Terrified mum died after an emergency C-section
Inquest told how 30-year-old teacher bled to death after op
The grieving husband of tragic Frances Cappuccini, who died shortly after giving birth, wept at her inquest as he recounted the final time he told her he loved her.
Tom Cappuccini said his wife responded: “I love you too. Just make sure if anything happens you look after the boys,” before being taken for surgery – from which she never woke.
The 30-year-old Offham Primary School teacher died hours after welcoming second son, Giacomo, via caesarean in October 2012.
A 2.5-inch piece of placenta was left inside Mrs Cappuccini, of West Malling, after the C-section, causing her to suffer a massive haemorrhage and lose around half her blood.
At Gravesend Old Town Hall, coroner Roger Hatch heard Mrs Cappuccini – affectionately called ‘Mrs Coffee’ by pupils – arrived at hospital adamant she wanted a C-section and could not have an epidural, on the advice of consultant Mr Dib Datta.
Mr Cappuccini said they were pressured into choosing a natural birth, were told not to be swayed by “pain and fear” and were met with smirks when they said an epidural may mask the feeling of a uterine tear.
Julie Ann Michaud, a midwife who sat with Mrs Cappuccini throughout the night, said she had never seen someone so terrified, but at one point came round to the idea of a natural birth.
She described Mrs Cappuccini as beautiful and articulate, add- ing she had a, “feeling of impending doom”.
Following 12 hours of agonising labour and having received an epidural – after staff found no medical reason why she couldn’t – Mrs Cappuccini underwent the C-section due to slow progress.
Afterwards Mrs Cappuccini had enough time to feed Giacomo before the bleeding started.
Pathologist Professor Sebastian Lucas gave the cause of death as cardiac arrest due to complications relating to anaesthetic.
She lost 2.3 to three litres of blood but he said the haemorrhage, caused by the piece of placenta, was only a contributing factor to her death.
He added Mrs Cappuccini died as a result of insufficient ventilation after coming round following surgery to address the bleed.
Mr Cappuccini, who described his wife as “bubbly, kind and loving”, added: “After Frankie’s death we were told this should not have happened.”
The inquest continues.