Coronial inquest into Melbourne wellness influencer's death after unassisted home birth
Consensus Summary
The articles cover the coronial inquest into the death of Stacey Warnecke, a 30-year-old Melbourne wellness influencer who died on 29 September 2025 from a postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth at home without medical assistance. Warnecke hired Emily Lal, a birthkeeper with no medical qualifications, for $6,000 to support her freebirth. Lal testified she was not trained to assess medical emergencies and deferred to Warnecke’s autonomy, asking three times if she wanted an ambulance before finally calling one after Warnecke consented. By then, Warnecke was critically unwell, having lost up to 1.5 litres of blood. Medical experts testified her death was preventable with timely intervention, as postpartum haemorrhage is treatable if recognized early. The inquest was adjourned after new forensic evidence from Warnecke’s phone was discovered, requiring further investigation. Warnecke’s refusal of antenatal care and medical interventions stemmed from fears of forced procedures and trauma, a decision influenced by her distrust of the medical system. Lal’s actions, including cleaning up the birth area and refusing to provide a statement to police, raised concerns about potential self-protection, though she claimed her motives were compassionate. The case highlights broader issues of unregulated birth support and the risks of freebirths, with medical professionals warning of tragic outcomes when complications arise outside medical care.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Stacey Warnecke, a 30-year-old Melbourne wellness influencer and nutritionist, died on 29 September 2025 from postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth at home without medical assistance.
- Warnecke hired Emily Lal, a birthkeeper with no medical qualifications, for $6,000 to support her freebirth, during which Lal was present alongside Warnecke’s husband, Nathan.
- Warnecke suffered a postpartum haemorrhage approximately 20–25 minutes after giving birth to her placenta, losing up to 1.5 litres of blood, and an ambulance was called only after she explicitly consented the third time Lal asked.
- Lal told the coronial inquest she was not clinically trained, did not consider it her role to call an ambulance against Warnecke’s wishes, and described her role as supportive rather than medical.
- Warnecke was taken to Frankston Hospital in a critical condition at approximately 5:13 AM on 29 September 2025, where she suffered multiple cardiac arrests and underwent emergency hysterectomy and heart surgery before dying.
- The coronial inquest was adjourned on 18 June 2026 after new forensic evidence from Warnecke’s phone was discovered, requiring further investigation.
- Medical experts testified that Warnecke’s death was preventable if she had received timely medical intervention, as postpartum haemorrhage is treatable with early recognition and care.
- Lal cleaned up the birth area, removed blood-stained carpet, and refused to provide a statement to police, citing legal advice and a previous negative media experience.
- Warnecke had refused antenatal care, ultrasounds, and medical interventions due to fears of forced procedures and trauma, opting for a freebirth to avoid medical systems.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Lal was granted a certificate protecting her from self-incrimination before giving evidence, allowing her testimony without fear of legal consequences.
- The coroner described Warnecke as a 'vibrant, intelligent, and thoughtful woman' who had a 'deep fear' of medical interventions.
- Lal stated she had no medical qualifications and relied on her own experiences of giving birth to four children at home, plus two self-education courses.
- Lal admitted she did not think freebirth was 'the safest option for a lot of women' but believed safety was subjective.
- A paramedic found Warnecke lying on the floor between a couch and a birthing pool, naked, with yellow and clammy skin, and a large blood clot nearby.
- A senior clinician at Frankston Hospital reported Lal to police the same day Warnecke died, citing concerns about her language and potential medical advice given to Warnecke.
- The Free Birth Society, an online business Lal trained with, was criticized by medical professionals for dangerous advice on topics like excessive bleeding and placenta care.
- The inquest heard evidence from the 2024 NSW birth trauma inquiry, which found women experienced 'distressing' and 'unacceptable' birth trauma in hospitals, contributing to Warnecke’s decision to avoid medical care.
- Lal lost access to texts with Warnecke after getting a new phone in October or November 2025, which she claimed was the reason she couldn’t provide full evidence.
