Phone data reveals birthkeeper coached client to dread hospital care

Stacey Warnecke paid $6,000 to birthkeeper Emily Lal for support during her pregnancy. The fee was central to the arrangement that ended in Warnecke's death in September 2025 at Frankston hospital in Melbourne.

Coroner Therese McCarthy heard on Monday that forensic analysis of Warnecke's phone revealed evidence contradicting Lal's earlier testimony. Counsel assisting the coroner, Rachel Ellyard, stated that messages and a recorded call showed Lal coaching clients to fear hospital intervention. This contradicted Lal's June testimony that she served primarily as a supportive friend rather than a medical advisor.

During a recorded call, Warnecke expressed fear of hospitals. Lal responded that Warnecke should be scared, describing the hospital as a terrifying place. Lal argued that staying home required a solid mindset. She also claimed that midwives sometimes sabotage home births by recommending hospital transfer due to exhaustion. Lal told Warnecke she managed her own energy to avoid subconsciously ruining the experience.

Ellyard noted that Lal's phone records showed she provided referrals, sold supplements, and offered expert commentary. This behavior was inconsistent with Lal's claim that her role was limited to pulling hair back and wiping foreheads. Ellyard described Lal's role as structured and deliberate, noting that Warnecke's husband was also reassured that his job was simply to sit back and support.

Lal declined to return to court for further questioning after the phone analysis was completed. She had previously given evidence under a certificate of protection, which prevents her testimony from being used against her in future proceedings. Ellyard suggested the coroner could find that Lal committed perjury based on the falsity of her evidence and refer the matter to the Office of Public Prosecutions.

Warnecke lost up to 1.5 liters of blood after giving birth and struggled to breathe. Lal asked three times if an ambulance should be called. Warnecke agreed the third time, but paramedics arrived after she had become seriously unwell. She died hours later after the hospital exhausted its blood supply. Ellyard stated that Warnecke would have survived if she had been in a hospital or giving birth with a registered midwife.

The coroner will deliver findings at a later date. The inquest began in June but was delayed to complete the forensic analysis of the phone records. Lal has no clinical training and operates outside the standard medical system.