Midwives who cared for tragic homebirth mum Caroline Lovell involved in separate incident, coroner told
TWO midwives who cared for a mother who died after a homebirth were involved in a similar tragedy six months before, an inquest has heard.
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TWO midwives who cared for a mother who died after a homebirth were involved in a similar tragedy six months before, a coroner has heard.
Homebirth campaigner Caroline Lovell died on January 24, 2012, a day after her healthy baby girl was born in her Watsonia home.
In a directions hearing, Coroner Peter White heard midwives Melody Bourne and Gaye Demanuele were present at a home birth in July, 2011, after which the baby had died.
The mother of the stillborn boy, who cannot be named, claimed in a statement Ms Demanuele had told her she was under investigation in relation to Ms Lovell’s homebirth, as well as two other incidents.
The statements of the woman and her partner were tendered to the court after it was determined by the parties they wouldn’t appear to give evidence.
Lawyer Michael Magazanik, acting for Ms Lovell’s mother, said the midwives had met Ms Lovell soon after the infant’s death in 2011.
The woman claimed Ms Demanuele told her hospitals were “patriarchal” and doctors were “more concerned with timing and shifts and schedules than with the mothers.”
“Gaye said hospitals placed no value on allowing the mother to have a natural experience,” the woman said.
The woman claimed Ms Demanuele repeatedly refused to allow her to go to hospital during the homebirth, despite her feeling increasingly unsafe.
She claimed Ms Demanuele told her an ambulance wasn’t necessary.
She claimed when she later arrived at the Royal Women’s Hospital, doctors had told her baby was dead.
The woman alleged some time later she told Ms Demanuele she had no properly informed her of the risks of home birth in her situation, criticising her for allowing the pregnancy to continue so far post term.
“I told her I was most distressed about having to beg to be taken to hospital during labour and to be met with refusals and lies,” she said.
A lawyer for Ms Demanuele said his client took issue with parts of the statement, but it was later tendered to the court unchallenged.
Ms Demanuele previously told the inquest she didn’t delay in calling the ambulance for Ms Lovell.