Hospital Exhausted Blood In an Attempt to Save Wellness Social Media Figure's Life Following Unassisted Birth, Inquest Hears.

A hospital exhausted its supply of a wellness influencer's specific blood group in a futile attempt to rescue her as she bled uncontrollably after a unassisted home delivery, a court has been told.

Stacey Warnecke, 30, was with her husband, Nathan Warnecke, and an unlicensed doula named Emily Lal when she delivered her son at her home in Melbourne home on the 29th of September.

The baby boy was well, but Warnecke's state worsened suddenly and an ambulance was called around 4.30am, the Victorian coroner’s court was informed on Wednesday.

Emergency medical technicians arrived to find the woman looking jaundiced and gasping for air as she was seated on the ground near the birthing pool, counsel assisting the court stated.

The patient was taken to Frankston hospital but doctors were unable to save her.

The preliminary finding suggests she succumbed to complications after a massive bleeding after childbirth, Ellyard said.

The medical center's stock of her blood group was entirely depleted during doctors’ efforts to save her, the court was told.

This incident was notified to authorities, and her husband provided a statement to detectives, but Lal refused.

When officers went to examine the birth scene the following day, they discovered the property had been extensively cleaned by the doula.

Choices Around Prenatal Care

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

She wanted to deliver at home and engaged the doula, who advertised herself as a advocate for unassisted birth on social media.

A free birth, also referred to as a wild or unassisted birth, differs from a planned home birth, which involves care from qualified health professionals.

Warnecke’s interactions with Lal will form part of the official inquest into her death, Ellyard noted.

Her views on the healthcare system, the decisions around her birth plan and broader attitudes following the Covid-19 pandemic will also come under scrutiny in a future inquest.

Context and Current Inquiry

The inquest was told that the woman was a qualified nutritionist who advocated for a healthy and “chemical-free” lifestyle on social media.

Evidence suggests she was profoundly affected by pandemic-related restrictions and those concerns shaped her decision-making during pregnancy and birth, counsel added.

In October, Victoria’s health complaints commissioner issued a warning that it was looking into the doula's activities over concerns she was facilitating or participating in home births that could put mothers and babies at risk.

The coroner would be requesting testimony from Lal, as well as from the paramedics, doctors and nurses who treated the patient, Ellyard was told.

The case will return to the coroner in the coming months for a procedural update.