Baby died after mother’s ‘prolonged delivery’ in homebirthing pool: coroner
It was 'highly unlikely' the baby would have died had the birth taken place in a hospital setting, court hears.
The death of a baby following a freebirth was the result of spending “a day and a night” during delivery in a homebirthing pool sourced via Instagram, a coroner has found.
The 41-year-old mother in Victoria (Ms E) had fallen pregnant in March 2022 but decided not to see a GP or obstetrician for antenatal tests or scans, saying that she had a “team” organising the birth for her.
At about 36 weeks’ gestation, she decided to consult with a GP she had never seen with the idea of finding out if there was “one heartbeat or two”.Â
The GP’s examination showed the baby’s size and position were normal and the heartbeat was regular on doppler examination.
