Tragic Case Involving a Home Water Birth

pregnant lady making a heart shape

Contact

Nicholas Leahy

Table of Contents

Introduction to the case

Nicholas Leahy is acting for a young woman who had a water birth at home and two midwives were allocated to her at the very last minute. One of the midwives was newly qualified and expressed concern about attending the Claimant’s home due to inexperience. The other midwife was on her way to another appointment when she was told to divert to the Claimant’s home to assist in delivering the Claimant’s baby. The situation was fraught with difficulty and mistakes were sadly made. Tragically, the Claimant’s baby was delivered stillborn, and a claim was pursued and successfully settled after a Serious Untoward Incident Report identified significant failings.

Specialist legal advice and support

Osbornes Law specialises in assisting families who have experienced birth injuries. We have represented families who have faced the loss of a newborn during childbirth or where insufficient maternity care, whether it occurred before, during, or after labour, resulted in harm to the baby or mother.

Our dedicated team has over twenty-five years of experience supporting families in pursuing birth injury claims and holding NHS Trusts accountable. The team includes former senior NHS nurses, giving us a deep understanding of medical terminology and procedures and the ability to detect any irregularities within clients’ medical records swiftly.

To speak with Nicholas Leahy about your situation and to find out if it may be possible for you to bring a claim, please fill in the form below and we will reply.

Share this article

  • “Osbornes Law is an established firm which handles a breadth of complex and high-value clinical negligence matters.”

  • “Osbornes handles a wide range of high-value and complex clinical negligence cases, with particular expertise in birth injury, delayed cancer diagnosis, spinal injury, and fatal claims.”

Get Expert Legal Advice Today Our experienced team offers clear, practical advice tailored to your needs Get Expert Guidance

Speak to us about a compensation claim

For all new enquiries, please submit your details via the contact forms on our website. This will ensure your query reaches the right team and is handled promptly.






    More Birth Injury Client StoriesVIEW ALL

    1. maternity care
      27.8.2025

      HSSIB Review Exposes NHS Maternity Failures

      Patient safety body HSSIB publishes exploratory review of maternity and neonatal services As Head of Paediatric and Birth Negligence cases...

      Read more
    2. Nick - BBC
      26.8.2025

      Five-figure settlement after avoidable stillbirth at University Hospitals...

      The parents of a baby girl who was stillborn at the Royal Sussex County Hospital have secured a five-figure settlement...

      Read more
    3. flowers
      28.6.2024

      £55,000 Settlement for Stillbirth Claim Against Chelsea and Westminster...

      Successful Settlement for Stillbirth Claim Against Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Background Nick Leahy, an Associate in our...

      Read more
    4. Pregnant woman performing cardiotocography CTG
      8.9.2022

      Poor interpretation of CTG can result in stillbirth...

      Poor interpretation of a Cardiotocograph, more commonly known as a CTG, is a leading cause of stillbirth and brain injuries...

      Read more
    5. Neglijenta medicala spital din UK
      23.2.2022

      Women from ethnic minorities experience worse maternity care

      It has been reported today that the government has set up a new task force to look into why there...

      Read more
    6. white lilies
      1.7.2021

      Stillbirth following water birth at home

      Nicholas Leahy acted for a young woman who had a water birth at home and two midwives were allocated to...

      Read more
    7. blue water
      13.10.2020

      Parental Bereavement Leave & Pay

      What is Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay? Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay is something that many parents will not be...

      Read more
    8. 11.10.2019

      Mum had stillborn baby after being sent home

      Tragedy as Mum loses baby after being sent home twice A young mum has described the horror of losing her...

      Read more
    9. clouds
      20.10.2014

      Doppler scan could prevent half of stillbirths

      Doppler scans could prevent as many as 2000 stillbirths per year The press has reported that as many as half of...

      Read more

    VIEW ALL

    • Mark Freedman represents high net worth clients in complex financial disputes. Sources say that "he's a determined negotiator who'll always do the very best for his clients.

      Chambers UK

    • Osbornes is a strong family law firm with a number of particularly strong individuals. The lawyers work well as a team and have strong support for their clients.

      Legal 500 2022

    • Jodi is really tenacious; she demands the best results and manages to secure them. She's got real drive and energy.

      Chambers UK 2024

    • I have found them to be incredibly knowledgeable and pragmatic in settling claims for their clients.

      Legal 500 2024

    • Melissa Arnold is very hard-working and more than capable. She gets on brilliantly with clients and is always extremely well prepared.

      Chambers HNW 2025