Former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson has shared a deeply personal update about her fertility journey, revealing she has decided to freeze her eggs as she continues to recover from the traumatic birth of her son five years ago. The television personality opened up about her plans during an emotional appearance on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, explaining this step is part of working on her "mental space" while navigating complex family planning decisions.
A Harrowing Birth Experience
Louise Thompson's journey to motherhood was marked by life-threatening complications during the delivery of her son Leo in 2021. The emergency caesarean section resulted in the removal of her colon and left her with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. This near-fatal experience has fundamentally shaped her approach to expanding her family, creating both physical and emotional challenges in her path toward having a second child.
Navigating Fertility Options
The reality star recently disclosed that she and partner Ryan Libbey had hoped to pursue surrogacy this year and had completed their first cycle of IVF treatment. However, the couple has now decided to take a different approach by freezing Louise's eggs while they continue to address the psychological impact of her traumatic birth experience.
"My partner and I feel like we would like to give Leo a sibling because we are really close with our siblings," Louise explained during the podcast interview. "I have been left with some fertility, but it's not going to be an easy journey. I have decided to try and freeze some fertility while we continue to work on our mental space."
Family Legacy and Emotional Impact
The television personality revealed that the limitations on their family planning have affected her partner Ryan particularly deeply. "For him he thinks 'why would we risk anything?'" she shared. "We're so lucky because I survived, I'm here and I do have a good standard of living, I've also got the most amazing child, he's so beautiful. But growing our family is our legacy and our right."
Louise expressed frustration about her birth experience, stating she should have been granted "a safe and dignified birth" that would have allowed her to conceive another child naturally. "We're not alone in this infertility journey," she acknowledged, "our chances are just really different due to the scarring I've been left with."
Recent Family Health Concerns
Earlier this month, Louise faced additional family health worries when her four-year-old son Leo was hospitalised with bleeding tonsils. She shared a photograph of her son with a canula in his hand, asking her followers for advice and support. "Hopefully just a temporary blip," she wrote at the time. "Anyone else's child had bleeding tonsils before?"
In a subsequent update, the television personality expressed gratitude for the medical care her son received and the support from her online community. "Thanks for your kind messages," she posted. "He is doing really really well and as always has been looked after incredibly well by angels of our universe."
Louise praised her social media followers for their practical advice and shared experiences, noting: "I think I have the most supportive mum following on here ever. You guys are so brilliant - so practical, resourceful and everyone has dealt with some kind of drama at some point over their life so between 1.5million of you I think we have nearly everything covered."
The former reality star's candid discussion about her fertility journey, mental health recovery, and family health challenges continues to resonate with many who face similar struggles, highlighting the complex intersection of physical health, emotional wellbeing, and family planning decisions.
