Melbourne nutritionist Stacey Hatfield dies after home birth

Stacey Hatfield, a 30-year-old Melbourne-based nutritionist and food content creator, died on September 29 after giving birth to her first child at home, her husband Nathan Warnecke announced on October 19. Hatfield gave birth to a son, Axel, and was later transferred to hospital after what Warnecke described as an unforeseen and extremely rare complication; hospital staff were unable to save her.

Warnecke posted an emotional tribute on social media saying the birth had gone as she planned and that Hatfield held and nursed their baby, but that the complication occurred shortly afterward. "Words can't do justice to how devastating this is for myself and everyone that knew and loved her," he wrote, adding that hospital staff "did the utmost to help, but ultimately nothing could be done despite their best efforts."

Hatfield founded the Natural Spoonfuls website in 2019, building an audience for recipes and a lifestyle she described as low-tox and natural. She later developed a social media content company, which helped create food and recipe content for brands. Warnecke described her as career-driven and deeply invested in her professional projects; he said she also longed to be a...