In December 2022, a newborn died after her mother had a “planned freebirth” in a birthing pool she got from a social media influencer. Almost three years later, authorities in Australia say her death could have been prevented.
According to findings filed with the Coroners Court of Victoria earlier this month and obtained by PEOPLE, the mother, identified only as Ms. E., was 41 when she became pregnant with Baby E in March 2022.
Ms. E described her pregnancy as “smooth and uneventful” and visited a doctor for the first and only time on November 23, when she was 36 weeks pregnant. She went to check whether her baby had one heartbeat or two. The doctor told her the baby’s size, position, and heartbeat were normal. He offered blood tests and an ultrasound, but she declined.
During the visit, she said she had a “team” planning her birth but was “undecided about her birth team,” according to the report. She didn’t mention her plan for an unassisted birth.
By the end of November, she had rented a birthing pool from social media influencer Emily Lal, who runs the “The Authentic Birthkeeper” Instagram page. Ms. E said she stayed in touch with Lal “socially” but didn’t ask for other services or advice.
On December 27, early in the morning, Ms. E began having contractions and asked her partner to fill the birthing pool. She stayed in it all day and night, but the baby didn’t come. The next day, she returned to the pool after her partner refilled it with clean water.
That night, as contractions grew stronger, she pushed for about 30 minutes, and her baby girl was born around 10:30 p.m. on December 28. The umbilical cord was not cut, and attempts to deliver the placenta the next morning failed.
The couple slept with Baby E in her mother’s arms that night. The next morning, Ms. E said she checked on the baby several times to “ensure she was still breathing.” The report stated, “She thought she felt the heartbeat, but upon reflection, she believes she was feeling her own heartbeat through her fingers.”
The couple realized something was wrong between 6:30 and 7:50 a.m. Ms. E messaged Lal and reportedly FaceTimed her, being told to call an ambulance. Lal later told the court she only spoke to arrange the pool delivery and visited after emergency services arrived.
Records show that Lal received a message just before 8 a.m. on December 29, saying the parents couldn’t wake their child. A photo sent at 8:10 a.m. showed the baby’s face was blue. Lal reportedly didn’t see the messages for 25 minutes, then FaceTimed and told them to call an ambulance. Paramedics arrived around 8:34 a.m. and gave CPR, but the baby was pronounced dead at the scene. Lal did not respond to PEOPLE for comment.
According to forensic pathologist Dr. Yeliena Baber, the autopsy showed the baby died from neonatal pneumonia, meconium aspiration, and chorioamnionitis, with prolonged labor in a home birthing pool as a secondary factor. Meconium is the baby’s first poop, which can be harmful if inhaled. The baby’s lungs showed deep inhalation of meconium, likely for many hours.
Chorioamnionitis is an infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid, according to Stanford Children’s Hospital. Baber explained prenatal tests can detect infections, which can then be treated. Untreated infections may cause pneumonia or other problems. It was unclear if the infection came from the birthing pool or existed before labor. Baber also noted bacteria from the pool in the baby’s lung.
Both the pathologist and coroner concluded the baby’s death could have been prevented. Coroner Catherine Fitzgerald wrote, “If Baby E was born in hospital and Ms E had received appropriate antenatal care, it is highly unlikely that Baby E would have died… If a trained midwife had been present, they would have escalated care if the baby was in distress.”
The coroner recommended the Department of Health update its websites with guidelines on “water for labour and birth.” While the guidelines don’t directly apply to freebirths, they could help doctors and parents make safer birth choices.
In an Instagram Story on August 8, Lal said she had nothing to do with the birth and didn’t convince Ms. E to have a freebirth. She later criticized the investigation, claiming it “has been used as a stick to punish the mother.”
A 2022 Acta Biomedica article reported water births are becoming more popular and are seen as “natural.” But risks include “infection, respiratory distress, tub water aspiration, hyponatremia, seizures, cord avulsion and mortality.”
The Mayo Clinic says most home births go smoothly, but they carry a higher risk of infant death, seizures, and nervous system problems than hospital births. Having a certified nurse or midwife present can reduce these risks, and people should consult a healthcare professional before planning a home birth.
