A MUM died while giving birth to her second child after not being properly cautioned about the hazards of natural birth, according to a coroner.

Lucy Howell, 32, an environmental engineer, underwent a caesarean section for the birth of her eldest daughter Rosie, which required specific surgery to fix.

When Lucy went into labour four years later with her new baby Pippa, she attempted a natural birth.

Tragically, she died as a result of a ruptured uterus during the delivery of her daughter.

Her family is now demanding answers from the NHS, claiming she was given “conflicting” information regarding the hazards of a natural birth.

A complete inquiry is expected to determine whether she would have lived if she had chosen a different form of birth, such as a C-section.

The coroner, however, chastised the health care trust involved, claiming it had yet to provide a “candid” account of what transpired.

The hearing comes on the heels of a dismal study released last week, which concluded that at least 200 infants and nine mothers died as a result of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust shortcomings.

The investigation into the worst maternity scandal in NHS history, which spanned 20 years, discovered 131 infants were stillborn, with 70 dying shortly after birth.

According to the Ockenden study, women were blamed for their kids’ deaths, fatalities were frequently not probed, and mourning parents were not listened to.

Mrs. Howell, of Bishop’s Waltham, Hants, went into labour in March 2021 and was taken to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester to be induced, according to the pre-inquest study.

Her uterus, however, broke during the birth, and the baby was delivered in her stomach.

She died on March 12 despite attempts to revive her.

Mrs. Howell’s family was informed that the cause of death was a uterine rupture and amniotic fluid embolism.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust then initiated an inquiry.

Mrs. Howell was told at the hearing that after the birth of her first baby in 2017, she needed surgery to address scars.

Her family believes this may have rendered her vulnerable to a natural birth and has questioned the counsel she was given before to Pippa’s birth.

It is contested whether Mrs Howell was given enough information to make an educated decision about whether she should have given birth normally after having a C-section earlier, according to Winchester Coroner’s Court.

‘GIVEN CONFLICTING ADVICE’

“She was given inconsistent counsel – if that can be called that,” Vanessa Cashman, the family’s lawyer, told the pre-inquest review.

Area Coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp told the hearing that the Trust’s comments so far did not give a complete account of what transpired.

Mrs. Rhodes-Kemp stated, “For the sake of the family, the Trust must demonstrate that they have learned from what has occurred.

“However, people can only learn from it if there has been an open and honest explanation of what occurred. At the time, the statements I’ve seen do not reflect this.

“The remarks do not represent learning or a complete comprehension of what occurred.”

Mrs Rhodes-Kemp stated that she now has concerns regarding Mrs Howell’s prenatal care, labour, and whether Mrs Howell was provided with enough information to make an educated decision.

“The counsel offered to mothers who have had a caesarean section is not very helpful,” she remarked. “This was an unusual circumstance. There are concerns with labour management.

“The beginning point is whether or if there should have been a labour and who said what to whom. The second consideration is whether the labour was handled adequately in light of the danger.

“I don’t believe anyone could have done anything in terms of resuscitation. But I’m curious in how we got here and whether it might have been averted.

“I believe there are concerns with the labour and if this might have all been avoided.

‘DEVOTED MOTHER’

Mrs. Howell’s husband, Matthew, who is raising their two girls on his own, stated: “The shock and sadness of Lucy’s loss were indescribable.

“She was a dedicated mother and a great person who is sadly missed by so many people every day.

“Lucy’s family and I have numerous concerns concerning the circumstances of her demise. We are hopeful that the inquiry will assist us find answers to those issues.”

“This represents a significant point in time for examining maternity care in this nation,” clinical negligence lawyer Emma Beeson of law firm Penningtons, who is representing the Howell family, said.

“Mrs Howell’s family voiced a number of concerns about the handling of Mrs Howell’s pregnancy and labour, and it is obvious that these were taken very seriously by the Coroner, who is undertaking a comprehensive examination into this situation.”

The formal inquest will take place later this year.

A memorial fund-raiser in Winnall Moors nature area in Winchester, where Mrs. Howell adored taking her daughter, earned more than £10,000, well exceeding the objective of £3,000.

Mrs. Howell began her career as a graduate with consultancy firm Soils Limited as a Health and Safety Coordinator and Geo-Environmental Engineer.