Melbourne Influencer Dies After Unassisted Home Birth

In September 2025, Melbourne wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke decided to give birth at home, free of all medical help. No one else was present when she went into labour except her husband and a woman named Emily Lal. Warnecke later died in hospital.

Lal, who describes herself as a ‘birth keeper’, had no formal medical training and had taken an online course offered by the Free Birth Society – a multimillion-dollar business that trains unregulated birth support workers.

Warnecke is one of a growing number of women choosing medically unassisted births, known as ‘freebirths’, and non-medically trained supporters for their pregnancies.

Unpacking why is a key question being considered by a coroner, Therese McCarthy.