An inquest into the death of a Melbourne woman who gave birth at home without medical support has been postponed after new evidence emerged from a forensic analysis of her mobile phone.
Background of the Case
Stacey Warnecke, a 30-year-old nutritionist and wellness influencer, died on 29 September at Frankston hospital in Melbourne. She had paid birthkeeper Emily Lal $6,000 to support her home birth without any medically trained staff, a practice known as "freebirth."
Birthkeepers have no medical training and operate outside the medical system. The court heard that Warnecke suffered a massive postpartum hemorrhage after delivering the placenta. An ambulance was called approximately half an hour after the bleeding was first noticed. Warnecke told Lal and her husband, Nathan, that she was short of breath and needed to lie down.
Lal's Testimony
On Tuesday, Lal told the inquest that although she was paid to support Warnecke, her role was primarily that of a supportive friend. She stated she was not clinically trained and that it was not her responsibility to make the birth safer or to call an ambulance unless specifically asked. Lal said she never gave medical advice and only shared her own experiences of freebirthing her own children.
Lal also informed the court that she no longer had access to texts Warnecke sent her about going into labour on 26 September, or any subsequent texts. "I got a new phone and lost everything," Lal said. When asked when she lost her phone, she replied, "October or November, I can't remember." She added that she mainly texted Warnecke's husband, Nathan, before going to their home to support the birth.
Lal gave evidence on the condition that the coroner granted her protection against her answers being used in future civil or criminal proceedings.
New Evidence Discovery
The inquest was due to close on Friday, but on Thursday afternoon, counsel assisting the coroner, Rachel Ellyard, informed the court that the contents of a forensic analysis of Warnecke's phone had been made available. "It seems to me that the contents that have been made available raise issues that are going to require some further investigation and perhaps the gathering of further evidence," Ellyard said.
As a result, the court was adjourned to a date yet to be determined. Addressing Warnecke's family, who were listening online, coroner Therese McCarthy said, "Sometimes investigations take a different course because new information comes to hand." She added, "I take the view that this material is of such significance that the court must delay making any findings and hearing submissions until we've had an opportunity to undertake a proper analysis of that material, and potentially call for more evidence."
Expert Medical Testimony
Earlier on Thursday, expert medical witnesses Dr. Mark Tarrant, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, and Dr. Catherine Adams, a midwife, gave evidence. They believed Warnecke's condition was treatable had a midwife been present at the home birth or had she given birth at a hospital.
Adams said that postpartum hemorrhage is common enough that midwives always consider it a possibility. They assess factors throughout pregnancy and labour that might increase risk, allowing for quick intervention. She noted that quick intervention makes the condition treatable. A midwife would have had treatments ready in case of such a complication. "We recognise once it starts, it can be quite catastrophic," she said.
Adams believed that within half an hour of the hemorrhage occurring with no treatment administered, medical staff subsequently treating Warnecke had "lost the opportunity to control the situation."
