Twin babies die in Byron Bay ‘wild birth’ tragedy

Police are investigating the deaths of premature twins after a “wild birthing” went wrong in the Byron Bay area.

Police are investigating the deaths of twins after a home birth gone wrong in the Byron Bay area.

The parents are part of a movement called “wild birthing” where little to no medical care, including ultrasounds or heartbeat checks, is done during pregnancy and at birth.

“The couple were unaware they were having twins,” a medical source said.

The first baby was stillborn and the second died later after being taken to The Tweed Hospital. The twins were born pre­mature but at a gestation con­sidered viable — over 23 weeks.

“They did nothing during the pregnancy. All they needed to do was one check to discover they were having twins,” the source said.

“It’s quite tragic because it was avoidable. At least the second was born viable. If it was born in hospital, it had a chance. That child had rights.”

The community around Byron Bay have a higher level of women choosing both home birth and “wild birthing” than the rest of the country.

Tweed Byron police attended the scene after the births last week and are now investigating. No charges have been laid.

“It’s common knowledge there are a lot of home births that don’t go to plan, but this is tragic because it was avoidable,” a police source said.

“Wild birth” and “free birth” is where mothers choose to have a child without any assistance or intervention, with some believing ultrasounds can damage a baby.

Home births usually have a midwife in attendance.

An Australian Facebook group on wild birthing states: “This space is for women who align with unassisted pregnancy, birth and post-partum. A safe space where assistance talk is minimal and you are supported in birthing on your terms”.

Byron Shire, famous for its alternative lifestyle, has traditionally had a high rate of home births.

Birth educator Maha Al Musa.

Lismore pediatrician Dr Chris Ingall.

In response to that, the Northern NSW Local Health District provides a homebirth service that “supports the choice of planned, midwife-attended home birth as a safe choice for women with uncomplicated pregnancies”.

Byron Bay-based birth educator Maha Al Musa, wo runs the Embody Birth program, said wom­en were choosing to step outside the medical system because they wanted more control during birthing, and many had been left “feeling traumatised by obstetric violence and don’t feel supported”.

Ms Al Musa, now 61, home birthed at age 46 with the help of a midwife.

“The system looks at birth as an illness but it is deeply sacred,” she said.

“Women want to choose a sacred path and they are robbed of that sacred experience and younger women are seeking this knowledge, the freedom to choose, the freedom to birth with whom you want and how you want, it puts mother and baby at the centre as the experts.

“We are demonising what nature intended, we are policing women and birth and women need to be listened to. Babies die in hospital too. I’m not a proponent of free birth but it is the woman’s choice, that is what it is about,” Ms Al Musa said.

Australia is one of the safest places in the world for a baby to be born, yet death occurring within the peri-natal period (from 20 weeks of gestation to 28 days after birth) is not uncommon.

On an average day in Australia, six babies are stillborn and two die within 28 days of birth (neonatal death) the latest Australian institute of Health and Welfare report states.

According to Victorian data for women having their first baby, a planned home birth almost doubled the risk of serious problems for the baby from five in 1,000 for a hospital birth to nine in 1,000 for a homebirth

Lismore paediatricians Dr Chris Ingall, who has dealt first hand with the negative outcomes of some home births in Northern NSW, said he respected the rights of mothers to choose but he called for women to also seek a pediatric opinion as well so that mothers are well informed.

“I’m pro-women’s choice but that relies on being well informed.

“Based on my own experiences, when a baby is in special care after something goes wrong, I ask ‘do you think you were informed that this was a likely outcome’ and they always say no. I do not think they are getting good information about that choice and how it may impact the baby,” Dr Ingall said.

“When you look at nature before resuscitation and oxygen, nature is not kind,” he said.

The latest case follows the death of a breech baby in Nimbin born in February 2015.

During the subsequent coronial inquest, the father of the baby testified if they’d known it was going to be a breech birth they’d have gone to hospital.

There was no midwife or medically qualified person present during the birth of the baby, referred to as “NA” by the NSW deputy coroner.

The coroner found the baby died of brain damage after being deprived of oxygen, and injuries received during and after birth.

“NA was born breech without any medical assistance. It took some time before effective resuscitation” the coroner found, recommending the “implementation of an information outreach program to local GPs about services currently provided by Northern NSW Local Health District in relation to mothers wanting to non-hospital births.”

A spokeswoman for the health district said: “Pregnant women should consult with healthcare providers early in their pregnancy for personalised advice about the best options for themselves and their baby, including options for pregnancy care and birth location”.

A spokeswoman said the Northern NSW Local Health District facilitated 55 planned home births in 2021, 44 in 2022 and 23 in 2023.

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