A doula who stopped practising after the death of Melbourne woman Stacey Warnecke during childbirth has told an inquest she attended only as a friend and not to “make a birth safer.” The reports say the doula gave evidence that she understood her involvement as personal support rather than a professional safety or clinical role. She also described why she later ceased practising following Warnecke’s death.
The inquest hearing focuses on the circumstances surrounding Warnecke’s fatal birth and the responsibilities, if any, of people providing support during labour. According to the sources, the doula’s testimony directly addresses questions about whether her presence carried a duty to manage risk or reduce the likelihood of complications. She told the court it was not her role to provide that function.
The articles are consistent on the core points: Warnecke dies during childbirth, the doula had stopped working afterward, and she gives evidence at the inquest clarifying the nature of her participation as a friend rather than a practitioner tasked with improving safety.
