Hospital Used Up Blood In an Attempt to Save Health Influencer's Life After Free Home Birth, Coroner Hears.

A medical facility depleted its entire stock of a wellness influencer's specific blood group in a unsuccessful attempt to save her life as she suffered catastrophic bleeding after a unassisted home delivery, a court has been told.

Stacey Warnecke, aged 30, was accompanied by her spouse, Nathan Warnecke, and an unregulated birth attendant named Emily Lal when she delivered her baby boy at her Melbourne home on the 29th of September.

The baby boy was healthy, but the mother's condition deteriorated quickly and an ambulance was called around 4:30 in the morning, the Victorian coroner’s court was informed on this week.

Ambulance officers arrived to find Warnecke looking jaundiced and having difficulty breathing as she was seated on the floor near the water birth tub, the coroner's counsel Rachel Ellyard said.

The patient was transported to Frankston hospital but could not be saved.

The preliminary finding suggests she died from complications following a massive bleeding after childbirth, Ellyard explained.

The medical center's stock of her blood type was entirely depleted during doctors’ attempts to save her, the inquest was informed.

The fatality was notified to authorities, and her husband gave an account to detectives, but Lal declined to cooperate.

When officers went to inspect the birth scene the following day, they discovered the house had been thoroughly cleaned up by the doula.

Decisions Regarding Prenatal Healthcare

The woman opted not to receive any form of health care during her pregnancy, including refusing scan appointments and consultations with a midwife or obstetrician.

The expectant mother desired to deliver at home and contacted Lal, who advertised herself as a advocate for unassisted birth on social media.

An unassisted birth, also referred to as a wild or unassisted birth, differs from a home delivery with professional support, which involves care from qualified medical practitioners.

Warnecke’s interactions with Lal will form part of the coroner’s investigation into her death, the counsel noted.

Her beliefs on the medical establishment, the decisions around her birth plan and wider perspectives following the Covid-19 pandemic will also be examined in a forthcoming hearing.

Context and Ongoing Investigation

The inquest was told that the woman was a certified dietary consultant who promoted a healthy and “natural” lifestyle on her online channels.

Evidence suggests she was profoundly affected by pandemic-related restrictions and those apprehensions shaped her decision-making during her prenatal period and delivery, Ellyard said.

In October, the state health regulator announced that it was investigating Lal over concerns she was facilitating or participating in home deliveries that could pose a danger to women and infants.

The coroner would be seeking a statement from Lal, as well as from the paramedics, doctors and nurses who cared for the patient, Ellyard was told.

This matter will be back before the coroner in March for a procedural update.