Georgia Midwife Faces Sentencing After Mother Loses Half Her Blood in Botched Home Birth

A woman in Georgia is facing sentencing on Tuesday following her conviction on nine criminal counts related to an unlicensed midwifery practice that almost killed one mother.

Cynthia 'Cindy' Rene Morrow, 64, of Woodstock, was found guilty by a Cherokee County jury on 4 November after a nine-day trial. The prosecution demonstrated that Morrow performed unauthorised medical procedures during a 2022 home birth arranged through her business, Birth Servant Midwifery LLC.

According to official statements from the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office, the mother involved in the delivery suffered a severe postpartum haemorrhage, resulting in the loss of approximately 50 per cent of her blood.

Medical experts who testified during the trial reportedly said they would have transferred the mother to hospital at least five hours earlier.

Mother Lost Half Her Blood

During labour and after the birth, Morrow administered an injection of Pitocin and intravenous fluids, inserted a catheter and performed a manual uterine procedure.

The mother then suffered severe postpartum haemorrhage. According to the district attorney's office, 'She lost approximately 50 percent of her blood.' By the time Morrow called 911, the woman was vomiting, had lost consciousness and was in hypovolaemic shock, prosecutors said.

Her blood pressure had fallen to 63/55 and her heart rate had reached 139 beats per minute. Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services stabilised the woman and transported her by ambulance to hospital for emergency treatment of a severe postpartum haemorrhage, the district attorney's office said.

Prosecutors said Morrow did not inform the family that the woman was experiencing a medical emergency and requested non-emergency transport when she eventually contacted 911. Hospital physicians administered medication to control bleeding, gave multiple blood transfusions and performed emergency surgery, the office said.

Nine Counts After Nine-day Trial

Jurors found Morrow guilty of one count of practising medicine without a licence, one count of practising nursing without a licence, two counts of unlawful practice of midwifery, two counts of reckless conduct and one count of possession of a dangerous drug, Pitocin, the district attorney's office said.

Seven of the nine convictions stemmed from the 2022 home birth. The remaining two counts involved a second Cherokee County client and expired Pitocin recovered during a 2024 search of Morrow's home, prosecutors said.

For those counts, Morrow was found guilty of the lesser-included offence of attempted possession of expired Pitocin and a separate count of unlawful practice of midwifery.

Other Former Clients Testify About Birth Experiences

The prosecution argued that the near-fatal 2022 incident was part of a broader pattern of unlawful conduct by the defendant. Jurors considered testimony from two additional former clients residing outside Cherokee County who detailed their experiences with Morrow's business.

One woman testified that she nearly died during childbirth under Morrow's supervision, while the second witness testified that she lost her baby. The state introduced more than 100 exhibits, including recorded emergency services calls, official medical records, and detailed client logs maintained by Morrow.

Following approximately three hours of jury deliberations, the guilty verdicts were delivered, and Morrow remains held ahead of her formal sentencing hearing. Morrow is scheduled to appear for sentencing on 10 November, when a judge will determine the penalties for her nine convictions.