A mother who passed away during a home birth tragedy believed she was at a low risk because she had experienced minimal blood loss in a previous childbirth, as revealed in an inquest.
Jennifer Cahill, aged 34, lost her life in a hospital on June 23, 2024, after delivering her second child, baby Agnes, at her residence in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, alongside her husband Robert Cahill and their first child. Tragically, baby Agnes also passed away in the hospital just four days later.
Both Jennifer and Agnes faced various complications, leading to their separate hospitalizations. Agnes was born not breathing with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, while Jennifer experienced significant blood loss estimated at around two liters.
The cause of Jennifer’s death was determined to be multi-organ failure resulting from cardiac arrest due to postpartum hemorrhage, as per the pathologist’s testimony on October 17, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. Her delivery was considered high risk due to complications during her first childbirth in 2021.
During her first delivery, Jennifer suffered postpartum hemorrhage, losing 800ml of blood and requiring a transfusion. Her first child later developed sepsis but recovered. Despite these previous issues, Jennifer no longer considered herself high risk after being referred back to midwifery care following a consultant review in her recent pregnancy, as disclosed in the inquest at Rochdale Coroner’s Court.
A long-time friend of Jennifer, Katherine Kershaw, informed the court that Jennifer perceived the blood loss during her first delivery as minimal and was willing to adapt her birthing plan based on medical advice. Additionally, Midwifery director Abigail Holmes testified that she did not believe Jennifer was intentionally putting herself or her baby at risk.
The court also heard how the use of more positive language in maternity settings could impact women’s understanding of risks. Mrs. Holmes emphasized the importance of providing all necessary information to expectant mothers to enable informed decision-making, even if the risks are perceived as low.
The inquest, presided over by Coroner Joanne Kearsley, is set to continue tomorrow.