A 30-year-old nutritionist and wellness influencer, Stacey Warnecke, died from complications of a massive postpartum haemorrhage after a freebirth attended by an unlicensed birth attendant trained by the Free Birth Society (FBS), a Guardian investigation has revealed. The FBS founder Emilee Saldaya had repeatedly claimed she had never heard of a maternal death in the "sovereign birth world."
Details of the death and inquest
Warnecke paid A$6,000 to Emily Lal, a Melbourne-based "birth keeper" with no medical qualifications, to attend her birth. Lal, a former insurance worker, was trained through FBS's Radical Birth Keeper School. During the birth, Warnecke began bleeding heavily but refused an ambulance twice, citing her desire for autonomy. Lal only called an ambulance on the third request, after about 30 minutes of bleeding. Warnecke died at Frankston hospital despite a hysterectomy and attempts to save her. Medical experts testified that her condition was treatable and preventable with swift care.
Links to Free Birth Society
Guardian investigation identified 48 cases of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, or serious harm linked to FBS across multiple countries. Lal was personally trained by Saldaya and Yolande Norris-Clark, who taught that neonatal resuscitation can be "sabotage" and that life-threatening complications are "variations of normal." Lal's training included the principle that women have the right to refuse medical attention, even if it leads to death. In evidence, Lal stated she would not call an ambulance against a client's wishes, even if the woman was unconscious, because "autonomy was very important."
Impact and aftermath
The inquest into Warnecke's death remains open pending forensic analysis of her phone. After the death, the Victorian health complaints commissioner suspended Lal from providing health services. Lal told the court she has stopped attending births, saying it was "really traumatic watching someone that you love die." The FBS founder Saldaya previously described Guardian reporting as "propaganda" based on "lies."
