Wellness Influencer Stacey Warnecke, 30, Died from Severe Blood Loss After ‘Freebirth’ at Home: Reports

A formal cause of death has been outlined for Australian wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke.

During a hearing at the Victorian Coroners Court on Wednesday, Dec. 10, attorney Rachel Ellyard said that Warnecke, 30 — also known as Stacey Hatfield — died on Sept. 29 from suspected complications following a postpartum haemorrhage, according to 9News. Multiple outlets, including 9News and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), reported that she suffered severe blood loss.

Warnecke, whose baby son Axel survived the birth, had chosen to have a freebirth — a term used when a family decides to deliver at home without a registered medical professional such as a doctor or midwife, per the ABC.

Her husband, Nathan Warnecke, publicly shared news of her death on Instagram on Sunday, Oct. 19.

Birth support worker Emily Lal, known online as The Authentic Birthkeeper, was present at the couple’s Seaford home in suburban Melbourne for the birth, it was confirmed during Wednesday’s court proceedings, the ABC reported.

Lal has not yet provided a statement regarding Warnecke’s death. However, the court heard allegations that the house had been cleaned by the time police arrived the following day, according to the ABC.

Back in October, Victoria’s Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC) announced it was investigating Lal “based on information received by the Health Complaints Commissioner alleging that Ms Lal is facilitating and/or participating in homebirths which may put both mothers and babies at risk,” according to a post on the HCC website.

Local outlet the Herald Sun later reported that Lal has been temporarily banned from providing healthcare.

Ellyard told the court that Warnecke had lost trust in the medical system after Covid vaccine mandates in 2021, the Herald Sun reported, and chose not to engage with conventional healthcare during her pregnancy.

According to the Herald Sun, Warnecke gave birth at around 3 a.m. on Sept. 29 and initially seemed well. After she passed the placenta, she began to feel “unwell” and started to bleed. She first declined an ambulance but eventually agreed to seek help at approximately 4:13 a.m.

Paramedics arrived at 4:26 a.m. and found her “lying on the floor next to the birthing pool,” appearing yellow, agitated, and short of breath, the outlet said. She reached Frankston Hospital at 5:07 a.m. in “critical condition” and underwent multiple procedures, including an emergency hysterectomy.

Despite those efforts, Warnecke went into repeated cardiac arrest and died in the ICU at around 11 a.m., according to the Herald Sun. Her bleeding was reportedly so severe that “the hospital supply of her blood type was completely exhausted.”

“My role is to look at how she died and establish a finding around those facts,” Coroner Therese McCarthy said, as reported by the ABC, adding that she is considering whether to convene a full hearing into Warnecke’s death. The case is due to return to court in March.

The Victorian Coroners Court and the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.

The latest update follows the post Nathan shared to Warnecke’s Natural Spoonfuls Instagram page on Oct. 19, in which he announced that his wife had died around three weeks earlier after giving birth to their first child, Axel, at home.

In that message, he wrote that “an unforeseen and extremely rare complication arose and she passed after being transferred to hospital.”

“Hospital staff were amazing and did the utmost to help, but ultimately nothing could be done despite their best efforts,” he continued. In the comments, Nathan also reflected on Warnecke’s final moments with their newborn son.

“She loved being pregnant and over the last 9 months told our son she loved him everyday,” he wrote. “She held Axel when he was born, nursed him, saw that he was a boy and loved him. She loved him so much and still, continues to love him.”

Warnecke built an online presence by promoting a low-toxin lifestyle and cooking with natural ingredients. She launched her business, Natural Spoonfuls, in 2019 and went on to partner with food brands while sharing original recipes. She also grew a following of thousands on Instagram, where she regularly posted her culinary creations.

After Nathan’s announcement, the couple’s friend Jon Downie shared another update on the Natural Spoonfuls account, revealing that he had organized a GoFundMe to honor his “beautiful friend Stacey and support her family in the way she always supported those she loved.”

In the fundraiser description, Downie explained, “Nathan is not one to ask for help, however we know he will need assistance. With love and support we know he will succeed and be an amazing father to Axel.

“There is no doubt the financial prospects from here for Nathan are significant. Nathan will be unable to return to work as planned for the near future,” he wrote.