Death of Stacey Warnecke during unassisted freebirth and Free Birth Society's role
Consensus Summary
Stacey Warnecke, a 30-year-old Melbourne wellness influencer, died in September 2025 from a massive postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth at home without medical assistance, attended only by her husband and an unlicensed 'birth keeper' named Emily Lal. Lal, who charged Warnecke A$6,000 for her services, had no formal medical training but was trained by the Free Birth Society (FBS), a controversial organisation promoting unregulated birth practices. Despite Warneckeâs severe bleeding, Lal refused to call an ambulance twice, adhering to FBSâs ideology that women have the right to refuse medical care even in life-threatening situations. Warnecke only agreed to an ambulance on the third request, by which time she had lost a significant amount of blood and suffered cardiac arrest. The coronial inquest into her death has highlighted the dangers of freebirths and the role of FBS in spreading misinformation, including downplaying serious complications and promoting unscientific views. Lal has been banned from providing health services by Victoriaâs Health Complaints Commissioner, and her actionsâincluding cleaning Warneckeâs home to remove blood-stained evidenceâhave raised further concerns. The case has also exposed FBSâs global influence, with its trained 'birth keepers' linked to multiple deaths and serious harm in countries including the US, Canada, and Australia.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Stacey Warnecke (30), a Melbourne nutritionist and wellness influencer, died in September 2025 from complications of a massive postpartum haemorrhage after a freebirth at home with no medical help.
- Emily Lal, a 'birth keeper' with no formal medical training, attended Warneckeâs birth and was paid A$6,000 for her services.
- Lal was trained by the Free Birth Society (FBS), a multimillion-dollar organisation founded by Emilee Saldaya and Yolande Norris-Clark, through their Radical Birth Keeper School, which teaches unregulated birth support.
- Lal was named in two inquests involving deaths: Warneckeâs in 2025 and a newborn babyâs death in 2022.
- Lal refused to call an ambulance for Warnecke despite her severe bleeding, adhering to FBSâs ideology that women have the right to refuse medical care even if it leads to death.
- Victoriaâs Health Complaints Commissioner issued Lal an interim prohibition order in October 2025 and extended it until September 2026, banning her from advertising or providing health services.
- Warneckeâs birth plan included the phrase 'variations of normal,' a term promoted by FBS to downplay serious pregnancy complications.
- Lal cleaned Warneckeâs home after her death, removing blood-stained evidence, including a carpet, which was noted by police and hospital staff.
- The coronial inquest is examining the dangers of non-medical births and the role of the Free Birth Society in promoting unregulated birth practices.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Emilee Saldaya, founder of FBS, previously claimed in a 2024 podcast that she had 'never heard of a mother dying in childbirth in the sovereign birth world,' despite FBS being linked to 48 cases of late-term stillbirths or neonatal deaths globally.
- Saldaya and Norris-Clark have promoted scientific inaccuracies, including questioning whether bacteria causes infection, dismissing gravity, and teaching that neonatal resuscitation can be 'sabotage.'
- Lal appeared on FBSâs podcast in 2021, where Saldaya described her as a 'friend,' and Lal claimed to have 'the skills behind me to help the woman to birth her baby' if complications arose.
- FBSâs Radical Birth Keeper School has trained 850 'radical birth keepers' worldwide, many with no medical experience, through a three-month Zoom course.
- Lal previously denied being a doula, stating in a 2021 podcast that she 'doesnât consider herself to be a doula' because she has 'the knowledge behind me that if there are complications... I can assist.'
- Saldaya invented the term 'radical birth keeper' to avoid legal restrictions on unlicensed midwifery, advising students to operate as 'non-professional friends' and avoid contracts.
- A senior doctor at Frankston Hospital reported concerns about Lal to police after Warneckeâs death, noting her use of medical terminology and suspicion that she was not just a 'friend.'
- Lal told the coroner she had 'no better training than just learning on the job' and that 'birth is as safe as life gets' if left alone.
- Lal testified at the inquest that she based her advice on her own experiences giving birth to four children at home and two online courses, not formal medical training.
- The Health Complaints Commissioner issued a public warning about Lal in October 2025, alleging she breached the health code of conduct by facilitating risky home births.
- Warnecke was described as 'vibrant, intelligent, and thoughtful' and had avoided antenatal care due to fears of medical interventions, preferring a freebirth.
- Lalâs services included prenatal support, birth planning, herbs, tinctures, and kits, all advertised on her now-taken-down website for A$6,000.
- Lal admitted to cleaning Warneckeâs home after her death, stating she had not considered preserving blood-stained evidence for investigation.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reports that Lal was personally trained by Saldaya and Norris-Clark through the Radical Birth Keeper School, while ABC does not specify the extent of Lalâs direct training beyond her enrollment in FBS courses.
- The Guardian states that Lal was named in inquests into two deaths (Warnecke and a 2022 newborn), but ABC only explicitly mentions Warneckeâs inquest and the 2022 newborn death indirectly through Lalâs broader involvement.
- The Guardian includes a quote from Saldaya in 2024 denying maternal deaths in freebirth, while ABC does not reference this specific claim by Saldaya.
- The Guardian details FBSâs global reach with 48 cases of serious harm linked to FBS-trained attendants, while ABC does not provide this specific statistic or global context.
Source Articles
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