Ep. 63 Freebirth, Fear & Media Frenzy: My Honest Take on the Freebirth Society Controversy
In this episode, I share my honest, nuanced perspective on the growing media controversy around freebirth — from my years of birth work and personal birth experience, to the systemic issues fueling polarization, fear, and misunderstanding in the birth world.
In This Episode You’ll Hear About:
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What freebirth actually is and how it became more widely known through The Freebirth Society’s online presence, podcast, and programs
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Why the recent Free Press and Guardian articles struck such a chord — and the many thoughts and feelings they brought up
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My background as a doula and birth-obsessed human and why this topic feels so important and personal
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Real stories of unassisted birth (both planned and unplanned) and the wide range of women who choose this path
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How the extreme medicalization of birth fuels an equally extreme counter-response — and why freebirth has grown in popularity
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Where I think The Freebirth Society movement goes too far, including the tone, dogma, and the concerning stories emerging from their online community
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Why I believe women were never meant to birth alone and were also never meant to birth under fluorescent lights, tied to machines, on hospital timelines
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The real data on birth safety — homebirth, hospital birth, medical management, outcomes, and where risk actually lies
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The danger of women not seeking care when it’s needed, and how community pressure, people-pleasing, and fear can shape decisions
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The urgent need for a middle ground between hyper-medicalized birth and dogmatic freebirth ideology
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The systemic issues driving this whole crisis, including licensing restrictions for midwives and liability-driven hospital policies
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Why women must reclaim their voices, power, and research skills, no matter where they choose to birth
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My deepest hope for birth culture: more support, more education, more physiological birth, and less extremism on both sides
At the heart of it all, this episode is an invitation to think more deeply — beyond fear, beyond headlines, and beyond extremes — about birth, autonomy, support, and the kind of world we want mothers and babies to enter.
If this conversation resonates, please share the episode, rate the show, or send me a message. I love hearing your reflections.
Resources & Links:
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