Home Birth Ends in Tragedy

In a heartbreaking incident in Australia, a newborn baby tragically passed away following a home birth using a birthing pool rented from Instagram influencer Emily Lal. Known as The Authentic Birthkeeper, Lal promotes home births and expresses skepticism towards the medical system. The incident occurred in December 2022 when the mother, referred to as Ms. E, decided to give birth at home.

Communication Breakdown and Delayed Response

After successfully delivering her baby, Ms. E contacted Lal with the message “I did it” and planned for a postpartum visit. However, complications arose when Ms. E struggled to deliver the placenta until the following morning. Realizing something was amiss with her newborn, she sent Lal a message at 8 am stating, “We can’t wake her, we aren’t sure if she’s breathing,” accompanied by a photo showing the baby’s blue face. Unfortunately, Lal did not see the message for 25 minutes.

Emergency Response and Expert Opinions

Upon seeing the distressing message, Lal initiated a FaceTime call and advised the parents to contact emergency services. Paramedics arrived and attempted CPR for 30 minutes but were unable to revive the infant. Forensic pathologist Yeliena Baber noted that had the birth occurred in a hospital setting with appropriate antenatal care, preventive measures could have been taken to save the healthy baby.

The Importance of Medical Support During Birth

Dr. Baber emphasized that a trained midwife present during labor would likely have transferred Ms. E to a hospital if signs of distress were evident. The coroner’s report concluded that the baby’s death might have been prevented with hospital delivery or a planned home birth with proper midwife support.

Clarifying Home Birth Practices

The coroner distinguished between home births and ‘freebirths,’ where individuals choose to give birth without medical or midwifery assistance. She highlighted that publicly available information on water births is not intended for those planning unassisted home births without medical guidance or antenatal care.