I thought I was dying as I gave birth to stillborn girl alone in prison toilet after staff mistook labour for period

A WOMAN gave delivery to a stillborn child alone in a jail rest room after a nurse stated her labour was only a painful interval.

Louise Powell, then 30, had no concept she was pregnant when she started struggling contractions at HMP Styal in June 2020.

Louise Powell, who didn't know she was pregnant, gave birth to her stillborn daughter alone in a prison toilet
Louise Powell, who did not know she was pregnant, gave delivery to her stillborn daughter alone in a jail rest roomCredit score: BBC

Louise, who had been an inmate at HMP Styal for three-and-a-half months, didn't realise little Brooke had died until she arrived at hospital
Louise, who had been an inmate at HMP Styal for three-and-a-half months, did not realise little Brooke had died till she arrived at hospitalCredit score: MEN Media

She screamed "I feel I am dying" as she delivered her untimely daughter Brooke in a rest room on the Cheshire jail.

A evaluate has now discovered employees made a "severe error of judgement" when employees didn't assess Louise correctly when she started bleeding.

The mum solely realised her daughter had died when she was taken to hospital - and alleges nobody on the jail carried out CPR or tried to assist.

Louise, who did not imagine she was in a position to conceive, has now instructed BBC Newsnight: "The ache of Brooke's dying won't ever depart me.

"I can not forgive the jail for leaving me once I was calling for assist.

MUM'S HORROR

"I felt like I used to be dying.

"I used to be having a medical emergency and may have been urgently helped. As an alternative, I used to be left.

"I would like justice for Brooke so no different girl has undergo this horror in jail."

Louise spoke simply months after a damning report revealed a new child child died when a teenage woman gave delivery alone at HMP Bronzefield in Middlesex, regardless of begging for assist.

"I used to be let down and Brooke was let down by the individuals who have been meant to take care of us," Louise stated.

"I simply really feel prefer it was a state of affairs that might have been prevented if it was taken severely sufficient."

'I THINK I'M DYING'

Prisons and probation ombudsman Sue McAllister concluded Louise had suffered a "terrifying, painful and traumatic expertise".

She known as the case "deeply unhappy and distressing".

Jail employees known as the responsibility nurse thrice to boost issues about Louise over two hours.

Nevertheless, nobody visited her, and it was determined she was struggling a painful interval.

It is not recognized if the newborn, who was born weighing simply 2.5lbs, might have survived if her mom had been taken to hospital. 

The ache of Brooke's dying won't ever depart me - I am unable to forgive the jail

Louise had been behind bars for three-and-a-half months when she gave delivery.

Ms McAllister instructed BBC Radio 4's In the present day programme: "This was a very surprising case, it was a really unhappy case and we're very grateful to Ms Powell for sharing her expertise with us and there'll important studying to return out of this.

"What we discovered is that Ms Powell wasn't conscious she was pregnant till the newborn was delivered and no person who got here into contact along with her at Styal, together with her roommate, thought that she was pregnant.

"So when she began to have abdomen pains within the night, she repeatedly instructed employees that there was no chance that she could possibly be pregnant."

Because of this, Louise was left in "important unexplained ache" for hours, she stated.

Prisons minister Victoria Atkins stated: "The tragic occasions detailed on this report ought to fairly merely by no means occur to any girl or youngster, and my deepest sympathies stay with the mom.

"Now we have already applied the report's suggestions and essential enhancements have been made to the care acquired by pregnant girls in custody.

"We're additionally taking a look at how we are able to higher display screen for being pregnant in jails so no girl falls by means of the cracks.

"However there's clearly rather more to do to make sure expectant moms in jail get the identical help as these locally - one thing I'll proceed to prioritise."

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