She wanted a ‘free birth.’ It put her and her baby in grave danger

The New York Times features the expertise of Mickey Sperlich, associate professor in the School of Social Work, regarding the growing trend of “free births,” which reject all forms of medical intervention during pregnancy and birth, which some proponents claim to be safer.

“Safety is relative,” said Sperlich. For some expectant parents, safety might be modern medicine. But for those who feel they have been violated, she said, “then safety perhaps becomes something different.” The trend has been connected to a concerning pattern of stillbirths.