Sad! Heavily pregnant woman, 27, and her unborn baby die after being bitten by a deadly snake in the backyard

A pregnant woman and the baby in her womb have died after she was bitten by a snake in a backyard.

The 27-year-old woman was 31 weeks pregnant when she was bitten by the reptile and she suffered a heart attack as paramedics arrived at the Meekatharra house, 773 kilometres north-east of Perth in Western Australia, on Monday night. She was rushed to Meekatharra Hospital where she died shortly after. The unborn baby also died despite efforts to save it.

Expert reptile enthusiast Corin Desmond told the ABC being pregnant may have sped up the woman's death. 

"Her antibodies would have a lot harder time trying to fight off the venom agent," he said.

Mr Desmond hypothesized the woman was bitten by either a death adder, which would strike if alarmed, or a western brown snake, which is a more aggressive breed and has a higher mortality rate.

"We haven't yet confirmed it was a snake bite," Meekatharra Police Acting Inspector Dabid Hornsby told WA Today. 

A report is being prepared for the coroner.