Louise Thompson shared photos on Instagram on Thursday of the moment she met son Leo for the first time’ in hospital.
The former Made In Chelsea star, almost died during the birth of her son Leo in 2021 and was left with post traumatic stress disorder.
She revealed she ‘had major attachment issues with her little boy’ following the traumatic birth but is now ‘doing really well’ three years later.
Louise admitted she was shocked she was able to ‘smile’ as she was joined by partner Ryan in the photo which showed her meeting their newborn son for the first time.
She was seen wearing a hospital gown and face mask as she cradled baby Leo while sat in a wheelchair.
Louise Thompson shared photos on Instagram on Thursday of the moment she met son Leo for the first time’ in hospital – pictured with her partner Ryan Libbey
The former Made In Chelsea star, almost died during the birth of her son Leo in 2021 and was left with post traumatic stress disorder
Alongside the throwback snaps, the TV personality wrote: ‘My camera roll post-birth is a bit atypical.
‘Instead of taking pictures of my baby, I seemed to be taking pictures of my battle wounds and tracking them.
‘However, I do have a few pictures and videos from those early months and when I feel strong enough I have a quick glance back.
‘Sometimes it makes me feel funny, other times it makes me feel sad, but often it simply reminds me of what is possible even during those darkest moments. The one thing it makes me do every time without fail is run upstairs to watch Leo while he sleeps (normally the only time I would scroll through photos) or if he happens to be awake I’ll hug him extra tight.
‘So here is the moment I met Leo for the first time. I can’t quite believe that I managed to conjure up a smile for a photo. Then there was a pause. In many respects.’
She continued: ‘This isn’t completely out of the blue. I noticed that it was Maternal Mental Health Week and I wanted to offer up something hence the reason for looking back.
‘Before I share some of my thoughts surrounding childbirth I want to look at what the aim of this week is (I know there is a week for bloody everything these days and I don’t think we necessarily need an excuse to talk about serious topics but sometimes these kinds of posts and ‘weeks’ can feel a bit full on and a bit preachy, particularly if you’ve never been through anything significant MH wise OR if you’re about to give birth). SO, let’s break it down a bit…
‘MMHW is a week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during, and after pregnancy.
She revealed she ‘had major attachment issues with her little boy’ following the traumatic birth but is now ‘doing really well’ three years later
Alongside the throwback snaps, the TV personality wrote: ‘My camera roll post-birth is a bit atypical’
Louise admitted she felt ‘blindsided’ and ‘detached’ from reality after she gave birth but she is now ‘99% good’
The reality star concluded by saying ‘more funding’ is needed for those struggling with mental health conditions
Last month Louise revealed she had a stoma bag fitted after years of suffering from ulcerative colitis following a diagnosis in 2018
‘It’s not aimed at being ‘scary’. Instead, the goal is to raise public and professional awareness of perinatal mental health problems. It’s important to advocate for women and families impacted, to change attitudes, and to break down the taboo surrounding MH as well as to help people access the information, care, and support they need to recover.
‘To start, I thought it could be helpful if you guys reading this shared some of your own personal thoughts or experiences in the comments below to lighten the load and also to help others feel less alone. Additionally, it’s important to highlight (to the gov) HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM mental health can be following the entry into motherhood.
‘If sharing your whole story feels a bit overwhelming then maybe you could write the MH condition you suffered with instead (PPD, Psychosis, perinatal OCD, Anxiety, postpartum blues… or you could simply write ‘cried a lot’ or ‘felt worthless’ or ‘like a crap mum’).
‘I think you’ll be surprised by how many people DIDN’T find it a walk in the park. Feel free to also share anything that helped you during that tough period, including any resources. I feel like this is a fairly safe space. I’m very lucky to have such kind and generous followers.’
Louise admitted she felt ‘blindsided’ and ‘detached’ from reality after she gave birth but she is now ‘99% good’.
She continued: ‘No one warned me that I might feel funny, and there was certainly no foresight into what happened to me.
‘I was totally blindsided and felt detached and disorientated from reality. I not only ‘lost my identity’ but I also seemed to lose my memory of everything pre-child for a large chunk of time. I had major attachment issues with my son too.
‘You all know that it was a hellish period for me and that it’s taken some time to bring myself back to me (I’m 99% good now) and of course you can read more about that particular journey in LUCKY.
‘But the good news (and hopeful spin) is that nothing stays the same forever and now i’m not only doing really well, but I genuinely think I’m a better person than I was before.
Earlier this year she spent two weeks in hospital after suffering a ulcerative colitis flare up during a holiday with her fiance Ryan Libbey and their little boy Leo, two
Louise regularly keeps her follows up-to-date with her mental and physical health
‘I have a whole new perspective on life and I genuinely think I love my son more as a result of the birth trauma and all of the horrendous mental and physical pain that I’ve overcome. I am more grateful now than ever. I love my life and weirdly my agent keeps catching me say the word ‘lucky’ all the flipping time (unintentionally), so things must be fairing pretty well.’
The reality star concluded by saying ‘more funding’ is needed for those struggling with mental health conditions.
It comes after Louise revealed last month she had a stoma bag fitted after years of suffering from ulcerative colitis following a diagnosis in 2018.
Louise shared the news of having a stoma bag fitted with her Instagram followers in early April, as she bravely admitted it is ‘not something she wanted to hide forever’.
The television personality has previously spoken about her ongoing struggles with the bowel condition ulcerative colitis as well as the autoimmune disease lupus.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic bowel condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed and small ulcers develop on the colon’s lining, which can bleed. The condition has no cure, but can be effectively managed with time.
Earlier this year she spent two weeks in hospital after suffering a ulcerative colitis flare up during a holiday with her fiance Ryan Libbey and their little boy Leo, two.
The fitness influencer almost died during the birth of her son Leo in 2021 and was left with post traumatic stress disorder.
Louise shared a video of herself showing the bag, which is attached to her stomach, and wrote: HOW DO I DISCLOSE THIS SORT OF NEWS?
‘It’s not exactly exciting like a big pregnancy or gender reveal announcement! Hey look i’m having a boy… Hey look i’ve got a stoma!
‘So I guess i’ll just stand here. Proud in stature. With my new friend. Le bum bag, that represents life. And hopefully a better one.
‘Isn’t it bizarre that this little grey pouch is the price I pay for good health! I say good riddance to that nasty menacing colon!
Louise urged people to support her choice to share her news online, and added: ‘Please be kind.’