Former Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson has achieved a major victory in her campaign for maternity reform after Baroness Amos formally recommended the appointment of a maternity commissioner in her report on maternity and neonatal services. The 35-year-old, who nearly died in childbirth in 2021, handed in her petition with over 167,000 signatures and personal letters from affected families to 10 Downing Street on Wednesday.
Petition Delivered to Downing Street
Sharing a video of herself in a cerise floral dress outside the Prime Minister's residence, Thompson described the moment as an 'enormous release of tension'. She admitted to being in tears over the achievement, saying: 'Have held it together all week, but creating this and re-watching it over and over again to remind myself that this is actually real and that this day really happened is making me cry and it's a huge release.'
Thompson added: 'I feel like I just woke up from the biggest haze. I feel like centuries worth of trauma (other people's and my own) are pouring out of these tiny little tear ducts and I should sleep very well tonight.' She expressed gratitude to the families who shared their stories, emphasizing she was merely a 'mouthpiece' for traumatized parents.
Traumatic Birth Experience
Thompson gave birth to her son Leo by emergency caesarean in 2021 after suffering a miscarriage in 2020. During the birth, Leo's head became stuck in her pelvis, and she lost three-and-a-half litres of blood—more than three-quarters of the body's volume—when medics failed to stop a haemorrhage for over three hours. Her womb had torn, causing the bleeding, and she required several transfusions.
The trauma led to post-traumatic stress disorder, and she later developed ulcerative colitis, Asherman's syndrome, and Lupus following an autoimmune response. This ultimately resulted in the removal of her colon and the fitting of a stoma bag. Thompson now seeks a surrogate to have another child.
Campaign for Maternity Commissioner
Thompson launched her petition in January, calling for the appointment of a dedicated maternity commissioner to improve care. Baroness Amos's recommendation last week marked a significant step forward. Thompson vowed to 'keep pushing to get a deadline for the appointment of the commissioner', insisting: 'This isn't actually the end of the mission. It's only just the beginning. There is a lot of work to do.'
