Melbourne wellness influencer found short of breath and clammy after home birth hours before death

An inquest into the death of Stacey Warnecke has heard of the ‘heroic’ efforts of Frankston hospital staff to manage multiple cardiac arrests and ongoing bleeding. Photograph: James Ross/AAP View image in fullscreen An inquest into the death of Stacey Warnecke has heard of the ‘heroic’ efforts of Frankston hospital staff to manage multiple cardiac arrests and ongoing bleeding. Photograph: James Ross/AAP Melbourne wellness influencer found short of breath and clammy after home birth hours before death Stacey Warnecke, 30, died from a treatable complication after giving birth without any trained medical staff, an inquest hears Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A Melbourne wellness influencer was found lying on the floor of her home in an altered state of consciousness beside a large blood clot in the hours before she died in hospital, an inquest has heard. Stacey Warnecke, 30, died in September from a treatable complication after giving birth at home to her son Axel without any trained medical staff, the inquest which began on Monday into her death heard. Her husband, Nathan Warnecke, and Melbourne birthkeeper Emily Lal, who she met online, were both present during the birth. A birthkeeper is an unregulated birth support worker who does not have any formal medical training, and operates entirely outside the medical system. Doulas, who also don’t have formal medical training, typically support women within the conventional hospital system alongside trained medical professionals. About 25 minutes after giving birth to Axel, she gave birth to the placenta. Her husband estimated she lost up to 1.5 litres of blood at this time, the coroner heard. Warnecke began experiencing shortness of breath, but twice she said she did not want an ambulance to be called. Lal told her she might be experiencing a panic attack, the coroner heard. Approximately an hour after giving birth, Warnecke was asked for a third time if she wanted an ambulance. She said yes. The triple-zero call, made at 4.13am, was played to the coroner. A paramedic arrived at the home within 10 minutes and quickly called for backup from a mobile intensive care unit when she found “Stacey lying on the floor between the birth pool and the couch”, counsel assisting the coroner, Rachel Ellyard, said. “The room was dark. Stacey was naked, her skin was yellow and clammy.” Warnecke was also short of breath, breathing rapidly, appeared to be in an altered state of consciousness, and there was a large clot of blood on the floor, Ellyard said. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email When intensive care paramedics arrived at 4.36am, Warnecke’s blood pressure was undetectable and they had to try to stabilise her enough following what they recognised as a massive postpartum haemorrhage to transport her to Frankston hospital for emergency care. When she arrived at the hospital at about 5.13am, she expelled a “big gush of bl