A new Guardian podcast, The Birth Keepers, has revealed the tragic story of a mother whose baby was stillborn after she followed the philosophy of the Free Birth Society (FBS), a US-based network promoting unassisted childbirth. The six-episode series, released on Thursday, examines how the group's extreme anti-medical advice has led to preventable deaths worldwide.
Lorren Holliday, a former actor, moved to the Joshua Tree desert in California with her husband Chris to live a 'wild and free' life. After becoming pregnant, she initially planned a hospital birth but was put off by a doctor. Unable to afford a midwife, she turned to the Free Birth Society's podcasts and Facebook group, founded by Emilee Saldaya. Lorren became captivated, listening to up to seven podcasts a day and trusting Saldaya's guidance.
The Guardian investigation found that FBS advises mothers to avoid doctors, midwives, and ultrasounds, falsely claiming they harm babies. Lorren stopped all medical care, including blood work and scans. When her due date arrived in October 2018, she felt confident in a free birth, but the labour went wrong. Her baby was stillborn, a tragedy the Guardian describes as preventable.
The podcast highlights how social media algorithms and the addictive nature of positive free birth stories draw women in, often after negative experiences with mainstream healthcare. 'They tell you not to do the OBGYN stuff,' Lorren said. 'I quit doing that. No more doctors.' The series serves as a stark warning about the dangers of unassisted childbirth promoted by such groups.
