Melbourne wellness influencer died from treatable postpartum hemorrhage after home birth

Lal testified that Warnecke had already decided on a freebirth before contacting her. Warnecke lost up to 1.5 liters of blood after delivering the placenta and struggled to breathe. Lal asked Warnecke three times within a five-minute period if she wanted an ambulance called, with Warnecke agreeing the third time. By the time paramedics arrived, Warnecke was seriously unwell and later died in hospital from related complications.

Lal, who was paid $6,000 for her services, told the coroner that she was not clinically trained and it was not her role to assess blood loss or override the mother's wishes. She stated that while she thought Warnecke had lost more blood than normal, she would not have shared this information unless asked. Lal stopped working as a birthkeeper immediately after Warnecke's death, and an investigation into her services by the health complaints commissioner is ongoing.