Mother tragically died after opting against medical advice to give birth at home
Warning: this article discusses a traumatic labour and the death of a newborn which some readers may find distressing.
A 34-year-old mother sadly passed away alongside her newborn child after opting for a home birth despite doctors warnings, an inquest has heard.
Jennifer Cahill had intended to welcome her daughter Agnes Lily into the world without any pain-relieving drugs and with as little interference from medics as possible, in what she dubbed a 'physiological' birth.
The international export manager had put together an 'intense' birth plan, midwives who were involved in her care told an inquest in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
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She reportedly wanted to keep physical examinations to a minimum, for those present for the birth in June last year to keep their voices quiet and the room to be illuminated by tea lights.
But tragedy struck in the latter stages of her labour, as Jennifer began to experience difficulties when trying to deliver her daughter at the family home in Prestwich.
Midwife Julie Turner, who has been unable to work since the birth which she said descended into 'absolute chaos', told the inquest that the mum was 'beating herself up because it was not happening'.
Turner, who was accompanied by midwife Andrea Walmsley during the home birth, recalled: "She was struggling and shouted, 'I really want to do this. I am a warrior! Why will my body not let me?'"
Agnes Lily was subsequently rushed to North Manchester General Hospital in the early hours of 3 June, 2024, when she was born at 6.30am with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and covered in meconium.
Tragically, the tot passed away just three days later from hypoxia, a term which describes the body being deprived of an adequate oxygen supply.
Meanwhile, Jennifer had suffered a postpartum haemorrhage, a term which describes heavy bleeding after childbirth, and is estimated to have lost around two litres of blood.
She had also suffered from this during the birth of her son three years earlier and doctors urged her to deliver her second child in hospital 'several times' because of the risks of this occurring again, the inquest heard.
However, she had felt 'unsupported' in hospital during the 'traumatic' birth of her first child and decided to have Agnes Lily at home.
Jennifer's husband Rob told the inquest that the risks of something going wrong were not fully explained to them.
He claimed that he and his late wife believed the warnings were issued to them in relation to a Strep B infection the mum had suffered and because their son had developed sepsis, although the little boy later recovered.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has since agreed that Jennifer should have been referred to a senior midwife when she made the decision to have a home birth, to ensure the dangers were completely understood.
The 34-year-old ultimately passed away from multi-organ failure after being rushed to hospital with haemorrhagic shock and then going into cardiac arrest, according to the Daily Mail.
Turner told the inquest that Jennifer had refused to have any vaginal examinations at first and also declined a Strep B test.
The midwife claimed that the mum seemed to be having a normal labour at about 4am, but the bottles delivering gas and air weren't working and they had to be replaced.
She admitted that the records kept of the birth process wasn't up to scratch, as most of the information of the final stages of Jennifer's labour were missing, or scribbled on scraps of paper - and an incontinence pad - which was later discarded.
The final recording of Jennifer's blood pressure revealed that it was high, which could have suggested that she and her baby were in distress.
Turner grew emotional as she recalled how Agnes Lily struggled to breathe - and despite trying to help the tot with an oxygen mask, it failed, and she then began mouth to mouth resuscitation.
An investigation has found the resuscitation efforts conducted on the little one were not within guidelines and national standards, according to reports.
The hearing in Rochdale continues.
Topics: Health, Parenting, UK News, Mental Health
Olivia Burke