I Almost Died After a Touch‑and‑Go C‑Section

Published: 27 February 2026
The English Chronicle Desk
The English Chronicle Online

A mother from Somerset has shared a harrowing account of how what should have been a routine C‑section nearly cost her life, highlighting concerns about maternity care standards in parts of the NHS. The woman, known as Abi, underwent a planned Caesarean section in 2022 at Yeovil District Hospital but experienced life‑threatening complications that left her fighting for survival and profoundly affected her family’s sense of safety around childbirth.

Abi, then 26 and expecting her second child, had been classified as high risk because her baby’s position was pressing against a previous C‑section scar. She haemorrhaged at home shortly before her scheduled surgery and was taken by ambulance to Yeovil, where the procedure was carried out. According to her draft medical incident report, the operation did not adhere to the original surgical plan or the specialist advice from clinicians in Bristol about how the incision should be made. This apparently led to extensive blood loss and a situation doctors described to her husband as “touch‑and‑go.”

During the surgery, Abi lost an extraordinary 10.8 litres of blood — far beyond normal expectations — and her survival was uncertain, her family recalled. As the operation unfolded, surgical teams conducted a partial hysterectomy to stem the bleeding, and she was eventually transferred mid‑surgery to a specialist centre in Bristol to complete the procedure. Four days later she finally met her son, Logan, who is now thriving at age three.

Abi’s story is not isolated. It is part of broader concerns highlighted in a recent review of maternity and neonatal services in England, which found systemic issues including staffing shortages, gaps in senior clinical expertise, and inconsistent care quality across units — concerns that Baroness Valerie Amos’s ongoing investigation is examining. Patients and families speaking to national media have described traumatic experiences in other hospitals as well, including inadequate responses to complications and poor communication about risks after surgery.

“I went in expecting to trust the professionals with my life,” Abi said. “During that operation, there were moments when my husband was told to prepare for the worst — and that’s not something a family should ever have to hear on what’s meant to be one of the happiest days of their lives.” She added that even now, years later, the thought of what happened triggers anxiety, especially when interacting with health services or if her children fall ill.

The NHS Trust responsible for the hospital has acknowledged the distressing nature of such experiences and said it has made changes after the Care Quality Commission’s inspection identified “serious untoward incidents” in maternity services. A spokesperson said steps have been taken to strengthen maternity care governance and recruit additional senior consultants to improve outcomes for mothers and infants.

Medical professionals note that while most C‑sections are performed safely, complications such as severe bleeding — and rarer conditions like amniotic fluid embolism or surgical trauma — can escalate quickly and require rapid, well‑coordinated responses. In cases where care systems are under strain, even standard procedures can carry elevated risks, underscoring the importance of high staffing levels, effective clinical protocols, and thorough follow‑up for patients after delivery.

Abi now advocates for more transparent communication and stronger oversight of maternity units, urging health services to ensure that no woman feels unsafe or ignored when seeking help. Her experience has led her to question the assumption that hospitals are always places of unquestioned safety. “I survived by inches,” she said, “and I want others to have the confidence that they will be cared for, not just operated on.”

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