National Health Service directed pregnant women to a website that linked them to the Free Childbirth Society, an organization that was linked to infant mortality worldwide after promoting childbirth without medical assistance.
A number of NHS trusts are directing women planning a “free birth” to the charity's website, which until Monday described FBS podcasts as a source of “inspiring stories” that could help British women “prepare for their own birth”.
It contained a link to the FBS podcast, which medical experts warn is being used to radicalize women through misinformation.
FBS advocates an extreme version of free birth, also known as unassisted birth. He advises mothers not to see doctors or midwives and to avoid prenatal screenings.
The multimillion-dollar business, run by former doulas Emily Saldaya and Yolanda Norris Clark, has a successful podcast, Instagram following, festivals and online schools for midwives.
The prevalence of free birth in the UK is low but is believed to be increasing, partly due to mistrust of maternity services and concerns about an overly medical approach to childbirth.
However, experts warn that many FBS statements are contrary to evidence-based medical advice. Saldaya and Norris-Clarke described medical attempts to resuscitate newborns as a form of “sabotage” and said doctors and midwives often sexually abused women in hospitals.
On Saturday Guardian investigation identified 48 cases of late-term stillbirth or neonatal death or other forms of serious harm involving mothers or midwives that appeared to be associated with FBS. In 18 of these cases, there was evidence that FBS played a significant role in the decision making of the mother or midwife, leading to avoidable tragedies.
The Guardian can now reveal how the NHS is directing women to FBS content recommended by the Association for the Improvement of Maternity Services (Aims), a charity that campaigns for maternity care in the UK.
Until this summer, an NHS web page called “Where to give birth: options” sent women considering unassisted birth a newsletter from Aims. When women clicked on the link, the newsletter recommended the FBS podcast.
“The Free Birth Society is a US-based network for women who want to give birth freely.” newsletter states. “They advocate a non-medical approach to childbirth, which some people may find extreme and unpleasant. However, their podcasts contain uplifting stories about unassisted birth, which many UK women giving birth on their own have found helpful in preparing for their own birth.”
Although the link to the Aims newsletter was quietly removed from the NHS webpage in August, online leaflets with patient information were distributed by several NHS trusts, including Cambridge, Hospitals in Gloucestershire And East and North Hertfordshirecontinue to direct women to the Aims newsletter recommending FBS.
After being approached for comment by the Guardian on Monday, Aims removed links to FBS podcasts from its online newsletter. A spokesman said: “We were not aware of any serious concerns surrounding FBS and have now removed the reference and link from our website.”
They said Ames “never recommended or referred” women to FBS, saying the podcast was listed in the newsletter “as an example of material that some birthing women used, rather than as advice or endorsement.”
An NHS spokesman said: “The NHS does not support this community. [FBS]or his ideology, which may harm women.”
Kanga Sivarajah, leading obstetrician at King's College Hospital in London, is one of several experts who reviewed FBS material for the Guardiansaid some of the information it provides to women is “dangerous and harmful… so for the NHS to refer people to this is very shocking”.
Amid growing concerns about the standards of care in UK maternity hospitals, a small but growing number of British women are believed to be forgoing professional services and opting for alternatives such as free births.
A 2024 study Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen found that “a desire for safer birth” was a key factor influencing women's decisions to have free birth, as was their “mistrust of institutional midwives”.
In September 2025, the Nursing and Midwifery Council published a survey of women who chose free birth. It found that 142 free births were registered between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 by 47 NHS trusts. This is likely to be a significant underestimate as not all trusts collect data on free births and many women do not report their intention to have a spontaneous birth to health care providers.
Although the sample was too small to draw broader conclusions, 65% of women surveyed said their labor went smoothly, without the need for medical intervention. Only 3% of women surveyed reported trauma or mental health problems after childbirth.
The NMC data also showed that of the 142 free births recorded, there was one stillbirth and two neonatal deaths, although no information was provided on the circumstances of these deaths.
Some women who choose free birth have previously experienced poor quality care in NHS hospitals. According to the Care Quality Commission, which regulates NHS trusts, the level of safety in almost two thirds of English hospital maternity units is either inadequate (18%) or requires improvement (47%). In 2024, an inquiry into birth trauma led by then Conservative MP Theo Clarke received materials from over 1,300 women who experienced a traumatic birth on the NHS. “Although free birth is the first choice for a few, for most it appears to be the 'least worst' option,” said Professor Soo Down, a senior UK midwife at the University of Lancashire.
Researchers also point to the widespread closure of home birth services in the UK during the pandemic as a factor pushing women to give birth free of charge. “Services have not recovered since Covid,” said Dr Claire Feeley, senior lecturer in midwifery at King's College London, explaining that women sometimes chose free births as a “back-up plan” because they did not want to give birth in hospital. “My colleagues tell me that in areas where home midwives are doing very well, there are almost no free births,” she added.
In a statement, the National Health Service said that while women in England have the legal right to choose to give birth unassisted, “we strongly recommend seeking qualified health care to ensure the safety and well-being of both mother and baby – and if you go this route, you can change your mind at any time during pregnancy, including during labour.”
FBS did not respond to requests for comment on the Guardian investigation. After the article was published on Saturday Saldaya posted a statement on Instagram criticizing “mainstream news propaganda.” “This is what it means to be a disruptor,” she said. “They will try to discredit you. They will lie about you. They will try to suppress things they don't understand.”
FBS said in a statement in May that its content is for “educational and informational” purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease related to pregnancy or childbirth. “For medical advice, please consult your physician,” it added.
