A mother from Luton has opened up about the heartbreaking experience of delivering her stillborn daughter after a series of errors during her care in hospital. Lauryn McCready, alongside her husband Andrew, took legal action against the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which concluded in a settlement in 2025. Their story sheds light on the failures in maternity care that contributed to their tragedy.
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Lauryn and Andrew experienced the elation of pregnancy following multiple miscarriages. Anticipating the arrival of their daughter in September 2023, the couple chose to keep the gender a surprise. Lauryn, a primary school teacher, reported an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, but this positivity came to a sudden halt when she went into labour.
On September 4, 2023, Lauryn entered Luton and Dunstable Hospital, one week past her due date, after enduring contractions for 48 hours. The maternity ward was notably hectic, leading to a distressing comment from a midwife, who quipped, “You picked a bad day to have a baby.” The couple spent a staggering 28 hours in the maternity triage unit, where they overheard discussions about staff shortages, heightening their concern.
Early on September 6, 2023, serious concerns arose when hospital staff discovered that the baby’s heart rate was dropping significantly during a cervical examination, coinciding with Lauryn’s waters breaking. She was promptly moved to the labour ward, where a call for an emergency caesarean section was made at 3:30 a.m. Medical guidelines suggest that such operations should occur within 30 minutes; however, 45 minutes later, clinicians were unable to detect the baby’s heartbeat.
By the time Lauryn was wheeled into the operating room, it was 4:26 a.m., and tragically, Lois was stillborn. A frantic attempt to resuscitate the infant lasted for 25 minutes but was ultimately unsuccessful. Andrew recounted the agonising wait, saying, “The 25 minutes felt like 25 hours.” An autopsy later revealed that Lois had succumbed to a severe lack of oxygen, compounded by a bacterial infection.
In the UK, stillbirth rates stand at approximately four per 1,000 births, with many cases remaining unexplained. A report from the Cleveland Clinic states that around one in three stillbirths have unidentified causes, emphasising the complexity surrounding pregnancy complications.
Following their loss, Lauryn and Andrew cherished four days with Lois, during which they read to her, bathed her, and made casts of her tiny hands and feet. The couple faced the tragic task of returning home to a nursery filled with baby items that would never be used. “It felt like living a nightmare that would never end,” Andrew remarked.
A subsequent NHS maternity safety investigation confirmed that significant errors were indeed made in Lauryn’s care, particularly regarding the failure to perform the caesarean section in a timely manner. The report indicated issues with monitoring Lois’s heartbeat and a concerning number of vaginal examinations, which could lead to infection. Insufficient recording of risk assessments and communication problems amongst midwives and obstetricians also emerged as significant flaws.
In light of their experience, Lauryn and Andrew pursued a medical negligence claim against the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Although some allegations were contested, the Trust acknowledged that earlier intervention might have allowed for an alternate outcome, stating that had the operation occurred sooner, Lois could have been born alive. They expressed their sorrow for the couple’s loss and have since implemented measures to enhance maternity care.
Lauryn and Andrew’s commitment to improving healthcare standards did not stop at their settlement. They contributed their testimony to the National Maternity and Neonatal Safety Investigation, which aims to reform the UK’s maternity services and ensure safer care for families in the future.
Despite the heartache of their loss, the couple has welcomed a second daughter, whom they have named Iris. They have made it clear that Lois remains an integral part of their family, indelibly woven into their lives and memories. The McCready family’s narrative highlights not only the personal struggles of parents navigating loss but also the systemic issues within maternity care that necessitate urgent address.