Louise Thompson has released previously unseen clips and photographs from her traumatic birth in 2021, as she campaigns for improved maternity care across the UK. The former reality star turned campaigner suffered life-threatening complications during and after labour, losing three-and-a-half litres of blood during an emergency caesarean section and a further five litres after a haemorrhage at her London home.
The 35-year-old, who shares son Leo with fiancé Ryan Libby, has been working with former Conservative MP Theo Clarke, founder of the Birth Trauma All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), to push for reforms. In a social media post, she dedicated the montage to 'all those who didn’t survive and those who lost their babies', and called for a meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting, stating: 'This issue can’t keep getting sidelined in favour of other projects.'
Since Leo's birth in November 2021, Louise has been open about her ongoing health issues, including Asherman's Syndrome, which causes scar tissue in the uterus, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She now wears a stoma bag and has been told she cannot safely carry another child. Her campaign aims to ensure other women do not suffer similar trauma.
Louise shared a petition calling for a UK maternity commissioner, which had already gathered 30,000 signatures before her post, surpassing the 10,000 needed for a government response. The petition now has over 45,600 signatures, with a target of 100,000 for parliamentary debate. She wrote: 'This number is significant because it’s also the number of women who develop PTSD following childbirth every year.'
In a previous post, Louise and Theo Clarke stated that a 2024 birth trauma inquiry recommended a Maternity Commission and a National Maternity Strategy. They argued: 'As mothers affected by birth trauma, we believe the government should appoint a Maternity Commissioner to improve maternity care for mums and babies.'
