A triple-zero call made hours before a wellness influencer died after giving birth at home has been played in court for the first time.
Stacey Warnecke, 30, had opted for a free birth for her first born in the presence of her husband Nathan and paid unregistered doula Emily Lal at a Melbourne home on September 29.
A free birth, unlike a home birth where a registered midwife is present, is done without any medical professionals.
Her baby boy Axel was healthy but Ms Warnecke's condition rapidly declined.
A triple-zero call made at 4.30am raising concerns about her declining health was played in the Victorian Coroners Court on Monday.
Mr Warnecke could be heard telling the operator his wife was having trouble breathing after giving birth at home.
The phone was then passed to Ms Lal who, when asked if she was the midwife, told the operator she was a "friend".
She said the new mother had been bleeding but it had stopped, while her breathing complications "kinda comes and goes".
Sounds of Axel crying and Ms Warnecke's rapid breathing could be heard in the background.
The first paramedic to arrive about 10 minutes later found Ms Warnecke lying on the floor, skin yellow, clammy and short of breath.
A large blood clot was on the ground, and she was going in and out of consciousness.
She was rushed to Frankston Hospital about two hours after the birth, where she suffered multiple cardiac arrests.
Doctors worked desperately to save her, including performing two separate surgeries - a hysterectomy to stem the bleeding and draining almost a litre of fluid that had pooled in her heart.
The hospital's entire supply of Ms Warnecke's blood type was used up, but she died from blood loss.
Ms Warnecke was described as a vibrant, intelligent and thoughtful woman, who excelled at school and had a thirst for knowledge.
After experiencing Victoria's COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates, Ms Warnecke did not want to give birth in the health system, counsel assisting Rachel Ellyard said.
She said the expectant mother had a strong wish to avoid the "cascade" of "excessive" medical interventions, invasive medical tests and a C-section birth.
"She had a deep fear of birth trauma - what would happen (if there were complications) that would have ... exposed her to interventions that she would not choose," counsel assisting told the court.
"The only way to have a baby on her own terms was to look for a free birth."
Pathologist Michael Burke, who conducted the autopsy, said Ms Warnecke died from a postpartum haemorrhage.
"It is rare for a woman to die in childbirth, a person who dies from blood loss, it is eminently treatable if recognised quickly and treated quickly," he said.
Coroner Therese McCarthy is investigating the circumstances of Ms Warnecke's death, whether she would have survived with earlier medical intervention and risks associated with free birthing.
Ms Lal will give evidence at the inquest on Tuesday.
