A woman who died after giving birth to her son at home was “so excited to become a mother” and it was “all she ever wanted”, an inquest into her death has heard.
Laura Liston died on June 5th, 2022 after giving birth to her first child in Croom, Co Limerick.
Ms Liston was delivering her son under the HSE home birth services, after which she experienced complications when trying to deliver the placenta.
She was then taken to University Hospital Limerick by ambulance.
Speaking at the beginning of her inquest in Kilmallock courthouse in Co Limerick, Fergal Mannion, Ms Liston’s husband, said he met her in Galway almost 20 years ago and it was “love at first sight”.
They became engaged in 2018 and married in 2019, after which they tried to have a child but had difficulty conceiving. They then tried IVF, which was successful.
“We were delighted to be starting our home and family. Everything was finally going to plan. All she ever wanted was to be a mother,” Mr Mannion said.
Ms Liston got into a birthing pool to help with pain relief and was advised she would have to stand up or get out of the pool prior to delivering her baby, he said.
However Sandra Healy, the midwife, said when birth was imminent she did not request Ms Liston to get out of the pool and the baby was delivered in it at 10.58pm.
Mr Mannion said his wife held their son with “tears of joy in her eyes” after he was born.
She then tried to deliver the placenta in the pool but the “placenta wasn’t coming”, he said.
Ms Liston stood up at which point she fainted and dropped her baby into the birthing pool.
Mr Mannion said he was assured by the midwife that Laura was fine and she was brought to the couch nearby.
“She did not look well. I saw blood in the birthing pool. I held our son as Laura tried to deliver the placenta,” he said.
“At one point Laura looked up at me and asked me to put her out of pain. She kept asking for help. She asked why nobody was coming for help.”
The midwives called for an ambulance and two arrived. Ms Liston went in one and was transferred to UHL, while Mr Mannion and their son went in another to the maternity hospital.
After their son was cared for, Mr Mannion was brought to UHL where he was told Ms Liston had died.
“I wish I could have been by her side. Laura was fit and healthy before and during pregnancy. She was so excited to become a mother. It was all she ever wanted. I feel she was let down the one time she needed it,” he said.
Mr Mannion spoke about the impact the event has had on him, stating his “life stopped” on June 5th, 2022.
“I am haunted by that night. I suffer from panic attacks. Every day is hard as I am constantly reminded of Laura. She isn’t there to share the important moments with our child. Our lives are shattered and will never be the same again.”
The inquest opened on Wednesday morning with an apology from the Health Service Executive (HSE) for the “failings in care” being read out by Oonah McCrane SC on behalf of Ian Carter, chief executive of HSE’s Midwest acute and older people services
The HSE said the family trusted Laura would be safe and cared for “and that trust was broken”.
The HSE suspended home births in the midwest following her death and the service has not resumed since.
The inquest is expected to conclude on Thursday.