Tragic Home Birth: Mother’s Final Posts Reveal Shocking Struggle Before Death with Newborn
Ever wonder how a choice meant to bring comfort and control can sometimes spiral into unimaginable tragedy? Jennifer Cahill, a 34-year-old mom, sought solace in a home birth after a harrowing hospital delivery left her feeling utterly unsupported. She openly shared her ‘traumatic’ first experience — a postpartum hemorrhage that nearly broke her spirit — and approached her second pregnancy with a hopeful heart and a pragmatic mindset, gathering all the info she could. Yet, despite the love and the midwives present, the idyllic home birth she dreamt of ended in heartbreak for both Jennifer and her newborn daughter, Agnes Lily. This story hits hard, reminding us that sometimes even the best-laid plans can go awry in the most heartbreaking ways.
Warning: this article discusses a traumatic labour and the death of a newborn which some readers may find distressing.
A mum who died the day after giving birth to her daughter at home had previously posted about her traumatic first birth in a hospital.
34-year-old Jennifer Cahill gave birth at home in 2024 supported by her husband and two midwives after feeling ‘unsupported’ during the hospital birth of her son three years earlier.
She explained in posts that during her first birth she had suffered a postpartum haemorrhage which had resulted in her needing a blood transfusion and called it a ‘traumatic’ experience that had been one of the ‘toughest weeks of her life’.
Cahill had explained in December 2023 to a social media group that she was thinking about a home birth and was ‘really excited about the possibility’, and had asked for any advice people had.
She had said she was 16 weeks pregnant at this point and wanted ‘to arm myself with as much information as possible’, but the home birth she had wanted ended tragically.
An inquest has heard that Jennifer Cahill died after a postpartum haemorrhage during a home birth (MEN Media)
An inquest into Jennifer’s death and that of her newborn heard from her husband Rob that the risks of home birth were not fully explained to the couple.
During her second birth her daughter, Agnes Lily, was born not breathing with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck leading a midwife to attempt to resuscitate the baby.
The newborn was rushed to hospital by paramedics who arrived at the scene, with senior paramedic Simon Scroop saying the midwife was struggling tor resuscitate the newborn due to a fault with her equipment.
The paramedic said he was able to open the baby’s airway and Agnes Lily took her first breath, with the baby and her father then going to hospital in an ambulance.
Scroop said he was unaware that Jennifer was bleeding, with the inquest hearing that the 34-year-old had suffered another postpartum haemorrhage as had occurred in her ‘traumatic’ first birth.
Months before her death the mum had described a ‘traumatic’ first birth in hospital and sought advice on a home birth (MEN Media)
Emergency medical technician Leah Brennan, who arrived at the house with the paramedics, said the mum had ‘looked okay’ when they arrived and said Jennifer ‘was engaging with us as much as she wanted to’.
While the newborn baby and her dad went to hospital, paramedic Adrian George remained at the house where he explained he saw the mother’s condition ‘deteriorate’ as she became ‘lethargic’ and lost consciousness while being taken to the ambulance.
One of the midwives later told him she had lost around ‘two litres of blood’.
“Ideally, she should have had more observations, but she wanted us to leave her alone. I was comfortable with respecting her wishes to be left alone,” the paramedic said of Jennifer’s condition.
She suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and died at North Manchester General Hospital of multi-organ failure due to cardiac arrest.
Agnes Lily would live for four more days before dying in hospital, with the baby’s cause of death being attributed to hypoxia.
If you need support and advice following a pregnancy loss, you can contact the Tommy’s team at [email protected]. You can also call them for free on 0800 014 7800, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
RIVER OF GOODS Farmhouse LED Ceiling Fan - 52" L x 52" W - Metal Caged Fixture - Rich Barnwood/Light Driftwood Fan Blades
(as of October 17, 2025 18:48 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Deck Enhancement #1 - The first expansion of Joking Hazard Comic Building Card - Party Game by Cyanide and Happiness for 3-10 players , Orange, Medium
$12.57 (as of October 17, 2025 18:48 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Rhythm Superfoods Beet Chips Organic and Non GMO Vegan Gluten Free Snacks, Naked, 1.4 Ounce (Pack of 4)
(as of October 17, 2025 18:48 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Earphones Hi-Res Headphones with High Resolution, Bass Driven Sound, MEMS Mic, In-Line Remote, High Fidelity for Smartphones/PC/Tablet - Silver
$59.49 (as of October 17, 2025 18:48 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Post Comment