Baby Puck inquest told of mother's hospital 'panic'

Jo Meeke and Matt Gurney were able to hold baby Puck for 30 minutes before he died

A Sussex woman who lost her baby after an emergency caesarean section has told of her "panic" before the procedure.

Jo Meeke had planned a home birth last year but had a caesarean at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester after complications arose, an inquest heard.

She said they waited nearly two hours to be seen and were not made aware of concerns over foetal heartbeat tests, adding: "I just remember the panic."

A doctor told the inquest the situation was being monitored.

Ms Meeke and Matt Gurney, from Bosham, had described having an "uncomplicated, dream pregnancy", but went to hospital amid fears something was wrong.

"I was in constant pain," Ms Meeke, 39, told West Sussex Coroner's Court.

The inquest heard concerns were raised of a potential abruption - where the placenta partially or completely separates from the uterus which can deprive the baby or oxygen and cause severe bleeding - and this was being monitored.

The couple raised funds to buy woodland to help deal with their loss

Just after 18:15 GMT on 15 March, doctors decided to deliver Puck - named after the character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream - by emergency caesarean section.

But their son needed to be resuscitated and died at Southampton University Hospital's neo-natal unit the next day.

Ms Meeke said: "It's something that I have to live with for the rest of my life, wondering if it was my fault the way I wanted my ideal birth to be that action wasn't taken when it should have been."

Doctor Ibrahim Elshazly, giving evidence via video link and telephone from Egypt, said he told the parents he did not think it was safe to continue with a home birth and they should have a hospital delivery.

He said the plan was to continue monitoring the baby's heartbeat and have a caesarean section at 18:00 GMT, but if there were signs of improvement to progress with a natural birth.

The inquest continues.