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A hospital exhausted its supply of a wellness influencer\u2019s blood type in an unsuccessful attempt to save her life as she bled uncontrollably after a free birth at home, a court has been told.<\/p>\n
Stacey Warnecke, 30, was with her husband, Nathan Warnecke, and unregulated doula Emily Lal when she delivered her son at her Melbourne home on 29 September.<\/p>\n
The baby boy was healthy but Warnecke\u2019s condition rapidly declined and an ambulance was called about 4.30am, the Victorian coroner\u2019s court was told on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Paramedics arrived to find Warnecke looking yellow and struggling to breathe as she sat on the floor near the birthing pool, counsel assisting Rachel Ellyard said.<\/p>\n
She was taken to Frankston hospital but could not be saved.<\/p>\n
It is suspected she died from complications after a postpartum haemorrhage, Ellyard said.<\/p>\n
Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n The hospital\u2019s supply of her blood type was completely exhausted during doctors\u2019 attempts to save her, the court was told.<\/p>\n Warnecke\u2019s death was reported to police and Nathan Warnecke provided a statement to detectives, but Lal refused.<\/p>\n When officers went to examine Warnecke\u2019s home the next day, they also found the house had been extensively cleaned by Lal.<\/p>\n Warnecke elected not to receive any health care during her pregnancy, including declining ultra sounds and appointments with a midwife or obstetrician.<\/p>\n She wanted to give birth at home and contacted Lal, who also promoted herself as a free birth \u201ckeeper\u201d on social media.<\/p>\n A free birth, sometimes called a wild or unassisted birth, differs from a planned home birth<\/a>, which involves care from registered health professionals. There are many publicly funded home birth programs<\/a> around Australia.<\/p>\n Warnecke\u2019s interactions with Lal will form part of the coroner\u2019s investigation into her death, Ellyard said.<\/p>\n The 30-year-old\u2019s thoughts on the healthcare system, the decisions around her birth plan and broader attitudes following the Covid-19 pandemic will also be examined in a future inquest.<\/p>\n