Inquest Heard: ‘Smirking Midwives’ Ignored Mum’s Pleas for C-Section Hours Before She Died

An inquest has heard that a mother who died eight hours after giving birth to her second son had her pleas for a C-section ignored by “smirking midwives.”

Frances Cappuccini, 30, a primary school teacher from Offham, Kent in the UK, had struggled with labour for 12 hours before finally being allowed to give birth to her son, Giacomo via C-section, as she had requested.

However, hours later, Mrs Cappuccini underwent emergency surgery when it was revealed that a surgeon had left part of her placenta in her body.

As she was being taken into the theatre, Mrs Cappuccini, who had another son, Luca, told her husband, Tom: “If anything happens just make sure you look after the boys.” She also pleaded to ‘just save my life, just do it’ as Tom kissed her and told her how much he loved her.

Unfortunately, five hours later, Mrs Cappuccini died of a heart attack after losing so much blood that she never regained consciousness.

Now, a lawyer for Mrs Cappuccini’s family claimed her death could have been prevented if an elected Caesarian operation had been undertaken at the earlier opportunity.

The information was revealed during an inquest into her death, which was resumed after it was halted in 2014 pending a court case, which later collapsed in February 2016.

The NHS trust owned up to Mrs Cappuccini’s death but rejects claims that the situation would have been different if she had been given the initial C-section.

The couple had booked an elected Caesarian for October 10, 2012, but decided to go to Tunbridge Wells Hospital two days before, when Mrs Cappuccini started having contractions.

Mr Cappuccini told the inquest that when they arrived, his wife was ‘certain’ she wanted a C-section. He said that she had already received advice from a consultant obstetrician at nearby Maidstone Hospital which said she should not have an epidural due to liver issues and should avoid a natural birth.

However, Mr Cappuccini said midwives had ‘almost a smirk across their face’ and were ‘almost laughing’ when he told them of the advice. He told a coroner that the midwives told them ‘not to make a decision based on pain and fear’, saying there was no reason she could not give birth naturally.

“I put my trust and Frankie’s trust in the people that were there.

“They disregarded previous medical advice and we were made to feel small and insignificant. In hindsight I wish I had never agreed,” Mr Cappuccini said.

He detailed how Mrs Cappuccini then endured 12 hours of gruelling labour before medics realised there was no progress, then medics decided she needed a C-section, which was her original wish.

The inquest also heard how an epidural was given, despite Mr Cappuccini informing them of the consultant’s advice to avoid it. Yet, the surgeon said during the inquest that he checked the medical notes, but no record of any epidural advice was found.

Hours later, when Mrs Cappuccini was feeding her son for the first time, she felt blood ‘flowing between her legs’. There was already a pool of blood under her sheet and, when she did not stop bleeding, midwives rushed her back to theatre for surgery.

After the surgery, Mr Cappuccini was told that a piece of placenta – which was described as ‘raggedy’ – was found in his wife’s uterine cavity and Mrs Cappuccini was taken to the Intensive Care Unit, where her blood pressure had dropped and her heart had stopped, and doctors could no longer revive her.

Midwife Julie Ann Michaud, who cared for Mrs Cappuccini throughout the majority of her labour, denied ‘trying to talk Mrs Cappuccini out of an elected Caesarian’ and said an examination showed the baby was in the best possible position for a natural birth.

The inquest continues.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk