\/\u2019hoansi.\u201d In Childbirth and Authoritative Knowledge. Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Davis-Floyd, R. & C.F. Sargent (eds), Childbirth and Authoritative Knowledge. Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 474-92. Bjellmo, S. & Iversen, J. K. (2025). \u201cUnassisted home births in Norway: A growing concern.\u201d Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 104(8): 1418-1419.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40536244\/ Boodman, S. G. (2007). \u201cDo-it-yourself Delivery.\u201d The Washington Post. July 31. https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2007\/07\/27\/AR2007072702164.html Bovbjerg, M. L., Cheyney, M., Hoehn-Velasco, L., et al. (2024). \u201cPlanned Home Births in the United States Have Outcomes Comparable to Planned Birth Center Births for Low-Risk Birthing Individuals.\u201d Med Care 62(12): 820-829.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/39514513\/ Boushra, M., Stone, A., & Rathbun, K. M. (2023). \u201cUmbilical Cord Prolapse.\u201d In StatPearls. Treasure Island: StatPearls Publishing. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK542241\/ Brandt, J. S. & Ananth, C. V. (2023). \u201cPlacental abruption at near-term and term gestations: pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.\u201d Am J Obstet Gynecol 228(5S): S1313-S1329. https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10176440\/ Carlson, K. & Vadakekut, E. S. (2026). \u201cAmniotic Fluid Embolism.\u201d In StatPearls. Treasure Island: StatPearls Publishing. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK559107\/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Natality on CDC WONDER Online Database. (2026). Data are from the Natality Records 2016-2024, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http:\/\/wonder.cdc.gov\/natality-expanded-current.html on Jul 29, 2026. Cheyney, M., Bovbjerg, M., Everson, C., et al. (2014). \u201cOutcomes of care for 16,924 planned home births in the United States: the Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project, 2004 to 2009.\u201d J Midwifery Womens Health 59(1): 17-27.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24479690\/ Dahlen, H., Kumar-Hazard, B., & Schmied, V. (2020). Birthing Outside the System: The Canary in the Coal Mine. Edited Volume. London: Routledge. Dahlen, H. G., Jackson, M., & Stevens, J. (2011). \u201cHomebirth, freebirth and doulas: casualty and consequences of a broken maternity system.\u201d Women Birth 24(1): 47-50. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21163719\/ Davey, M. (2026). \u201cStacey Warnecke died after choosing a birth free of all medical help. An inquest wants to know why.\u201d The Guardian. June 19. https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/jun\/20\/stacey-warnecke-melbourne-influencer-died-freebirth-inquest-ntwnfb Davis-Floyd, R. & Cheyney, M. (2019). Birth in Eight Cultures. Edited Volume. Waveland Press. Einerson, B. D., Gilner, J. B., & Zuckerwise, L. C. (2023). \u201cPlacenta Accreta Spectrum.\u201d Obstet Gynecol 142(1): 31-50.https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10491415\/ Feeley, C. & Thomson, G. (2016). \u201cTensions and conflicts in 'choice': Womens' experiences of freebirthing in the UK.\u201d Midwifery 41: 16-21.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27498184\/ Feeley, C. & Thomson, G. (2016). \u201cWhy do some women choose to freebirth in the UK? An interpretative phenomenological study.\u201d BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 16: 59. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27000100\/ Greenfield, M., Payne-Gifford, S., McKenzie, G. (2021). \u201cBetween a Rock and a Hard Place: Considering "Freebirth" During Covid-19.\u201d Front Glob Womens Health 2: 603744.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34816178\/ Hutton, E. K., Cappelletti, A., Reitsma, A. H., et al. (2016). \u201cOutcomes associated with planned place of birth among women with low-risk pregnancies.\u201d CMAJ 188(5): E80-E90. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26696622\/ Iceland Monitor. (2024). \u201cHow do you know this woman had this child.\u201d Iceland Monitor. May 9. https:\/\/icelandmonitor.mbl.is\/news\/news\/2024\/05\/09\/how_do_you_know_this_woman_had_this_child\/ Johansson, M., Jansson, O., Lilja, F., et al. (2023). \u201cFreebirth, the only option for women who do not fit into common practice- A Swedish national interview study.