To find this desperately sad? TW: freebirth death

[ExtraHotDoubleShot]

I just feel so sad for her husband and little boy. I also understand why she didn’t want to go into hospital. Feels like women are stuck between a rock and a hard place with childbirth at the moment.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jun/20/stacey-warnecke-melbourne-influencer-died-freebirth-inquest-ntwnfb

I do have sympathy with the doula/ birth keeper tbh.
It's tragic but ultimately a choice was made not to have someone medically trained in attendance.

It's strange, isn't it?
You'd think that if you give a birth in a hospital and it all goes very smoothly on its own, there isn't going to be much or any intervention.
If it's more difficult, you'd want professional support.
That was my experience.
I wonder how much of that 'freebirth' trend is wanting to be 'special', 'better than others', 'trendy', 'natural'. People keep forgetting how many children died, how many children became orphaned, how many mums died naturally.

Yeah I agree, not the smartest choice for the poor woman to make, not sure why you are making out like you disagree with me.

You’re the one who thinks we should shut up and be grateful for poor care, just because that’s better than no care at all?

Totally agree. These people are charlatans and the whole freebirthing ethos is dangerous. Anyone involved with this should face criminal charges.

And before someone says something about hospitals being unsafe, maybe but there's a middle ground between a hospital birth and putting yours and your baby's life in the hands of these freaks.

That’s not what I said. You are the one who is ANNOYED by people feeling lucky to have free health care. Daft.

I have a cousin who is brain damaged because her mum decided to free birth and the baby slipped out of her hands and she dropped her.
This was over 50 years ago now and my mum has never got over the stupidity and tragedy of it. These people are appalling.

It isn't a choice between hospital/state provision and free birth. She paid thousands for this person so was well able to pay for a private midwife, which certainly wouldn't have cost more. The Guardian podcast mentioned upthread is really interesting- the free birth leaders are dangerous, almost cult like

It seemed like you disagreed with my initial point that birthkeepers should be banned. As women may feel safer than they actually are after having paid $5000 to a 'professional' support.

I had an accidental "free birth". I feel so lucky that nothing went wrong for either me or my baby. I would never choose to give birth without a trained medical professional in attendance.

No, I think they should be banned. I was questioning your assumption that this woman thought the birthkeeper would recognise her medical needs, when the point of them is literally to avoid medical care. Hiring someone with the intention of avoiding all medical care and just trusting that the body will fix itself means you can’t reasonably assume they will no when you are internally bleeding in my opinion. It also says the woman declined an ambulance the first 2 times she was offered

A person who chooses freebirth like this woman did is guilty of neglect of her infant child. No mother anymore now. So maybe that's how to deal with it, take the child away from the mother, and I don't care how many come back at me shouting about free will/choice/fear whatever.

The child comes first IMO. That child has no mother now, why? Yes its mother was neglectful.

When it is so important that women have the right to make their own bodily choices, it’s even more important that we have access to evidence based care which is responsive and supportive. Most women will chose care when listened to and respected. The current maternity stats in the uk are scary and I see how easily women feel like their maternity care is lacking.

Are the stats the same in Australia?

You will not find a bigger advocate for birth choices and home birth than me. I am not even against free birth. But the influencers touting free birth like a product to be sold, an experience to be coveted, the cult that they have created, it's criminal.

The atrocious medicalised maternity system that exists has already created enough distrust on its own, without these people striking terror in to the hearts of vulnerable women. Outrageous.

I've had 3 home births with wonderful, skilled midwives.

I can't imagine how scared this poor woman was.

Yeah, possibly in this case, but I'm sure with some women they would assume the birth keeper has some knowledge of what to do in emergencies and therefore feel safer than if they were alone.

If they choose to believe that rather than doing their research it’s on them isn’t it, it’s a stupid choice to make in my opinion. Still sad for her child though

I haven’t looked but the ‘growing trend’ make me suspect they could have a similar pattern.

Some women in both countries seem to feel safer outside of the health system which would be unlikely in responsive person centred care was the norm.

I think both women were incredibly stupid.

The Birthkeeper - with zero medical qualifications, having the audicity to think she's a suitable person to assist anyone with labour, especially given so many better alternatives available.

The Mother - cannot understand the logic of not going to a hospital to give birth unless it's not possible due to sudden labour. Surely ever mum wants the best for their child & in the unlikely event of anything going wrong, proximity to a poyentially life saving medical team & theatre should be a priority. How utterly selfish to not put the baby's potential needs above her own preferences.

And Magical Thinking. Plus an income dependent upon ticking all the boxes (and #freebirth was certainly a potentially extremely lucrative tag to have on posts).

Don't quote me on this, but I've heard from an acquaintance in Australia that maternity care is not great currently. Apparently, lots of maternity units have closed down. Maybe that shortage and understaffing in the birthing units still open has made hospital births less appealing.

I have not looked up the actual statistics though.

Doesn’t sound like a solid argument for assuming your body will fix itself and just get stuff right. Paying thousands to access care that is deliberately avoiding medical care isn’t good planning

And where was the father in all this? Why didn’t he call an ambulance?

Sadly I agree with other posters saying it was linked to her being an influencer and perhaps wanting to do something different.

Oxford, you say?

May I take this entirely unnecessary opportunity to congratulate you on being Parent of the Decade 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This woman chose to take a risk and her child paid the price. She knowingly and willingly chose to be attended by someone with next to no knowledge about labour and birth and no qualifications.

Whatever her reasons were for being scared of hospital, they weren’t valid enough when her options were hospital or nothing. I don’t know what else might be available in Australia but surely she could have hired a midwife or used a private hospital or something other than what she did.