A newborn’s death has been linked to a home birth in a pool rented from Emily Lal, an Instagram influencer known for promoting “freebirth,” according to a recent coroner’s report. The Coroner’s Court of Victoria concluded that the infant’s death could have been avoided if the birth had taken place in a hospital or if a trained midwife had been present during the home birth.
The mother, identified as Ms. E, gave birth in December 2022. Prior to the birth, she had rented a birthing pool from Lal, who runs an Instagram account under the name The Authentic Birthkeeper. Lal, based in Melbourne, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the medical system and believes that registered midwives contribute to the harm of women.
The coroner’s report revealed that Ms. E maintained a social relationship with Lal but did not seek any professional advice or services from her. Ms. E did, however, express a desire to stay in touch with Lal for a post-partum visit. After giving birth, Ms. E messaged Lal to inform her of the successful delivery. The placenta was not delivered until the following morning.
The morning after the birth, Ms. E noticed something was wrong with her newborn. She messaged Lal around 8 a.m., stating, “We can’t wake her, we aren’t sure if she’s breathing,” along with a photo of the baby, whose face had turned blue. Lal did not see the message for 25 minutes, according to the coroner’s report.
Upon seeing the message, Lal initiated a Facetime call and, believing the baby to be dead, advised Ms. E to call an ambulance. Despite paramedics’ efforts to revive the baby with CPR for 30 minutes, the baby’s heartbeat remained flatlined.
Forensic pathologist Yeliena Baber stated that if Ms. E had given birth in a hospital, preventive measures could have been implemented. Dr. Baber concluded that the baby’s death was due to the prolonged delivery in a home birthing pool. She added that if a trained midwife had been present during the home birth and labor, they would have likely escalated care to a hospital if the baby showed signs of distress.
Coroner Catherine Fitzgerald ruled that the baby’s death was preventable. She stated that the death was unlikely to have occurred in a hospital setting and could have been avoided with appropriate midwife support during a planned home birth. Fitzgerald made no adverse findings against the baby’s parents or Lal.