I seem to be seeing more and more stories of free birth, and more and more women have been asking me what I think about it. So today I wanted to talk about this topic, looking at all sides to understand where the popularity is coming from. So that you can decide whether this is an option that you should consider for your birth.

​Let's dive in.

​In this podcast, you'll learn how to be healthy and have joy during this time of life that will be over before you know it. So if you're ready to reclaim your birth and your babies for His glory, go turn on a few episodes of Bluey for that little one on your hip so you can put the focus back on you for a few minutes with me.

It is review time, and I love the review today because it comes from a fellow nurse who has started to figure things out on her own just like I did a long time ago. I love it when I see other nurses really starting to think critically. I know that nurses are wonderful. They do a lot of good work, but so many of us get hoodwinked and indoctrinated into thinking that birth is a medicalized thing and that’s really the best way—and it’s just not.

This review comes from Lulu. I just became a nurse in January. She’s a little baby nurse, and she’s learning so much earlier than so many of us. Lulu says:
“I just became a nurse in January, and the things that you talk about happening in hospitals are exactly what I see at mine. Since I have learned and seen how things are done in hospitals, it has made me terrified to birth in one. I am currently 23 weeks pregnant with my first child, and I am planning on having a home birth with a midwife. Your podcast has given me lots of resources and has helped me be confident in my decision to have a home birth and trust God through the process. Thank you so much for all that you do.”

​Thank you, Lulu, for those sweet words. I’m so excited that you’ve chosen to have a home birth, and I look forward to hearing about your birth story when the time comes.

If you are on Instagram—or maybe Facebook too—you know that free birth is trending. Free birth is not a new concept at all. Women have been having births unassisted for thousands of years. Sometimes they might be in a village where midwives were unavailable, or maybe they had midwives but couldn’t access them. Sometimes women would call family or friends for help, who may not have been formally trained.

The concept of going somewhere to have a baby is actually the fad. Free birth is the original way. Having a baby at a hospital is what’s new—it’s only been around for the last 100 years.

​Free birth simply means that you’re choosing to have your baby without a trained birth attendant, like a midwife or doctor. Even when I say “trained,” I mean formal training—midwives who have gone through school, doctors who have gone through school. These are people choosing to trust God and their bodies to do what they are designed to do.

Free birth is becoming more common because of the disrespect and trauma women experience in our healthcare system. Some women have no good choices for attendants, some hospitals offer traumatizing experiences, or midwives may have limited schedules. Others simply want complete control over their birth environment and trust the birth process deeply.

Is free birth a safe option, or is it a reckless game of Russian roulette? It can be either. Some births carry significant risk and should not happen unattended. Others are low-risk, and birth usually progresses well when left alone, undisturbed, and allowed to happen in God’s time.

If you can have a trained midwife you love and trust present, that’s usually the best option. A good midwife knows when a transfer to higher care is necessary and can help manage rare but life-threatening situations.

I personally had someone with me for support during my births. I needed to mentally check out and trust that someone else could handle the technical aspects while I focused on my body and God’s plan.

Free birth can be safe if:
* You trust your body and intuition.
* You are calm and mentally prepared to handle labor and birth without panic.
* You have a fully supportive partner.
​* You understand potential risks and are prepared with supplies and a plan.

If you’re considering free birth, you need to:
* Fully own your decisions and understand the risks.
* Have a supportive husband or partner who is prepared to help facilitate everything, including a potential hospital transfer.
* Prepare your home, gather supplies, and plan for labor and postpartum care.
​* Mentally and spiritually prepare to surrender to the process and trust God’s timing.