Newborn & Baby
‘I couldn’t look at him’: why Louise Thompson’s birth story hits hard, in 2025
Jessie Day, Senior Editor | 24 Apr 2025
When Louise Thompson appeared on BBC Woman’s Hour this week, she didn’t just share a story – she cracked open a conversation that society is really struggling to have.
We are getting there, though. I have hope that my daughter – and our collective kids at The Ribbon Box – will have better options and amazing support, as standard, in the decades to come. We’re just not there yet.
Best known for her time on Made in Chelsea, Louise has emerged as one of the UK’s most candid and compelling voices on birth trauma. Her appearance this week with Clare McDonnell comes as the paperback of her Sunday Times bestselling memoir Lucky: Learning to Live Again is released, and just months after she sat in Parliament to witness testimony at the UK’s first ever Birth Trauma Inquiry – a landmark moment for maternal healthcare.
But in her own words on Woman’s Hour, Louise wasn’t there to represent anyone but herself – a woman, a mum, who almost didn’t survive giving birth.
‘I couldn’t be left alone with him’ – what happened to Louise Thompson, during birth?
Louise’s story is not an easy listen – and that’s exactly why it needs to be heard.
In 2021, after a complicated labour in which her son Leo’s head became lodged in her pelvis, she underwent an emergency C-section. During the surgery, her uterus ruptured and an artery was nicked, leading to a catastrophic haemorrhage. She was conscious throughout, witnessing the trauma unfold in real time – at one point, convinced she was bleeding to death. Her baby stopped breathing and was whisked to intensive care.
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The ordeal didn’t end there. A second haemorrhage at home nearly claimed her life again. She later required a stoma following colon surgery, was diagnosed with lupus, and discovered she had Asherman’s syndrome – all while navigating a new and deeply triggering relationship with her baby.
“I couldn’t look at him,” she says, during the interview. “He was associated with what had happened … I couldn’t be left alone with him.”
In 2024, Louise confirmed she’d asked, in the build up to Leo’s birth, for a planned c-section. But her request was batted away – in an interview with Mother & Baby she says, “if I had been allowed to have the c-section I wanted, and I hadn’t met so much resistance, and I hadn’t been backed into the corner and been made to feel like I was maybe too posh to push and that it was a silly choice, then none of this would have happened.
“I do think that mothers know our bodies best ourselves. To a large degree, there is an instinctual element, especially when it comes to childbirth. And when it comes to birth, we really need to be listened to more.”
The shame we carry – and why it doesn’t belong to us
One of the most powerful aspects of Louise’s Woman’s Hour interview is her refusal to dress up the reality. The glossy narratives, the ‘at least you have a healthy baby’ comments – she cuts through them decisively.
Because what happened to Louise isn’t rare – it’s just rarely given due, serious airtime. And it’s this silence that keeps so many women trapped, post-birth, in shame, confusion, or isolation.
In the UK, approximately 4-5% of birthing women develop full PTSD, with many more experiencing symptoms like flashbacks, detachment, and anxiety. And yet, until very recently, birth trauma has existed on the periphery of our maternal health conversations.
The recent Birth Trauma Inquiry report, covered here, is set to change that. With moving testimony and concrete recommendations, it marks the beginning of an official reckoning with how we care – or fail to care – for birthing women.
From survivor to signpost – Louise’s second act
Today, Louise is “best friends” with Leo – a relationship she fought for, through therapy, crisis support, and personal rebuilding. Her Instagram feed is now a hybrid of fitness, family, and fierce advocacy. It’s not about being ‘back to normal’ (a myth she’s keen to bust), but about living with a new normal. One where vulnerability and strength coexist.
And that’s what makes her story so resonant for Gen Z and millennial parents. We’re a generation re-writing the scripts – talking openly about mental health, drawing lines around generational trauma, and challenging the sanitised, ‘just get on with it’ versions of motherhood many of us grew up with.
Just as Florence Pugh recently opened up about her fertility fears, Louise’s voice makes space for a different kind of narrative. One where we don’t have to bounce back, smile through the pain, or pretend we’re okay.
If you’re reading this and struggling
Please know: you are not alone.
You do not need to wait for things to be ‘bad enough’ to ask for help. Whether it’s a friend, your GP, or a service like the The Birth Trauma Association, talking is a first, powerful step.
And for anyone supporting a partner or loved one through postnatal trauma: sit with them. Don’t rush them toward joy. Trust that love – real, grounded, human love – will return, even if it takes its time.
As Louise said in the interview, there’s still a long way to go. But by sharing her story, she’s moved the needle.
Go-to resources
Put these reads, listens and support systems on your list – for when you’re in the right space:
- Listen to the full Woman’s Hour episode
- Visit Birthrights for factsheets, guidance and the latest support
- Find support with The Birth Trauma Association
Or, DM us on Instagram – we’re a team of mums who’ve been through all sorts of experiences. We’ll help to signpost wherever we can.
Header image: via @louise.thompson on Instagram
