Louise Thompson is planning to welcome a second child via surrogacy, but the former Made In Chelsea star admits she is 'grieving' the loss of carrying another baby herself. Following the traumatic birth of her son Leo, now four, Thompson and her partner Ryan Libbey are determined to expand their family, though the emotional and financial costs are significant.
A Traumatic Birth and Its Aftermath
During Leo's birth via emergency caesarean, Thompson, 36, nearly died after losing three-and-a-half litres of blood due to a tear in her womb. She underwent a three-hour operation to stop a haemorrhage while awake and without general anaesthetic. The experience left her with post-traumatic stress disorder, post-natal anxiety, and later diagnoses of Lupus, Asherman's syndrome, and a second haemorrhage. She also has a stoma bag.
Mixed Emotions on the Path to Surrogacy
Thompson has been open about the complex emotions surrounding her surrogacy journey. She described surrogacy as 'a miracle' but acknowledged the grief of not experiencing pregnancy again. 'I will never feel a baby kick inside me,' she said. 'I will never feel that particular heaviness... Nobody will walk toward me in the street and clock my bump.' The reality star also highlighted the financial burden, with IVF and surrogacy costs likely exceeding £50,000.
Thompson reflected on the unique pain of seeing others' pregnancy announcements while navigating her own loss. 'Grief doesn't always look like weeping,' she wrote. 'Sometimes it looks like pausing on someone else's joy and noticing the shape of what's missing in your own life. That is allowed.' She emphasised that feeling grief alongside happiness for others is human, not a sign of jealousy or bitterness.
Healing and Moving Forward
Thompson noted that healing is not about moving fast but allowing space for grief. 'Moving forward fast isn't the same as healing,' she said. She encouraged others on similar paths to protect their mental health, even if it means stepping away from social media. 'Choosing a different path to parenthood... is not a consolation prize. But it is okay to grieve the path you didn't get to walk.'
As she and Libbey look ahead to surrogacy, Thompson remains hopeful but honest about the journey. 'I don't know exactly where I'm going with all of this yet,' she admitted. 'But I wanted to say it out loud... because I think naming this problem matters.'
