A freebirth coach, who marketed herself as The Authentic Birth Keeper and charged up to $6,000 for her services, is facing scrutiny following the death of a client from postpartum hemorrhage. Emily Lal, who had no formal training beyond online freebirth courses, testified before a coroner investigating the September 2025 death of 30-year-old influencer Stacey Warnecke.
Warnecke died from blood loss after giving birth at home to her first child, who survived. Lal, who was present as a friend according to her testimony, stated she would not call an ambulance against a client's wishes, even if the client was in distress. She told the inquest that Warnecke eventually said "yes" when asked for the third time if she wanted an ambulance, but by then it was too late. Warnecke died at Frankston Hospital from cardiac arrest, likely due to exsanguination.
Lal has been a vocal critic of the "modern industrial birth system," online posts and podcast comments from her reveal. She has lambasted doctors and hospitals, referring to medically supervised childbirth as a "patriarchal system" and calling interventions like Caesarean sections “unecessarian.” She also described warnings about the dangers of unassisted birth as "the dead baby card" and a form of coercion.
Evidence presented at the inquest suggested Lal's role was more than that of a friend. Pages from Lal's now-defunct websites, recovered by The Wayback Machine, advertised a "birth keeper full service package" that included antenatal support, birth attendance, and postpartum support. These packages cost between $4,000 and $6,000. Lal stated that she typically saw five mothers a week in her role, offering emotional and physical support, cooking, cleaning, and childcare, in addition to birth assistance.
During Warnecke's birth, Lal stated she provided water, tied back her hair, and sponged her forehead. However, on one podcast, Lal described herself as being hired for her "knowledge of natural childbirth." She also asserted online that "99 per cent of birth is mindset. There's nothing physically you need to do to birth your baby."
When a paramedic arrived at Warnecke's home, she was found on the floor between the birth pool and the couch, naked, with yellow and clammy skin, and struggling to breathe. The room was dark, and a large blood clot was on the floor. The paramedic quickly called for backup from a mobile intensive care unit. Lal can be heard on the Triple-0 call instructing Warnecke's husband on cutting the umbilical cord while the baby cried and Warnecke struggled for breath. Lal told the emergency operator that the bleeding had stopped, though she later acknowledged understanding the connection between blood loss and breathlessness.
Warnecke required extensive medical intervention at the hospital, including transfusions and a hysterectomy, but died shortly after 11 a.m. The forensic pathologist determined the cause of death was postpartum hemorrhage in the setting of a freebirth, noting it is rare for women to die from this complication when giving birth in a medical setting. The pathologist stated that postpartum hemorrhage is "eminently treatable if it’s recognised quickly and managed."
Lal initially objected to giving evidence on the grounds of self-incrimination, but was granted immunity against her testimony being used against her. She had also declined to speak to police and, according to police, the house had been "extensively cleaned by Ms Lal" the day after the birth. Lal stated she cleaned the house as a favor to Warnecke's husband and that she feared a media pile-on for cooperating with police.
This is not the first time Lal has faced scrutiny. She previously rented out a birthing pool to a couple whose baby daughter died in December 2022. A coroner determined the infant's death was partly due to "prolonged labour in a home birthing pool."