A so-called "birth keeper" involved in the freebirth of a Melbourne nutritionist who died has been banned from advertising, providing advice and health services for another three months while a health watchdog investigates.

Victoria's Health Complaints Commissioner issued Emily Lal, who previously operated online as The Authentic Birthkeeper, an interim prohibition order from July 1 until September 22.

The order prevents Ms Lal from advertising and either offering or providing health services for free or payment during that time period.

A coronial inquest is probing Melbourne nutritionist and influencer Stacey Warnecke's death and the role Ms Lal played during the birth, and the broader trend of freebirths.

The inquest heard Ms Lal was hired by Ms Warnecke for a fee of $6,000.

Ms Warnecke died after suffering a postpartum haemorrhage during her freebirth in September last year with only her husband and the unregulated worker present.

Earlier this month the inquest heard Ms Warnecke was a "vibrant, intelligent and thoughtful woman" who was deeply worried about the potential of medical interventions during birth so did not have any antenatal care.

She also wanted to avoid an induced labour or Caesarean section.

A birth keeper is an unregulated person who has no medical qualifications or training and offers services to women during pregnancy, labour and postpartum.

Unlike doulas, who often work alongside medical professionals, they operate outside of the medical system.

A freebirth often takes place in the home with no medical intervention, which differs from planned home births which take place in the presence of a midwife.

The Health Complaints Commissioner first issued Ms Lal with an interim prohibition order in October 2025 and has since issued a further three orders.

Interim prohibition orders can last up to 12 weeks.

At the time, the then-health complaints commissioner Bernice Redley also issued a public warning about Ms Lal, alleging she had breached the health code of conduct and facilitated or participated in home births which may put both mothers and babies at risk.

Dr Redley said the warning was necessary to avoid "an imminent and serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of the public".

Influencer paid thousands for pregnancy advice, court hears

The coronial inquest heard earlier this month that Ms Warnecke hired Ms Lal for a fee of $6,000 to spend about 15 to 20 hours with the expectant mother during her pregnancy to get to know her and provide domestic help, and to attend her freebirth.

Ms Lal gave evidence on the condition she could not subsequently face criminal or civil prosecution.

Ms Lal told the inquest that she would only offer advice to pregnant mothers based on her own experiences of giving birth to her four children at home, as well as drawing from two courses she undertook and self-education.

She said that despite charging a fee she would attend a birth as a "supportive friend".

During Ms Warnecke's freebirth the inquest heard the mother had asked Ms Lal if her significant blood loss was normal, the inquest heard.

Ms Lal told the inquest she told Ms Warnecke that it was more than she would consider normal and asked Ms Warnecke if she would like an ambulance to be called, and by the time she agreed she was gasping and having difficulty breathing.

When asked why Ms Lal did not intervene when Ms Warnecke declined an ambulance twice, she told the inquest "there was no way I was going to call an ambulance against her wishes".

After Ms Warnecke later died in hospital the inquest heard Ms Lal went to the Seaford home to clean up blood that had soaked through towels and threw out a blood stained carpet.

Asked if she considered that it may be evidence to determine how much blood loss Ms Warnecke suffered, Ms Lal said it had not crossed her mind.

Ms Lal told the inquest she was no longer offering her services and that she remained "sad and distressed to this day over Stacey's death".