Food influencer Stacey Hatfield succumbs to a rare complication after home birth

20 October 2025

Stacey Hatfield. @naturalspoonfuls/Instagram

Australian food and wellness influencer Stacey Hatfield, founder of the brand Natural Spoonfuls, tragically passed away on September 29 2025 following an uncomplicated home birth of her first child, a son named Axel. Her husband Nathan Warnecke announced her death via Instagram, describing the cause as “an unforeseen and extremely rare complication” that arose shortly after the successful delivery and resulted in her being transferred to hospital, where despite medical efforts she could not be saved.

Hatfield was well-known on social media for her advocacy of a low-tox lifestyle and her work as a nutritionist and creator of the Natural Spoonfuls platform, which she launched in 2019. She had built a dedicated following that valued her whole foods recipes and natural-living ethos. ([turn0news10]) In her personal life, Hatfield had long desired motherhood and celebrated her pregnancy publicly, documenting her journey with enthusiasm and hope. Her passing came just two months before she and Nathan were due to mark their wedding anniversary—and shortly after their joyous entry into parenthood. ([turn0news11])

In his tribute, Nathan recalled their nine-year relationship, calling Stacey “the most beautiful, loving, caring, hardworking, disciplined, intelligent and trustworthy human being I have ever known.” ([turn0news9]) He further reflected on how becoming a mother had been her dream and how she embraced her newborn son with tender affection: “She held Axel when he was born, nursed him, saw that he was a boy and loved him,” he wrote. ([turn0news9]) The couple’s newborn son is now being cared for by family and friends who have rallied around him and Nathan during this sudden loss.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist Nathan and their son Axel with funeral costs, household bills, baby supplies and Nathan’s time off work to care for his newborn and navigate life as a single father. At the time of reporting the fundraiser, which had set a goal in Australian dollars, had raised significant support from the wellness, social-media and low-tox communities.

Colleagues and followers described Hatfield’s professional work as grounded in authenticity and service. Her Natural Spoonfuls brand offered accessible guidance on toxin-free living, and her tone combined practical nutrition advice with warm storytelling and community building. She also launched a content-creation company called Waffl, through which she sought to expand her message of wellbeing and inspire others. Her passing has reverberated across the wellness-creator sphere, marking the loss of a voice that many found relatable, motivating and woman-centered.

The circumstances of her death bring attention to the risks inherent in childbirth even in seemingly low-risk home settings and among healthy women. While home births are increasingly chosen for their comfort, personal meaning and perceived naturalness, health experts emphasise the need for rapid medical response when unexpected complications arise. Though the specific complication that affected Hatfield was described only as “extremely rare,” the announcement underscores that maternal health remains a critical area of concern worldwide.

For many in the community her death has become a stark red-flag and a point of reflection. The wellness world, with its celebration of naturalness and autonomy, sometimes overlooks the fragility of the human body and the unpredictability of medical emergencies. Family, friends and followers noted how Stacey embodied balance between mindful eating, simple living and joyful engagement with nature but now her loss prompts questions about how the ideals of wellness translate into the unpredictable spaces of birth and life transition.

Hatfield’s legacy lies not just in her content or brand but in how she connected nutrition and lifestyle to real-life intentions: becoming a mother, building a home, living on purpose. She often wrote about the importance of gratitude, simple pleasures and the alignment of living with values. Her last chapter, though heartbreakingly short, followed the narrative she long shared: that motherhood was her ultimate calling and that she wanted to do it on her own terms. Nathan’s words capture that poignantly: “It was her life’s biggest dream to be a mum. She did it. On her terms, exactly the way she always dreamed of doing it.”

In the wake of this tragedy the natural-living community has rallied, sharing not just condolences but practical support and conversations about maternal care, planning and risk awareness. Many are sharing stories of lifestyle influences, community building, and the need for vigilance when transition moments like childbirth occur even for those who seem healthiest. The fundraiser for Axel and Nathan stands both as memorial and as a real-world response to the shock of sudden bereavement.

Although Stacey Hatfield’s life and work were centred on vitality, health and choice, her passing reminds us of how quickly those narratives can change and how the values of wellness are most meaningful when paired with humility, safety and community. Her story will continue in her son’s life, in the community she built, and in the conversations sparked by her death. She is survived by her husband Nathan Warnecke, their newborn son Axel and the legacy she created through Natural Spoonfuls and beyond.