Louise Thompson held back tears on This Morning today as she recalled how childbirth nearly killed her and left her with "lasting damage." The former Made In Chelsea star appeared on the show to discuss her book Lucky: Learning to Live Again, which documents her chain of catastrophic health problems since welcoming her son Leo in November 2021.
The 35-year-old spent five weeks in hospital after suffering serious complications during labour, which required her to have an emergency c-section. Thompson haemorrhaged during the surgery, losing a life-threatening amount of blood, which led to severe PTSD. Since her traumatic birthing experience, she has been diagnosed with Lupus, Asherman’s syndrome, and suffered a second haemorrhage. Additionally, she had a stoma bag fitted last year, following a diagnosis of Ulcerative colitis in 2018.
Speaking to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, Louise recalled, "I ended up not being able to deliver him naturally." She described the experience of witnessing three-and-a-half hours of surgery while awake as one of the most horrendous aspects of her ordeal. "I just wish that I had been put to sleep," she added.
Louise explained how the aftermath of her experiences left her struggling to connect with her son. "It’s crazy how long it can take to process all of it, but the book has been a big part of that," she said. "I found myself, discharged, I couldn’t function, I couldn’t connect with my son." Writing her book became a cathartic process for her, as she navigated the emotional landscape of her recovery.
Later in her interview, Louise was joined by her brother, Sam Thompson, who shared a harrowing account of the night he thought his sister was going to die after she haemorrhaged in hospital. Sam recounted how he was at the ITV Palooza when he received a call from their mother urging him to get to the hospital immediately. "I actually snuck into the hospital past all the guards and just sat in a room with Ryan [Libbey, her fiancé] all night waiting to find out whether Louise was going to survive. It was nuts," he said.
Sam expressed the intense focus he felt during that time, stating, "I’ve never been so focused in my life. When it gets that bad, you steer into a completely different focus of your being. I hope to never have it again, to be honest with you. I wasn’t that emotional." He also reflected on his role in helping Louise through her recovery, emphasizing the importance of family support. "We’re the luckiest family in the world to have Louise still here. I’m going to cry… we’re incredibly lucky," he added.
In her candid discussion, Louise highlighted the anxiety she felt leading up to the birth of Leo. "Women know their bodies and we have this intuition, and I really knew the childbirth thing wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for me… I kept trying to advocate for myself to speak up to say, ‘I really want to have a planned C-section’,” she shared. However, she felt she wasn't listened to and had to jump through many hoops, ultimately succumbing to the situation.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Louise stated, "To dance with death twice brings a whole new view of the world." She described the trauma of her experiences, including a massive obstetric haemorrhage just days after being discharged from the hospital. This incident required her to undergo further emergency surgeries and left her with PTSD, which put her mind and body in a constant state of fight or flight.
Writing her book, Lucky, allowed her to process her experiences and convey her journey to others. "There are definitely people who are less lucky than me and I do feel really privileged to come out the other side," she said. "I’ve felt like I lost a lot of my old self, especially during those couple of years throughout the recovery, and I've gradually been piecing the jigsaw back together and trying to make sense of everything. It’s opened my eyes, my perspective on life is very different now."
In 2022, Louise was diagnosed with Lupus, a long-term condition that causes joint pain, skin rashes, and exhaustion. At that time, she described the agony she endured as "intolerable." Then, in May 2023, she suffered another major haemorrhage, requiring emergency surgery and several litres of blood and fluids. This incident occurred just days before she and her family were set to travel to St. Lucia, and she believes had it happened while they were abroad, she might not have survived.
Louise's health struggles continued when she fell ill during a family holiday abroad, leading to an early flight home and more than two weeks in the hospital. Addressing her fans from her hospital bed, she expressed gratitude for life and the support she received during her recovery.
In April 2024, Louise opened up about her life-saving stoma bag, which she described as "the grey bag that may well save my life." She reflected on the necessity of the bag for her health, stating, "Isn’t it bizarre that this little grey pouch is the price I pay for good health!" This surgery was a result of her ongoing battle with Ulcerative colitis, which can lead to severe complications.
However, further complications arose when, in November 2024, Louise underwent emergency surgery and subsequently went into septic shock. Ryan Libbey, her partner, expressed his shock at the situation, stating, "I can't believe we're back in this situation. My heartbeat is skipping around all over the place, which is an indication of how heavy and raw it all feels. It's very unexpected and a difficult pill to swallow."
Louise Thompson's journey through motherhood and health challenges has been marked by resilience and a determination to share her story. Her book Lucky serves not only as a reflection of her struggles but also as an inspiration to others facing similar battles.
