A baby died after an overdue mother wasn’t induced for 60 hours due to a hospital’s ‘lack of capacity’.

Chelsea Wootton, 31, was sent home from Birmingham City Hospital after being told there wasn’t enough room despite being 41 weeks pregnant.

The first-time mother even asked for a C-section after her waters broke but said she was refused this because of other emergencies on the labour ward.

During her 60-hour admission, Ms Wootton was told she could not be induced because of ‘a lack of hospital capacity,’ Birmingham and Solihull Coroner’s Court was told.

She was sent home at around 4pm on August 26 and told to return to hospital the following midday.

But she was readmitted around two hours after being sent home when her waters broke and she was originally classed as low risk for intermittent monitoring.

Ms Wootton – who also wasn’t warned of the dangers of going over 41 weeks – gave birth to daughter Ava-Lea Humphries on August 27 last year.

However, Ava-Lea developed sepsis and died at just a day old as a result of being starved of oxygen in the womb and breathing in meconium.

Ms Wootton has now spoken for the first time about her heartbreaking loss after an inquest heard delays in her maternity care contributed to her baby’s death.

The care home receptionist says she believes she wasn’t listened to by medics at the hospital and has urged other mothers to ‘push for their voices to be heard.’

Ms Wootton, of Pheasey Farm Park, Birmingham, said: ‘It’s almost impossible to find the words to describe what the last year has been like.

‘When we found out we were expecting we were overjoyed and couldn’t wait to welcome Ava-Lea into our lives and start our family.

‘I wasn’t told about any risks of going overdue and even after my readmission to hospital, I was never given the impression there was anything to worry about.

‘Even though I was a first-time mum deep down I knew something wasn’t right.

‘I kept trying to raise concerns and I asked for a caesarean but I felt I was being ignored.

‘It was only when concerns were raised about Ava-Lea’s heartrate did it feel that our care was a priority. By then it was too late.

‘Seeing Ava-Lea after she was born was awful. We can’t thank the neo-natal doctors and nurses for everything they did for Ave-Lea and make her as comfortable as she could be.

‘We’ll always cherish those precious few hours we got to spend with her but I’m not sure we’ll ever get over what happened.

‘Instead of bringing her home and starting our new lives together, we had to say goodbye and leave her in hospital.’

Ms Wootton first underwent a sweep on August 16 last year – the day after her due date – when 40 weeks and a day pregnant.

She was given an advice leaflet and an induction of labour was planned for nine days later on August 25 when she was 41 weeks and three days pregnant.

The day before she was due to attend hospital, Ms Wootton believed she may be in labour and was admitted to Birmingham City Hospital.

In the early hours of August 27 traces of meconium which can be a sign of distress in a baby was detected.

Ava-Lea’s heartrate began to deteriorate and she was delivered with the help of forceps at around 1.50pm.

She had been starved of oxygen as a result of breathing in meconium and needed to be resuscitated and was transferred to neo-natal intensive care.

A decision was made to put on her palliative care and Ava-Lea tragically passed away aged 35 hours on August 29.

Following Ava-Lea’s death, Ms Wootton and partner Adyn Humphries, 29, a welder and fabricator, have been supported by the charity Libby Mae’s Little Angels.

Ms Wootton added: ‘What should have been the happiest moment of our lives turned to total despair. When we lost Ava-Lea our lives changed forever.

‘We can’t thank enough those who have supported us following Ava-Lea’s death for everything they’ve done.

‘Losing a baby is such as traumatic experience but people shouldn’t suffer alone as help and support available.

‘By sharing our story I hope I can help other families so they don’t have to go through what we have.

‘Mums know their body and need to be listened to more. I’d urge any mums to push for their voice to be heard and if they need demand a second opinion.’

A Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch investigation found there was an opportunity to review Ms Wootton earlier and speed up birth by caesarean section.

The inquest concluded Ava-Lea died as a result of being starved of oxygen in the womb and breathing in meconium which were ‘contributed to by a delay in her delivery.’

An earlier birth would have likely made a difference to the outcome for Ava-Lea, according to the family’s lawyers Irwin Mitchell.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs City Hospital, has since accepted liability for Ava-Lea’s death.

Jessica Allan, the specialist medical negligence lawyer representing the couple, said: ‘This is truly tragic case in which worrying failings in Ms Wootton’s and Ava-Lea’s maternity care have been identified.

‘While most babies remain healthy over their due date the longer past this a mum goes, the increased risk there is of developing complications.

‘We firmly believe that Chelsea had been appropriately advised about the risks associated with pregnancy beyond 41 weeks, she would have arranged to be induced before she reached that milestone and the sequence of devastating events that unfolded would have been avoided.

‘Sadly, this isn’t an isolated case and we too often see the catastrophic consequences families can be left to face because of pressures on maternity units nationally.

‘Staff need to be supported so they can uphold the highest standards of care at all times.

‘While it’s too late for Ava-Lea, we join Chelsea in calling for lessons to be learned to improve maternity safety for others.

‘We continue to support her and Adyn at this distressing time so they can access the specialist support they require to try and come to terms with their ordeal the best they can.’

Helen Hurst, Director of Midwifery said: ‘This is unbearably sad and we are deeply distressed at the loss of Ava-Lea. 

‘We extend our deepest sympathies to her parents, wider family and friends. We have all learned from this tragedy and have already enacted a plan to monitor the improvements we have made.

‘We apologised to Ava-Lea’s family when we met with them to share the findings of our own investigation.’