18th Century anatomical illustration of a pregnant woman, possibly a plate to Gautier d’Agoty’s “Exposition Anatomique”, Marseille, Paris, and Amsterdam (1759). Source/Photographer The Wellcome Collection https://wellcomecollection.org/works/m5jaykde (Photo No. L0036026), (CC Attribution 4.0 International)
Women have died in childbirth since time immemorial. Complications can develop even in low risk pregnancies.
But the rate of maternal mortality has dropped 99% in the last hundred years, since the advent of prenatal care [1]. Prenatal care has likewise been crucial in reducing infant mortality [2]. Advancements in medical training and infection control were key to this.
Free Birth Society
The Free Birth Society founded by Emilee Saldaya promotes the radical concept of “freebirth” without medical assistance of any kind during pregnancy or childbirth, whether from a physician (even a female physician) or from a midwife. This supposedly serves to reclaim the sacredness of childbirth, and assert a woman’s autonomy over her own body.
The messaging resonates with women who have had traumatic experiences with maternity services or unnecessary medical interventions, and those seeking to live “off the grid”.
Maternal and Infant Deaths
Investigation has, however, linked the Free Birth Society to dozens of cases of maternal and infant harm or death across the globe [3][4][5][6]. Continue reading
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