A magical moment for a mother turned out to be a horror one when her baby died after the at-home pool birth in Melbourne, Australia. Now the Coroners Court of Victoria is warning people from doing so.
According to the court, the death would have been preventable had she chosen a hospital birth instead of an unassisted one. Even at the hospital, several things can go wrong, but there are interventions to ensure safe delivery for the mom.
So the risks of birthing at home are magnified when there is no medical facility. In December 2022, a woman went into labor with her daughter. She opted for an unassisted free birth after being influenced by an Instagram account that offers a free birth pool, as per Tyla.
Emily Lal, who runs the account, states that the medical system has made women delusional, and midwives are complicit in causing harm to the women. After Ms E got the birth pool, she stayed in touch with Lal and invited her for a post-partum visit.
However, she said she did not get any advice from the influencer. She did opt for a midwife-free birth despite it being necessary for a planned at-home birth. The birth ended in a tragedy after she could not deliver the placenta.
Baby E died in December 2022, hours after she was born at home in a birthing pool hired by her parents from an Instagram influencer who opposes medical intervention during pregnancy.
𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿: https://t.co/VbCoSLx9OE pic.twitter.com/RZPdEC45OS
— The Nightly (@thenightlyau) August 8, 2025
Her daughter was born healthy, but deteriorated the next day. She messaged Lal that she isn’t breathing and is not awakening. She also sent her a photo of the newborn with a blue face.
After Lal saw the photo and message, she told them that the baby is dead and E should call the ambulance. Medics tried to revive the baby, but nothing could be done by then.
This tragic death has made the coroner rule that the baby would have been alive if she had been born in a hospital. So the cause of death is home birth. Moreover, there’s a warning against the risk of unassisted home births and how they may be fatal to both mom and the baby.
There have been successful cases, but each case is different, and interventions may be needed. As for hospital births, they are safer, and the staff is ready for any emergencies without delaying medical interventions.
Newborn dies after using home-birthing pool promoted by Instagram influencer https://t.co/Ew3mthwJRJ pic.twitter.com/F8Bvsvhn04
— New York Post (@nypost) August 9, 2025
The baby could have survived if the mom had chosen an assisted at-home birth. There is a difference when there is a midwife who has the right experience. Free birth is always risky and not recommended, despite it being legal in a few places.
There is a huge risk to life that the mom is taking without the appropriate medical professionals. Any complications that arise from the free birth cannot be dealt with immediately.
Those who have had successful home births do the research and have midwives for help. The safety of home birth also depends on any pre-existing conditions, and if the baby is breech, the mom will need a C-section.
