Mother Dies After Home Birth as ‘Birth Keeper’ Refuses Ambulance
A popular Melbourne nutritionist and food influencer, Stacey Warnecke, 30, died in hospital on September 29 from complications of postpartum hemorrhage, several hours after giving birth to her son Axel at home without medical assistance. The events surrounding her death are now under scrutiny at the Coroners Court of Victoria.
‘Birth Keeper’ Defends Actions Amidst Investigation
The court heard that Ms. Warnecke had opted out of all healthcare during her pregnancy and chose to give birth at home with her husband, Nathan, and a ‘birth keeper’ named Emily Lal. Ms. Lal, a mother of four, had cultivated a significant online following among mothers prior to Ms. Warnecke’s death. Appearing at the coronial inquest, Ms. Lal was granted a certificate against self-incrimination and had reportedly declined to speak with police before the hearing. Investigators noted that the home had been ‘extensively cleaned by Ms. Lal’ when they attended the scene the following day.
Decision to Call Ambulance Left to Mother
During questioning, Ms. Lal stated that she had no obligation to call an ambulance if she had concerns about a mother’s condition during childbirth. She insisted that such decisions were ultimately up to the mother. “It would really depend on what the mother wanted,” Ms. Lal testified. “So if she wanted my support, then I would support her to the best of my ability. I would call for an ambulance if that’s what she wanted.” When pressed by counsel assisting the Coroner, Ms. Ellyard, about waiting for the mother’s request, Ms. Lal clarified, “I would ask if she would like an ambulance, but if she said ‘no’, then that’s the answer.”
Ms. Lal described her role as being paid to be a ‘big sister’ to mothers, rather than ensuring their safety during childbirth. “I’m not there to make a birth safer. I can’t do that,” she stated. She further asserted, “I don’t think I have that obligation. She’s supported by her family. There’s always a husband or a partner present and I think it’s up to the family to make that decision. It’s not up to me to make that decision for them.”
Financial Arrangements and Role Description
Clients reportedly paid Ms. Lal $6,000 for her ‘full service package’, with Ms. Warnecke making payments in three installments. Unlike a home birth attended by a registered midwife, a ‘free birth’ occurs without any medical professionals present.
Rapid Decline and Emergency Call
The inquest was told that while Ms. Warnecke’s son, Axel, was healthy, her own condition deteriorated rapidly after the birth. A triple-zero call placed at 4:30 am revealed concerns about Ms. Warnecke’s declining health. In the audio recording played to the court, Mr. Warnecke could be heard informing the operator that his wife was experiencing breathing difficulties. The phone was then passed to Ms. Lal, who identified herself to the operator as a ‘friend’ when asked if she was the midwife. She reported that the new mother had experienced bleeding that had stopped and that her breathing complications “kinda comes and goes.” Crying from the baby and Ms. Warnecke’s rapid breathing were audible in the background.
Paramedic’s Account and Hospital Efforts
The first paramedic arrived approximately ten minutes after the call and found Ms. Warnecke on the floor, struggling to breathe, with yellow and clammy skin. A large blood clot was present, and she was losing consciousness intermittently. She was transported to Frankston Hospital about two hours after the birth, where she suffered multiple cardiac arrests. Doctors performed a hysterectomy to control bleeding and a procedure to drain nearly a liter of fluid from around her heart in an attempt to save her. Despite the hospital using its entire supply of Ms. Warnecke’s blood type, she could not be saved and ultimately died from blood loss.
‘Birth Keeper’ Lacks Formal Qualifications
Ms. Lal informed the court that she possessed no formal qualifications related to childbirth, having gained her knowledge through her own pregnancies. “I don’t have any medical qualifications and don’t profess to and do not provide any medical advice,” she stated. Ms. Lal also indicated that she did not view childbirth as a ‘medical matter’ and would refuse to attend a birth where a midwife or doctor was present, expressing a desire to avoid witnessing “trauma” or “obstetric violence.” She described her aim as assisting clients in managing the “intensity” of childbirth, emphasizing that “99 percent of birth is mindset.”
She downplayed her expertise, stating, “I’m an expert in my own birth experience.” She characterized her role as primarily supportive, offering “woman-to-woman support” and being present to listen and assist as clients wished. Ms. Lal denied being paid to act as Ms. Warnecke’s friend, explaining the fee was for her time, including travel, attendance at the birth, and postpartum support such as cooking and cleaning. “My time. And that time was driving there and back, spending that time there, and then a lot of it is the postpartum as well. I’m cooking, I’m cleaning … domestic duties … So she paid me for my time,” she said.
Cleaning the Scene and Police Cooperation
Ms. Lal accepted no responsibility for adverse outcomes for her clients. “I’m not telling anyone to listen to me,” she said. “I have a responsibility to myself, to make sure that I’m being honest about what I think and I have a responsibility to the women that I support to make sure that I’m supporting them the way that they want to be supported.” The ambulance was only summoned after Ms. Warnecke began gasping for breath and agreed to its arrival. “There was no way I was going to call an ambulance against her wishes,” Ms. Lal stated.
Regarding the extensive cleaning of the scene, Ms. Lal explained she believed she was performing a helpful act for the grieving husband. “I thought I was doing something nice by cleaning it up for [her husband],” she said. “I think that’s really unfair, honestly. Like, his wife had just died, and I thought the last thing he wants to see is a mess left from what’s caused her death. So I thought I was doing something helpful.” Ms. Lal cited a previous negative experience with media coverage as her reason for not cooperating with police, fearing another “media pile-on.” She had previously faced scrutiny after a birth pool she rented out was used by a freebirthing mother whose baby later died. “Because the last time I did, it was a birth that had absolutely nothing to do with me, and somehow it ends up with every media report saying that the baby’s death was my fault,” she explained, adding that she “wasn’t legally required to make a statement.”
Mother’s Reasons for Home Birth
Ms. Warnecke was described in court as an intelligent and thoughtful individual. Following Victoria’s COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates, she expressed a strong desire to avoid the perceived “cascade” of medical interventions, invasive tests, and potential C-section associated with the health system. Counsel assisting the Coroner stated that Ms. Warnecke had a “deep fear of birth trauma” and sought to have her baby “on her own terms” through a free birth.
The inquest is ongoing.
