London Inquest Reveals Mother Was Encouraged Into Home Birth Without Proper Risk Warnings
A coroner's inquest in north London has heard disturbing testimony about a mother who was actively encouraged by midwives to have a home birth without being properly informed of the risks, leading to her baby's death just seven days after being born "blue and floppy." The tragic case centers on Poppy Hope Lomas, who passed away at University College Hospital in central London on October 26, 2022, following severe complications during a planned home delivery.
Mother's Harrowing Account of Birth Trauma
At Barnet Coroner's Court, senior coroner Andrew Walker heard a witness statement from Gemma Lomas, Poppy's mother, read by her lawyer Teresa Hargreaves. Ms. Lomas described how she was handed her newborn daughter who was "blue and floppy" with blood coming from her mouth. "That's a horrific memory that sticks in my mind, being handed my dead baby," she stated. Despite her urgent cries that "there's something wrong," she reported that midwives moved "very slowly" with "no sense of urgency."
The inquest learned that Ms. Lomas had previously given birth to her first daughter, Willow, via caesarean section. She was not adequately made aware of the specific risks associated with attempting a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) at home. According to established medical guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), VBACs should only be conducted in a "suitably staffed and equipped delivery suite" with "resources available for immediate caesarean delivery."
Midwife's "Upbeat" Encouragement and Dismissed Concerns
Ms. Lomas testified that Alice Boardman, the head midwife at Edgware Midwives—the designated home birth team at Barnet Hospital, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust—was "enthusiastic" about the prospect of a home VBAC. "I immediately trusted Alice. She was young and I felt like she was really advocating for me. She was very upbeat and said 'Let's go for this'," Ms. Lomas recounted.
She felt led to believe that a required consultation with a specialist was merely a "tick box exercise" and that there was "no good reason" she could not proceed with the home birth plan. Furthermore, during the labor, Ms. Lomas's complaints of significant pain from her previous C-section scar were dismissed by the attending midwives. "I complained my scar was hurting. It was tight and was starting to really hurt," she said, describing it as feeling like it was "stretching rather than ripping."
RCOG guidance explicitly cautions practitioners about the increased risks for women with uterine scars during natural delivery, noting a one in 200 risk of uterine rupture. Ms. Lomas also recalled discomfort when a Doppler device was pressed hard against her stomach to monitor the baby's heart rate, a concern that was similarly brushed aside.
Critical Delay and Devastating Outcome
After Poppy was born in a dire condition at the family's home in Enfield, north London, an ambulance was called to transfer her to University College Hospital. Medical evidence presented at the inquest revealed the devastating extent of her injuries. Dr. Giles Kendall, a consultant neonatologist at the hospital, stated that Poppy's brain scan was "one of the worst that he'd seen in his career," indicating she had been "starved of oxygen for a long time." Estimates of the oxygen deprivation ranged from seven to eight minutes.
"I still don't understand how she was without oxygen for so long when the midwives were supposedly monitoring her heart rate," Ms. Lomas expressed in her statement. Poppy was kept on life support for seven days before her breathing tube was removed, leading to her death. "That was the worst week of our lives. We knew she wasn't going to make it," the grieving mother said.
Compounding Grief and Ongoing Investigation
The tragedy is compounded by the fact that Poppy was reportedly healthy throughout the pregnancy, with no defects or problems detected. "She was perfectly fine inside me. It was just those final moments of her birth," Ms. Lomas stated, adding that the fact it occurred at home, "a place where we should feel safe, has also made the trauma so much worse."
The inquest, attended by Poppy's parents Gemma and Jason Lomas who held hands throughout the proceedings, was adjourned until Tuesday. Further evidence is expected from the Edgware Midwives team as the investigation continues to examine the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking case and the adherence to professional maternity care guidelines.
