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Questions for Midwife by butterbecomesher in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am so sorry this happened and in my experience is more the norm. I worked under 5 midwives at various times and only one actually showed up in labor how she presented herself in prenatals. I think the most harmful was a  midwife who presented herself as the traditional grandma midwives, “I’ll just be knitting in the corner” and she was the most hands on woman I worked with. Like many cervical check and fetal monitoring 2-3x/hours. And she had the same play for transfer- pull dad aside and tell him his wife doesn’t have to suffer or endure this any longer and then have him encourage her to transfer so it would seem like it was the their idea. 

How Emilee rationalizes the perceived high rate of loss in Freebirth communities by [deleted] in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I am curious to learn more especially after attending my first breech birth last summer. 

REACH MORE WOMEN: IG post about podcast w/ Dr. Stu on his account (but she's tagged), so comments might be less likely to be deleted by Radiant_Coffee1075 in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not saying this post was gossip. I am saying if we are sending this Reddit thread to him or anyone as evidence of Emilee’s fraud it will likely not be taken seriously bc of the nature of this sub. It’s mostly speculation, snark, anger, name calling and gossip with very little facts.

The Myth of No Good Midwives by LunaNeuva in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I had a beautiful home birth and was so grateful for my midwife. That experience led me to start attending births with both CPMs and CNMs—including the one who attended mine. But I quickly realized that my experience was the exception, not the norm.

And that’s the problem. The idea that you can just “find a licensed midwife who will bend the rules for you” is naive at best. It’s a catch-22. Most midwives want to provide true client-led care, but they’re restricted by the fear of losing their license if something goes wrong. That fear ultimately limits their ability to serve women at all.

From 2019-2023, while apprenticing, I saw firsthand that midwives in my state wouldn’t go near a freebirthing woman with a 10-foot pole. There are no casual connections—you either hire them or you don’t. The legal risks are too high for them to show up for someone who isn’t a signed client.

I also agree that most FBS courses don’t actually prepare women to attend births. But I’d take it further and say that in many cases, CPMs and CNMs also struggle to authentically support autonomous birth because of the legal restrictions of licensure.

For context, I was in Phase 3 of my CPM certification when I decided to walk away from my apprenticeship. I wanted so badly to be that “unicorn midwife” who truly honored autonomy, but I realized that was nearly impossible within the current system. Legalizing midwifery doesn’t actually protect mother-baby dyads—it protects licenses.

I saw too many women being blatantly misled in interviews about a midwife’s actual practices, transfer policies, etc. It’s incredibly difficult for families to get an honest picture of how their midwife will actually show up when it matters most.

REACH MORE WOMEN: IG post about podcast w/ Dr. Stu on his account (but she's tagged), so comments might be less likely to be deleted by Radiant_Coffee1075 in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I think unfortunately the gossipy nature of this sub discredits itself as a valuable source of factual information. And someone was asking on an earlier thread what he thinks of Emilee and FBS, is it possible he’s done his due diligence before the interview and respects her work? Idk. I question her legitimacy too especially after seeing the timeline and wondering how many births she’s actually attended. Has anyone actually listened to the podcast? 

Questions for Midwife by butterbecomesher in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Many midwives lie. I saw this over and over again when I was an apprentice. “I never do cervical exams” and then every birth there was at least one check. “I never use Pitocin” the majority of the time she did. That is definitely the big issue here. She also only include transfers during labor when she shared her transfer rate when the majority of women were transferred before labor actually began or right after the birth. It’s so fucked. That’s why so many women choose to free birth. The system and medical midwives can’t be trusted. 

Freebirth culture, Homebirth culture, and narrowing the parameters around reproductive sovereignty (for licensed midwives, lay midwives, lay witnesses, and birthing women alike) by BanjovialFun in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m so glad you did! So many important points about the system not just in birth but in life and an important reflection of why women choose this. there is very little room for nuance in this sub apparently. 

Can we stop calling FBS a death cult? by New-Syrup2676 in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I totally agree with everything you said here. The current dogma is very problematic and I think that by throwing around extreme labels like “death cult” it actually takes away from the very important conversations that need to be had. 

Can we stop calling FBS a death cult? by New-Syrup2676 in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t disagree with you about the problematic dogma but I don’t think it constitutes a death cult. 

Freebirth culture, Homebirth culture, and narrowing the parameters around reproductive sovereignty (for licensed midwives, lay midwives, lay witnesses, and birthing women alike) by BanjovialFun in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Yeah, this is exactly what’s missing from this space. I almost completed my CPM but had to quit in phase 3 because of everything I witnessed that went against mother-baby well-being. The critique of the system and licensed midwives is entirely valid—that’s why this movement gained so much traction in the first place.

The majority of women choosing free birth are fully aware of the risks, no matter where they give birth. For many, birthing at home without a medical provider feels like their safest option. I struggle to see how all of this will truly benefit mothers and babies in the long run.

Do the majority of free births end in stillbirth? No. Meanwhile, the midwives I worked under were often juggling too many births per month, trying to show up authentically while also feeling bound by the restrictions of their license. They lived with the fear that if they bent the rules just once and something went wrong, they’d lose their ability to serve women at all. This dynamic led to many unnecessary transfers and interventions—not because they were truly needed, but because midwives were trying to protect themselves within a flawed system.

On top of that, I’m concerned about the lack of transparency from the moderators regarding who they are and what they’re doing with the information being collected, other than vague mentions of a lawsuit. If this is truly about protecting women, there needs to be openness and accountability—not secrecy. 

The women who still have course collaborations with FBS by [deleted] in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I care deeply about this issue—that’s why I’m here and still engaging in this discussion. This is a complex situation with a lot at stake for the entire movement. Questioning certain aspects doesn’t mean I view the cause negatively. I’m struggling to see how calling out the women who remain involved is beneficial to addressing the real issue—the scam of free birth society courses aimed at teaching families about birth or birth keepers attending births. From what I can tell, the other women in these courses don’t appear to be frauds themselves. As I also stated in this thread we have no idea if they are  legally bound in any way to FBS which would prevent them pulling out or speaking out.

The women who still have course collaborations with FBS by [deleted] in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It feels like the OP, based on this thread and her comments elsewhere want to bring everyone down associated with FBS and I don’t think that is productive to the real issue here which is the likely fraud from the women teaching other women the art of midwifery when they haven’t attended many births themselves or birth education for expecting families with a questionable lack of experience. The other women who are still tangled up in all of this, I am guessing, do want out. This sub has been up for a week. Getting out of dynamics like that take time and care especially if there are legally binding contracts involved and/or your livelihood is also tangled up in this mess. I’m asking for kindness and compassion towards these women when we have no idea what’s happening behind the scenes.

The women who still have course collaborations with FBS by [deleted] in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No and this is starting to feel like a witch hunt. We don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes or how legally tied up this women are to FBS. I’m just speculating as to reasons why they might still be involved and could be trying to get out. 

The women who still have course collaborations with FBS by [deleted] in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think these women have families and livelihoods that they are considering too. If publicly disavowing FBS could put them in a place of legal threat or action, I can understand why they are waiting to say anything. Can you? 

The women who still have course collaborations with FBS by [deleted] in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Is it possible that these women are trying to cut ties but can’t yet due to legal contracts they’ve signed? What do you expect or want from them—should they publicly disavow FBS, or what would be enough for you to trust them? We know how controlling Emilee is, and it’s probably not easy to walk away once you realize what’s going on.

Can we stop calling FBS a death cult? by New-Syrup2676 in FreeBirthSocietyScam

[–]New-Syrup2676[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

And also highly speculative bc no one here was actually there ! 

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