Limerick mother who gave birth at home pleaded with paramedics to help her

A WOMAN who gave birth to her baby in a planned home birth, but did not deliver the placenta looked paramedics in the eye saying “help me” just two hours before she passed away in University Hospital Limerick. 

At the inquest into the death of Laura Liston at Kilmallock courthouse, a verdict of medical misadventure was delivered by Limerick coroner John McNamara. 

READ ALSO: 'Our lives are shattered' - say family of Limerick woman who died after home birth

He said that a “tragic and rare event” was what “led to a devastating loss.”

Two midwives who attended the home birth of Laura Liston in her mobile home in Croom accepted that “in hindsight”, they could have liaised with the obstetric team in UMHL sooner than they did. 

Midwife Sandra Healy started reading her own evidence, but broke down and her solicitor Oonah McCrann took over. 

She told the inquest that on the day the baby was born, she was first contacted by Ms Liston in the early hours of June 4, and that she was not experiencing contractions, but felt things were starting. 

Ms Healy visited the pregnant mother early in the day and returned that evening before calling on a second midwife who arrived half an hour before the baby was born. 

A birthing pool was used for labour, but Ms Healy clarified that Ms Liston would have to exit the pool to give birth. 

In the moment, a decision was made that it would be safer to leave Ms Liston in the pool as birth was imminent. 

After the birth, Ms Liston suffered episodes of fainting, once dropping the newborn into the birthing pool, her blood pressure was low, she had vomited, there was blood loss estimated at more than 550ml, her heart rate was elevated and her placenta would not detach. 

These symptoms started at 11.20pm and an ambulance was called at 11 minutes after midnight. 

After suffering cardiac arrest twice in the ambulance, extensive CPR and resuscitation efforts, Ms Liston was pronounced dead at 2.15am on June 5 - just three and a quarter hours after her son was born. 

Representing the family, Damien Higgins put it to Professor Amanda Cotter OBGYN that if these issues had arisen in the hospital what would have happened. 

She said that based on what he said: “That patient is in shock, if that situation had arisen within the hospital setting, we would have immediately called it an emergency.” 

Professor Cotter said that it was impossible to say whether or not calling obstetrics earlier would have changed the outcome and prevented the death of the very new mother. 

Reacting to the verdict, solicitor Scarlett O’Sullivan spoke on behalf of the family saying that Ms Liston had done her research and opted for a home birth.

“Unfortunately there were deficits in that care following her son’s delivery - but for those failings, Laura would still be alive today. No husband, mother, father, brother or sister, should have to hear the harrowing evidence that the Mannion and Liston families have borne testimony to today - they showed up today for their beloved Laura.

“They should not be here today - this tragedy was avoidable and should never have happened.” 

Ms O’Sullivan added that this inquest and Ms Liston’s death was never about “being pro or anti home births,” but that basic clinical standards and protocols need to be followed in all clinical care, including home births.

“Laura expected as part of her care, that if complications arose, that she would be transferred as a matter of urgency to her local hospital - unfortunately that happened too late for Laura.” 

The cause of death was recorded as haemorrhage and shock due to uterine inversion following the attempted delivery of the placenta. A uterine inversion is when the placenta grows into the muscle wall of the uterus and is difficult to remove. 

May she rest in peace.