A series of tragic deaths of Australian mothers and babies, as a result of so-called “freebirthing” has put this practice into the spotlight.

What is “freebirthing”, you ask? Call it birth without a safety net, that is: without any doctor, trained clinician or registered midwife present. Some women are alone. Some are just with their partner.

Today, senior writer Wendy Tuohy on why women are arguably risking their lives - and that of their baby - to engage in this increasingly popular practice, and the “birth influencers” encouraging them, some of whom have reportedly claimed to have more clinical skills than they do.