Full Story The free birth influencers radicalising women around the world
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Dec 18, 2025 
Shirin Kale, an investigations correspondent for The Guardian, dives into her year-long investigation of the controversial Free Birth Society. She discusses the alarming links between the society and tragic outcomes, including maternal harm and baby deaths. Kale explores how the group promotes unassisted births, appeals to women through narratives of empowerment, and undermines medical professionals. The episode also addresses the rise of free birth due to trauma and distrust, and warns about the dangers of misinformation in maternal care.
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Social Media Radicalises Birth Choices
- The Free Birth Society (FBS) uses highly produced content and a popular podcast to normalise extreme unassisted births.
- Its material seeds distrust of medical professionals and radicalises women after just a few episodes.
Wild Pregnancy Normalises Risky Unknowns
- FBS popularised “wild pregnancy,” encouraging no medical checks during pregnancy and framing high-risk conditions as normal.
- That leaves women unaware of fetal position, multiples, or conditions like preeclampsia, increasing avoidable risk.
Leaders Lack Medical Training
- FBS leaders Emily Saldea and Yolanda Norris-Clark are doulas, not medically trained professionals.
- They distributed dangerous, inaccurate guidance despite lacking midwifery or medical credentials.