A verdict of medical misadventure has been recorded at the inquest into a woman who died after giving birth to a baby boy during a home birth in Co Limerick.
Laura Liston died hours after giving birth in a birthing pool in the presence of two community midwives at her home in Croom on 5 June 2022.
Home births in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary were paused by HSE Mid West following her death.
The inquest heard her husband is haunted by what happened to her that night.
Limerick Coroner's Court heard evidence from Ms Liston’s husband Fergal Mannion, who said his wife was "over the moon to be pregnant" after successful IVF treatment.
The couple had married in 2019 and decided to build a home in Croom where they planned to raise their family. They were living in a mobile home while the house was being built.
Ms Liston had opted for a home birth and the inquest heard she was deemed suitable despite an issue with her placenta, which was discovered during her pregnancy.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The 36-year-old met with Sandra Healy, a self-employed community midwife who had a contract with the HSE.
They met on several occasions to discuss her birthing plan and she assessed the couple’s home for a home birth.
The inquest heard Ms Liston’s waters broke on the morning of 4 June and she notified her midwife.
They liaised throughout the day and Ms Healy arrived at the mobile home shortly after 7pm. A second midwife, Sinéad Murphy, arrived later that evening.
Mr Mannion said his wife gave birth to their son shortly after 10pm, and he described her joy at holding her baby in the birthing pool.
The inquest heard that giving birth in a pool is contrary to HSE guidelines.
Complications emerged around 20 minutes after the birth when Ms Liston stood up in the pool and fainted.
Mr Mannion said his wife did not look well and was brought to a couch, where she drifted in and out of consciousness. He said she was in a lot of pain and kept asking for help.
He said the midwives tried on two occasions to try to remove the placenta but failed.
In her evidence at the inquest, Ms Healy said Ms Liston appeared animated and well and excited to have a baby boy, but shortly after 11pm, the new mother was experiencing discomfort in the birthing pool, which she told the midwife was like contractions.
Ms Healy said she administered medicine to help with the afterbirth and said she did not consider the blood loss in the birthing pool to be abnormal.
She told the inquest that Ms Liston asked her colleague Ms Murphy to stop as she was trying to deliver the placenta, as it was causing her too much pain.
Ms Healy said in hindsight they would have called the hospital sooner and would have given medication sooner, given Ms Liston’s clinical presentation.
The coroner’s court was told that Ms Liston was brought to University Hospital Limerick, where she died in the early hours of 5 June.
Her husband and baby went to University Maternity Hospital Limerick, where the baby boy was assessed.
When Mr Mannion later arrived at UHL, he was told that his wife had died.
Mr Mannion told the inquest that if Laura had been told to give birth outside the birthing pool, she would have done whatever the midwives told her.
He said his life stopped on 5 June 2022 and he was haunted by what happened that night.
"Our lives have been shattered and will never be the same again," he said.
A letter of apology from the CEO of UHL Ian Carter was read to the family. He said it was with profound sadness that he expressed sympathy at the devastating loss of Laura.
Mr Carter apologised for the failings in her care and acknowledged that trust had been broken.
He said no words or explanations can undo their pain.
The inquest continues before Coroner John McNamara at Limerick Coroner’s Court in Kilmallock.
