Police investigate newborn’s death after Pala Negara’s home birth
Pala Negara, a former reality television star, has spoken about why she chose home births and distrusted hospitals, after her newborn son died following a home birth in northern New South Wales. Police are investigating the circumstances of the baby’s death and preparing information for the coroner; the article says no responsibility for the death is being attributed to Negara.
In a 2023 podcast, Negara described hearing repeated “code blue” announcements during visits to private hospitals and said she believed hospital births involved too many interventions. She also recounted a labour with an older child that lasted about 60 hours and said her first home birth was followed by a haemorrhage and hospital admission. Her son Harmony was born on 28 August, 20 days after his due date; after complications, he was taken to hospital and died that evening.
In short
- Pala Negara’s newborn son died after a home birth.
- Police are investigating and preparing a report for the coroner.
- Negara previously described her distrust of hospitals and long labour.
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The case for
A thoughtful case for home birth is that, for some people with uncomplicated pregnancies and appropriate support, giving birth at home can offer privacy, familiarity and greater control over care. Negara’s stated concerns about hospital interventions reflect a broader value: patients should be able to make informed choices about birth and have their preferences taken seriously.
The case against
A thoughtful case for hospital birth is that complications can develop quickly, and hospitals can provide immediate access to specialist staff, monitoring and emergency treatment. The reported prolonged labour, birth well after the due date and earlier haemorrhage illustrate why some argue that risk assessment and timely medical support should weigh heavily in choosing a birth setting, while the circumstances of this death remain under investigation.
Explained simply
Pala Negara is a former reality television star who has spoken publicly about choosing to give birth at home. In a 2023 podcast, she said hospital announcements and what she saw as frequent medical interventions made her distrustful of hospitals.
Home birth means giving birth outside a hospital, often with support from a midwife. Negara had previously described a long labour and said she needed hospital care after a haemorrhage following an earlier home birth, illustrating that birth plans can involve medical complications and transfers to hospital.
Police are investigating the circumstances of her newborn son’s death and preparing information for the coroner, who examines deaths to establish how they occurred. The report says no responsibility for the death is being attributed to Negara.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘I was screaming’: Ex on the Beach star Pala Negara’s shockingly candid account of why she chose home births and refused medical help during a gruelling 60-hour labour – as police investigate newborn son’s death”.