\u201d Sex Reprod Healthc 37: 100866. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/37295181\/ Johnston, K. & MacDougall, C. (2026). \u201cToward Conceptual Clarity: Out-of-Hospital Birth Practices and Freebirth Entrepreneurialism.\u201d Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender, Culture, & Social Justice. 47(1): 44\u201357. https:\/\/atlantisjournal.ca\/atlantis\/en\/article\/view\/5920 Kale, S. & Osborne, L. (2025). \u201cInfluencers made millions pushing \u2018wild\u2019 births \u2013 now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world.\u201d The Guardian. November 22. https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ng-interactive\/2025\/nov\/22\/free-birth-society-linked-to-babies-deaths-investigation Kale, S. & Davey, M. (2026). \u201cA US champion of \u2018freebirthing\u2019 always claimed there had been no maternal deaths linked to the movement. Is Stacey Warnecke the first?\u201d The Guardian. June 29. https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jun\/30\/freebirth-wellness-influencer-stacey-warnecke-death-ntwnfb Lou, S., Dahlen, H. G., Gefke Hansen, S., et al. (2022). \u201cWhy freebirth in a maternity system with free midwifery care? A qualitative study of Danish women's motivations and preparations for freebirth.\u201d Sex Reprod Healthc 34: 100789. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/36332498\/ Mackeen, D. (2026). \u201cShe wanted a `free birth.' It put her and her baby in grave danger.\u201d The New York Times. April 22. https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/22\/science\/free-birth-wild-pregancy-risks-home-birth.html McKenzie, G., Robert, G., & Montgomery, E. (2020). \u201cExploring the conceptualisation and study of freebirthing as a historical and social phenomenon: a meta-narrative review of diverse research traditions.\u201d Med Humanit 46(4): 512-524. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32361690\/ Miller, J. F. (2020). \u201cSolitary and Kin-Assisted Rar\u00e1muri Birth: Ideals and realities.\u201d In Birthing Models on the Human Rights Frontier. Daviss, B. & Davis-Floyd, R., eds. Routledge: London. Payne, E. (2025). \u201cOfficials 'strongly advise' against freebirths after cluster of stillbirths in Ontario.\u201d Ottawa Citizen. January 15. https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/local-news\/officials-advise-against-freebirths-after-stillbirths-ontario Pillai, S., Cheyney, M., Everson, C. L., et al. (2020). \u201cFetal macrosomia in home and birth center births in the United States: Maternal, fetal, and newborn outcomes.\u201d Birth 47(4):409-417. https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8923081\/ Rosenberg, K. & Trevathan, W. (1995). " Bipedalism and human birth: The obstetrical dilemma revisited.\u201d Evolutionary Anthropology 4(5): 161-168. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/evan.1360040506Sargent, C. (1982). \u201cThe Implications of Role Expectations for Birth Assistance among Bariba.\u201d Soc Sci Med 16(16): 1483-1489. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/7135022\/ Shorey, S., Jara\u0161i\u016bnait\u0117-Fedosejeva, G., Akik, B. K., et al. (2023). \u201cTrends and motivations for freebirth: A scoping review.\u201d Birth 50(1): 16-31. https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/36598288\/ Shostak, M. (1981). Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Snowden, J. M., Tilden, E. L., Snyder, J., et al. (2015). \u201cPlanned Out-of-Hospital Birth and Birth Outcomes.\u201d N Engl J Med 373(27): 2642-2653.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26716916\/ Sperlich, M. & Gabriel, C. (2022). \u201c"I got to catch my own baby": a qualitative study of out of hospital birth.\u201d Reprod Health 19(1): 43.\u202fhttps:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35164785\/ Togioka, B. M. & Tonismae, T. (2023). \u201cUterine Rupture.\u201d In StatPearls. Treasure Island: StatPearls Publishing. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK559209\/ Uda, E. (2026). \u201cFacing rural realities and mistrust in hospitals, these women turned to home births.\u201d CBC Radio. April 26. https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/radio\/thecurrent\/freebirthing-rural-maternal-medicine-9.7172199 ","author_name":"Evidence Based Birth\u00ae","author_url":"http:\/\/evidencebasedbirth.libsyn.com\/webpage","html":"