Hospital Depleted Blood Trying to Rescue Wellness Social Media Figure's Life Following Unassisted Home Birth, Coroner Hears.

A medical facility completely used up a wellness influencer's specific blood type in a vain effort to keep her alive as she experienced massive hemorrhaging after a so-called "wild" birth, a court has been told.

The 30-year-old woman, aged 30, was with her husband, Nathan Warnecke, and an unregulated doula named Emily Lal when she delivered her son at her Melbourne home on 29 September.

The infant was in good health, but the mother's state rapidly declined and an emergency services was called around 4.30am, the hearing was informed on Wednesday.

Paramedics arrived to find the woman looking jaundiced and having difficulty breathing as she was seated on the ground near the water birth tub, the coroner's counsel Rachel Ellyard stated.

The patient was rushed to Frankston hospital but doctors were unable to save her.

It is suspected she succumbed to severe complications following a postpartum haemorrhage, Ellyard said.

All available reserves of her blood group was entirely depleted during medical teams' efforts to save her, the inquest was informed.

The fatality was reported to police, and Nathan Warnecke provided a statement to detectives, but Lal refused.

When officers went to examine the birth scene the following day, they discovered the property had been extensively cleaned by the doula.

Decisions Around Pregnancy Care

Warnecke chose not to receive any form of health care during her pregnancy, including declining scan appointments and consultations with a midwife or doctor.

The expectant mother desired to deliver at home and contacted the doula, who advertised herself as a free birth “keeper” on social media.

An unassisted birth, also referred to as a wild or unassisted birth, differs from a home delivery with professional support, which includes the assistance of registered health professionals.

Warnecke’s interactions with Lal will form part of the official inquest into her death, the counsel said.

The 30-year-old’s thoughts on the medical establishment, the decisions around her birth plan and broader attitudes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic will also be examined in a future inquest.

Context and Current Investigation

The court was told that Warnecke was a qualified nutritionist who advocated for a healthy and “natural” lifestyle on social media.

Evidence suggests she was deeply influenced by pandemic-related restrictions and those concerns influenced her decision-making during her prenatal period and delivery, counsel added.

Earlier this year, the state health regulator announced that it was investigating Lal over allegations she was facilitating or participating in home deliveries that could put mothers and babies at risk.

The investigation would be seeking a statement from the doula, as well as from the paramedics, doctors and nurses who treated the patient, Ellyard was told.

The case will return to the coroner in March for a procedural update.