As one of the stars of Made In Chelsea, Louise Thompson has always lived her life out in the open. But as her new book sees her open up about the traumatic birth of her two-year-old son Leo and how it “destroyed everything good” in her life, the reality star is starting to recover with the support of her loved ones.
Back in November 2021, Louise, 34, was forced to undergo an emergency C-section while giving birth to Leo, leading to a series of physical complications, such as the fitting of a stoma bag, and mental ones, such as PTSD.
Louise only shared her stoma bag for the first time last month, thanks to the support of fiancé and former MIC co-star Ryan Libbey, brother Sam Thompson and his reality star girlfriend Zara McDermott. And with her book Lucky: Learning To Live Again hitting shelves last week, Louise is grateful to have Sam, who is also her neighbour, around to lean on.
An insider says, “Given what Louise has been through lately, it couldn’t be better to have her brother living literally next door. The siblings have always had a great relationship, but since Louise had a baby they've become a lot closer and Sam and Zara have really stepped up to help out.
“When Louise was rushed to hospital, it was Sam and Zara who stepped in to help look after the baby. The couple have an incredibly close bond with Leo and totally dote on him. Sam has always seen Ryan like a big brother and really looks up to him, but in turn Ryan has really lent on Sam and Zara through what has been a very difficult time for him too. Watching his girlfriend go through so much has been painful and Sam has been a huge shoulder.”
While Louise has been open about her life-threatening childbirth, the book has seen her speak more candidly about the shocking details than ever. In an interview, she admitted that she and Ryan had been in a “bad place” in the run-up to the birth and that she had wrongly accused him of cheating on her.
When she was discharged from hospital prematurely, Louise suffered a haemorrhage that “almost took my life” at home, meaning Leo had to be placed in intensive care and she couldn’t bond with her son. This triggered her struggles with PTSD and suicidal thoughts, yet it was the anti-depressants that aggravated her bowel condition, leading eventually to the removal of her colon.
However, with all of this out in the open, Louise is allowing herself to be seen for who she truly is – and Sam and Zara are supporting her every step of the way.
“It’s been a long and slow journey for Louise, but Sam and Zara have been there every step of the way and Zara too has a great sisterly relationship with Louise,” the insider says. “The pair have certainly been instrumental in her recovery and bringing back the fun side of Louise with their recent couple posts on Instagram, which has been wonderful to see.”