What Is Free Birth Society – ‘Wild Pregnancy’ Influencers Accused Of Newborn Deaths?

Last Updated:November 25, 2025, 11:13 IST

The Free Birth Society, a multimillion-dollar online movement that romanticises childbirth without any medical help, has been accused of several newborn deaths and disabilities

It’s natural for expecting mothers to turn to an online community for support, advice and, sometimes, validation. But what if the community they end up falling for is a cult that promotes the unscientific ‘wild pregnancy’ doctrine that rejects prenatal check-ups, ultrasound scans, professional intervention, and advocates instead for unassisted childbirth?

The results could be catastrophic, and have been for at least 48 women who suffered stillbirths, neonatal deaths or whose babies were born with serious physical and developmental disabilities.

According to an extensive investigation by The Guardianthe preventable harm in all these cases is linked to the Free Birth Society, a multimillion-dollar online movement that romanticises childbirth without any sort of medical professional present, convincing parents-to-be that trusting nature is safer than trusting medicine.

According to the report, for at least 48 women, the experience was not the empowered, transcendent birth these families imagined, but grief, emergency calls made too late, and lifelong disabilities that experts believe were preventable. The investigation paints a picture of a cult-like community that draws in vulnerable mothers with promises of liberation — only to leave some of them with unimaginable loss.

What Is the Free Birth Society?

The Free Birth Society is a North Carolina-based organisation co-founded by former doulas Emilee Saldaya and Yolande Norris-Clark. According to the report, it promotes ‘free births’ — intentional childbirth without any medical or trained professionals present -– and advocates for ‘wild pregnancy’ without any prenatal care.

The group’s doctrine is not the same as home birth. Home births traditionally involve midwives who can spot and respond to any signs of distress in the mother or the baby, or at least be alert to the need for medical help.

According to the report, the Free Birth Society instead pushes a far more radical practice: unassisted childbirth, rejecting ultrasounds, prenatal scans, and medical intervention.

Over time, the group found considerable success online, growing on multiple platforms. Most of its followers, The Guardian says, were women who had seen or faced negative care in the traditional healthcare set-up, primarily with doctors pushing for C-sections even when not needed.

Many of its subscribers are said to be women who have lost trust in professional maternity services and an increasingly medicalised approach to birth. The freebirth trend, though globally uncommon, is particularly acute in the United States, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations.

The Free Birth Society’s podcasts have reportedly been downloaded millions of times, while its YouTube videos have accumulated around 25 million views. The organisation also runs for-profit online courses, charging hundreds to thousands of dollars for programs teaching women how to give birth without professional assistance.

While American midwives study for years under experienced mentors, learning how to resolve life-threatening birth complications, the Free Birth Society offers brief online courses and Zoom sessions as preparation for unassisted birth.

The Tragedy of Esau Lopez

The Guardian focussed on 18 cases, conducting direct interviews with mothers, corroborating their accounts through family members, partners, journal entries, medical records, video evidence, and legal documents.

According to the investigation, in all 18 cases, the evidence suggests the Free Birth Society played a significant role in mothers’ decision-making, leading to potentially avoidable tragedies.

One of the most heartbreaking stories is that of baby Esau Lopez, who was born in October 2022. According to the report, the atmosphere during his birth was calm — friends of his mother present there offered affirmations like “you are a queen”, while soft music played.

What no one present in the room knew because none of them were trained medical professionals is that Esau’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, and he experienced shoulder dystocia, an obstetric emergency where the baby’s shoulder is stuck on the mother’s pubic bone after the head is delivered, delaying the birth of the rest of the body.

No one recognised the danger. The people there leaned on Free Birth Society teachings and delayed calling 911.

In a hospital, even a delay of just a few minutes would have triggered an emergency response. But in the midst of people with no training of childbirth, 17 minutes passed between the emergence of the baby’s head and the delivery of his body. When Esau was finally out, his body was limp and pale; his legs were purple, The Guardian reported.

Eventually, his mother Gabrielle’s friends called emergency services. Paramedics resuscitated him, but Esau suffered hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a brain injury from oxygen deprivation. Now three years old, he is severely disabled and relies on a feeding tube.

Reflecting on her experience with the Free Birth Society, Gabrielle said she was drawn in believing she was part of a powerful, liberating movement: “You think you’re joining a great movement.”

A Billion-Dollar Ideology

The Free Birth Society is reportedly not just a grassroots or fringe movement — it’s a multi-million-dollar enterprise. According to The Guardianthe group has earned over $13 million since 2018.

In its imagery and language, the movement leans into mystical and spiritual symbolism. For instance, co-founder Saldaya once wore a golden crown at a gathering, presenting birth as a kind of ‘liberation’ or sacred act.

The Doctrine Of ‘Radical Responsibility’

At the core of the Free Birth Society philosophy is the theory of ‘radical responsibility’ — a belief system that places the burden of birth outcomes solely on the mothers. The Guardian alleges that the Free Birth Society curriculum normalises serious complications like hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, retained placenta as merely variations of ‘natural birth’. It reportedly teaches women to accept any outcome, even death, as part of their birth journey — and to resist calling for medical help.

Women who experience tragic outcomes are allegedly taught to blame themselves rather than question the guidance they received. Former members described how this isolated grieving mothers, leaving them to carry guilt and shame for losses that medical intervention might have prevented, while simultaneously protecting the organisation’s co-founders and leaders from accountability.

Is It A Cult?

Healthcare professionals and critics view Free Birth Society as a cult — the organisation is accused of suppressing dissent, tightly controls the narrative, and glorifies unassisted birth while discouraging scrutiny.

Medical professionals have called the Free Birth Society philosophy as “ignorant and life-threatening”, especially because neither of its co-founders have formal medical training.

While the group does include a disclaimer on its materials — stating that its content is for “educational and informational purposes, not medical advice” — critics say it’s not enough.

How The Free Birth Society Responded

Reacting to the allegations, the group issued a statement accusing the media of propagating “propaganda”. Saldaya posted a statement on Instagram declaring that as a “disruptor”, critics would try to discredit and silence what they don’t understand.

The group is said to have made cosmetic changes, rebranding parts of its teachings and updating legal disclaimers, but the core ideology remains unchanged.

Nitya Thirumalai

Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog…Read More

Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog… Read More

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