In recent years, there has been an increase in freebirths in Victoria and some have resulted in poor outcomes for mothers and babies, such as severe bleeding in the mother or breathing problems in the baby leading to long term health issues or even death. The data, according to Safer Care Victoria and the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity, represents a serious public health concern that demands explanation.
The distinction between freebirth and planned home birth is crucial. A freebirth occurs when a woman makes a conscious decision to give birth without the support of a registered health professional, which differs from a planned homebirth where a woman's health and pregnancy have been assessed by trained registered professionals. In Australia, almost all babies (97%) are born in hospital. Freebirths remain statistically small, yet the toll they are taking has become impossible to ignore.
The catalyst for policy attention has been tragic and public. In October 2025, Melbourne health influencer Stacey Hatfield died after complications during the birth of her first child, dying from a postpartum haemorrhage following a freebirth. That death triggered investigation into the role of untrained birth attendants and exposed gaps in oversight. The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner began an investigation into Emily Lal, also known online as "The Authentic Birthkeeper," based on information alleging that she was facilitating homebirths which may put both mothers and babies at risk.
Medical professionals are emphatic about the stakes. Severe bleeding after birth can kill a healthy woman within hours if she is unattended. Even in developed countries, in which expectant mothers generally receive complete prenatal care, as many as 15% of all births involve potentially fatal complications. The absence of trained support when these complications occur transforms a manageable medical event into a tragedy.
Yet the rise in freebirths cannot be attributed solely to recklessness or ideology. Research suggests structural failures in maternity services are partly responsible. The majority of participants in studies on freebirth reported a preference to have a midwife in attendance, but ultimately freebirthed because they felt they had no other option. Cost presents a genuine barrier; the cost of a homebirth supported by a private midwife ranges from $5000 to $8000, with Medicare covering a portion of antenatal and postnatal appointments. Public homebirth programmes remain limited in availability.
Regulatory bodies have responded decisively. RANZCOG and the ACM have called for national laws to align with South Australia's model, urging governments to replicate South Australia's Health Practitioner Regulation National Law amendment that restricts labour and birth management to registered health professionals. The proposed legislation reflects a straightforward safety principle: when complications arise, expertise matters.
The contradiction is stark. Victoria's publicly funded homebirth programmes, where births occur with qualified midwives, have demonstrated strong safety outcomes. Yet when those services are unavailable or unaffordable, some women choose unassisted birth as their only path to autonomy. That structural gap is where preventable deaths are occurring. Addressing it requires both closing the regulatory loophole and expanding access to qualified midwifery care, particularly in regional areas where distances to hospitals compound risk. The policy challenge is not to restrict choice, but to ensure choice exists within safety.