Australian woman dies after severe blood loss during home birth after refusing ambulance assistance; firstborn survived

An Australian wellness influencer died after suffering catastrophic blood loss during an unassisted home birth. Moreover, she refused offers to call an ambulance as her condition became worse.30-year-old Stacey Warnecke died on 29 September 2025, shortly after giving birth to her first child, a son named Axel, at her home. The baby survived.Details of her final hours emerged during a two-day hearing at the Coroners Court in Melbourne, where evidence revealed that Warnecke had chosen a “freebirth”, a birth without a registered midwife, nurse or other medical professional present.According to the inquest, Warnecke was committed to giving birth without medical intervention and had concerns about hospital births, including caesarean sections and induced labour.“She had ‘a strong view about the cascade of interventions that can occur within a hospital environment, and a strong wish to avoid them,’” her husband, Nathan Warnecke, said in a statement presented to the court.Warnecke had declined pregnancy checks, including ultrasound scans, and did not want a registered midwife present because of concerns about healthcare regulations.After giving birth, she began suffering a severe postpartum haemorrhage, a potentially life-threatening condition involving heavy bleeding after delivery. Her doula, Emily Lal, suggested calling an ambulance twice as Warnecke’s condition worsened. Both requests were refused. It was only after a third suggestion that emergency services were finally contacted.A recording of the emergency call was played in court.“My wife’s just given birth, and she is having trouble breathing,” Nathan told the operator.According to evidence heard at the hearing, Lal also informed emergency services that Warnecke appeared pale and that her skin felt hot.When paramedics arrived, they found Warnecke lying on the floor of a darkened room near the birth pool.She was later taken to hospital, where around two dozen doctors worked to save her life. Despite their efforts, she died from severe blood loss.The inquest also examined the role of Lal, who attended the birth. During questioning, Lal told the court she respected Warnecke’s wishes and would not have called emergency services against her instructions.“Her autonomy was very important to her. There was no way I was going to call an ambulance against her wishes,” Lal told the court.Lal acknowledged she was “not clinically trained” and said she considered herself to be attending the birth “as a supportive friend”, despite being paid for her services. She told the court her experience came from giving birth to four children herself and completing an online course in 2020.An investigation was launched following allegations that Lal was facilitating home births that could place mothers and babies at risk.Warnecke was known online as “Natural Spoonfuls” and had built a following of around 30,000 people on Instagram, where she promoted natural foods and a toxin-free lifestyle.Weeks after her death, her husband announced the tragedy on her social media account.“Stace passed on the 29th September 2025 after successfully giving birth to our firstborn son, Axel, at home,” Wernecke wrote.“Tragically, shortly after, an unforeseen and extremely rare complication arose and she passed after being transferred to hospital,” the post continued.“Hospital staff were amazing and did the utmost to help, but ultimately nothing could be done despite their best efforts.”Despite the medical emergency, Warnecke was able to spend time with her newborn son before she died.“She held Axel when he was born, nursed him, saw that he was a boy and loved him,” Wernecke wrote.“She loved him so much and still, continues to love him.”