Why some women are choosing to “freebirth” episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 22 MIN

Why some women are choosing to “freebirth”

from The Current

Mistrust in the medical system and barriers to access maternity care in rural communities has some women turning to ‘freebirth’ — giving birth without the support of doctors and registered midwives. On Vancouver Island, a court case is highlighting a divide in the birthing community after a freebirth activist was accused of manslaughter in the death of a newborn in a home birth she allegedly attended.

Mistrust in the medical system and barriers to access maternity care in rural communities has some women turning to ‘freebirth’ — giving birth without the support of doctors and registered midwives. On Vancouver Island, a court case is highlighting a divide in the birthing community after a freebirth activist was accused of manslaughter in the death of a newborn in a home birth she allegedly attended.

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Why some women are choosing to “freebirth”

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This episode is 22 minutes long.

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This episode was published on April 22, 2026.

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Mistrust in the medical system and barriers to access maternity care in rural communities has some women turning to ‘freebirth’ — giving birth without the support of doctors and registered midwives. On Vancouver Island, a court case is highlighting...

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