Hospital Exhausted Blood In an Attempt to Save Health Social Media Figure's Life After Free Birth, Coroner Hears.

A medical facility completely used up a social media health advocate's matching blood group in a unsuccessful attempt to rescue her as she bled uncontrollably after a so-called "wild" birth, a court has been told.

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

The infant was in good health, but the mother's condition rapidly declined and an emergency services was summoned around 4.30am, the Victorian coroner’s court was told on Wednesday.

Ambulance officers discovered Warnecke looking jaundiced and having difficulty breathing as she sat on the ground near the water birth tub, the coroner's counsel Rachel Ellyard stated.

She was rushed to the local hospital but could not be saved.

It is suspected she died from complications following a post-birth hemorrhage, Ellyard said.

All available reserves of her blood type was fully used up during doctors’ attempts to stabilize her, the court was informed.

The fatality was reported to police, and Nathan Warnecke gave an account to detectives, but Lal refused.

As police went to inspect the residence the following day, they also found the property had been deep cleaned by the doula.

Decisions Around Prenatal Healthcare

The woman elected not to receive any medical care during her pregnancy, including declining scan appointments and consultations with a qualified midwife or obstetrician.

She wanted to deliver at home and engaged the doula, who also promoted herself as a free birth “keeper” on online platforms.

A free birth, also referred to as a birth without medical attendants, differs from a home delivery with professional support, which includes the assistance of registered health professionals.

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

The 30-year-old’s beliefs on the medical establishment, the decisions around her birth plan and wider perspectives following the Covid-19 pandemic will also come under scrutiny in a future inquest.

Context and Ongoing Investigation

The court was told that the woman was a certified dietary consultant who promoted a wholesome and “natural” way of life on her online channels.

It appeared she was deeply influenced by pandemic-related restrictions and those concerns shaped her decision-making during pregnancy and birth, counsel added.

In October, the state health regulator issued a warning that it was looking into the doula's activities over allegations she was facilitating or participating in home deliveries that could put mothers and babies at risk.

The coroner would be seeking a statement from Lal, as well as from the emergency responders and hospital staff who cared for Warnecke, Ellyard was told.

This matter will return to the coroner in the coming months for a further directions hearing.