HSE home birth services remain paused across the Mid West region following the death of a woman who suffered complications after giving birth to her first child at her home, her inquest heard today (Wednesday).
Laura Liston (36) had dreamed of becoming a mother, but she died a number of hours after delivering her son in a birthing pool at her home at Dunnaman, Croom, County Limerick, on June 5, 2022.
The pregnancy followed on from successful IVF treatment, the inquest held at Limerick Coroners Court heard.
On the day she delivered her son, Ms Liston had been attended by two self-employed community midwives contracted by HSE Mid West.
Giving evidence, Ms Liston’s husband, Fergal Mannion, broke down as he described how the couple had been “over the moon” when his wife became pregnant after they had previously experienced difficulties conceiving a child.
“We were delighted to be starting our home and family. All she ever wanted was to be a mother,” said Mr Mannion.
He said the two got married in 2019 and had been living in a mobile home on the site of where they were building their family home.
Ms Liston was giving birth under the HSE home birth guidelines and was using a birthing pool to assist with easing of any pain.
Ms Liston’s waters broke on the morning of June 4, 2022, and she was overjoyed when she delivered her son that night.
However, shortly afterwards, she began to experience bad pain while attempting to deliver the afterbirth, or placenta.
Mr Mannion said at this stage his wife stood up in the birthing pool and fainted.
He said he was assured by the midwife that his wife was fine. He said his wife was brought to a nearby couch, and in his opinion she “did not look well”.
Mr Mannion said he saw blood in the birthing pool and that his wife was complaining of being in pain and asking for an ambulance.
The midwives called the emergency services and two ambulances arrived at the couple’s home.
One ambulance ferried Ms Liston to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and the other took Mr Mannion and his newborn son to University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL).
While at UMHL, Mr Mannion was informed his wife had been brought to UHL a few kilometres away and when he went there he was told she had died.
“I wish I could have been by her side,” Mr Mannion stated in his deposition, which had to be completed by his solicitor, Scarlett Griffin O’Sullivan, after he broke down in the witness box.
Mr Mannion stated that his life “stopped” the night his wife died and he had been left “haunted” by it all.
He said he continues to experience “panic attacks” and is traumatised that his wife is not alive to continue to experience and share in their son’s life.
He said he and his family’s lives had been “shattered” by her death.
A letter of unreserved apology from the HSE for its “failings in care”, in respect of Ms Liston’s death, was read out by senior counsel Oonah McCrane on behalf of HSE Mid West.
The HSE said Ms Liston and her family had trusted that she would have been safe in the hands of the HSE services on the day “and that trust was broken”.
The apology said that learnings and improvements had been put in place, but acknowledged that this was of no comfort to a grieving family.
The HSE Mid West home birth service across Limerick, Clare, and north Tipperary has not resumed since Ms Liston’s death.
The inquest is expected to conclude on Thursday.