The grieving mother of a Melbourne woman who died in hospital after giving birth at home has told of her anguish at coming face to face with the midwives now accused of her daughter's manslaughter.
WARNING: This story contains graphic content that readers may find distressing.
Jade Markiewicz yesterday took to the witness box during a hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, which is testing the evidence against two midwives who are fighting allegations that their negligence contributed to the death of her only child.
Caroline Lovell, 36, suffered multi-organ failure after giving birth in a pool in the lounge room of her home at Watsonia in January 2012.
Midwives Gaye Demanuele, 60, and Melody Bourne, 44, have been charged with negligent manslaughter, but both have vigorously professed their innocence and are fighting against the prospect of a trial.
The court was shown some of the last photos of Ms Lovell, which were taken immediately after she gave birth, and depict her cradling her newborn in a pool.
She would collapse a short time later.
During emotionally charged testimony, Ms Markiewicz told the magistrate her daughter was not prepared to die that day.
"I thought midwives followed guidelines. I thought midwives would act and take risk assessments."
About an hour after giving birth on the morning of January 23, 2012, Ms Lovell collapsed and lost consciousness before an ambulance was called.
Midwives had no blood pressure machine, court hears
Today the court heard from Maree Daley, an advanced life support paramedic, who revealed the midwives did not check Ms Lovell's blood pressure because they did not have the necessary equipment.
"That was a shock to me … to be told that there was no blood pressure machine," Ms Daley said.
"I found it so distressing."
Ms Daley's police statement also revealed the midwives were "not forthcoming" when she asked if they had taken Ms Lovell's pulse.
"I assumed that their answer was 'no,'" she told police.
Ms Lovell was taken to the Austin Hospital, where she was placed in intensive care.
Ms Markiewicz said that by that point, her daughter was "unrecognisable".
"She had tubes in every orifice. She did not look like herself. It was shocking," Ms Markiewicz said.
The court today heard the relationship between Ms Markiewicz and her daughter's in-laws had deteriorated significantly since her death.
She told the court her enquiries to the Lovell family about how her daughter came to be in the hospital went unanswered.
"Whenever I asked questions about what happened to my daughter, and then at the hospital in the waiting room, I was shut down," Ms Markiewicz said.
"What happened to my beautiful only child?"
Ms Markiewicz told the court that two days after her daughter died, she came face to face with Ms Demanuele and Ms Bourne when she went to visit her grandchildren.
"I came in, I saw they were there. They were measuring the baby. I had my heart up in my throat," she said.
"I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. I just felt so uncomfortable.
The hearing continues.