- Lal attended the hospital after Warnecke’s death only to retrieve her phone, which Nathan Warnecke had accidentally taken.
- Lal was banned from working as a doula after Warnecke’s death, and the health complaints commissioner suspended her from providing health services while investigating her conduct.
- Lal refused to attend births in hospitals or with midwives present, fearing exposure to 'birth trauma or obstetric violence'.
- Jade Markiewicz, whose daughter died in a similar freebirth case, demanded a government inquiry into maternal and infant deaths outside medical systems.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC and The Age report Lal asked Warnecke three times over five minutes if she wanted an ambulance, while the Guardian does not specify the exact timeframe for the three asks.
- The Guardian states Lal lost access to Warnecke’s texts after getting a new phone in October or November 2025, but Lal herself told the court she could not remember the exact month, creating uncertainty about the timeline of evidence loss.
- The ABC and The Age describe Lal as having cleaned up the birth area and removed blood-stained carpet immediately after Warnecke’s death, while the Guardian adds Lal disposed of the carpet in her own bin because it did not fit in Warnecke’s, a detail not mentioned in the other sources.
- The Guardian notes Lal attended the hospital after Warnecke’s death to retrieve her phone, which the ABC and The Age do not mention as a reason for her visit.
Source Articles
'Birth keeper' would only call ambulance if mother consented, court hears
A court probing the death of Stacey Warnecke after a freebirth has heard that emergency care was delayed for several minutes because her "birth keeper" would only call an ambulance if she consented.
Inquest into Melbourne influencer’s death following freebirth halted after new phone evidence discovered
Coroner tells freebirth inquest new material ‘of such significance’ any findings must be postponed so information can be analysed The closing submissions in an inquest into the death of a woman who gave birth at home with no support from medically trained health workers has been delayed, after new evidence came to light following a forensic analysis of her mobile phone. Stacey Warnecke, a 30 year-old nutritionist, died on 29 September in Frankston hospital in Melbourne. Continue reading...
‘No way I was going to call an ambulance’: Doula at fatal free birth defends actions
A Victorian doula has told the Coroners Court she initially believed Stacey Warnecke was having a panic attack as she lay dying.
Stacey Warnecke died after choosing a birth free of all medical help. An inquest wants to know why
A coroner is looking into the final moments of a Melbourne influencer’s life and what leads women to choose ‘freebirth’ over obstetric care Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast As Stacey Warnecke lay on the floor of her home, short of breath after a massive postpartum haemorrhage, the woman she hired as her birthkeeper, Emily Lal, told her she was likely having a panic attack. “Don’t leave me,” Warnecke said to Lal, who had no medical qualifications, but who Warnecke had
Doctor reported birthkeeper to police the day Melbourne wellness influencer died following freebirth
Inquest hears clinician was not legally required to report to police but was concerned about public health and safety Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A senior clinician reported a birthkeeper to police the same day one of her clients died after giving birth at home – something the senior clinician said he had not done before. The evidence was heard during the third day of the inquest into the death of 30-year-old
Melbourne wellness influencer found short of breath and clammy after home birth hours before death
Stacey Warnecke, 30, died from a treatable complication after giving birth without any trained medical staff, an inquest hears Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A Melbourne wellness influencer was found lying on the floor of her home in an altered state of consciousness beside a large blood clot in the hours before she died in hospital, an inquest has heard. Stacey Warnecke, 30, died in September from a treatable c
Birthkeeper hired by woman who died after freebirth tells inquest she was ‘not there to make a birth safer’
Emily Lal – paid $6,000 to provide freebirth support package to Stacey Warnecke – tells coroner her role was primarily to be a ‘supportive friend’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A birthkeeper hired by a woman who died after giving birth at home has told a coroner that she was “not there to make a birth safer”. Emily Lal gave evidence on Tuesday at the inquest into the death of 30-year-old Stacey Warnecke, who di