Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Health and Fitness

    Louise Thompson shares candid Instagram posts after near-death birth experience

    She gave birth to her son Leo-Hunter in November.

    Ally Head's avatar
    By Ally Head
    Published 6 January 2022 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Louise Thompson
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    She gave birth to her son Leo-Hunter in November.

    In celebrity news, former Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson has shared a candid Instagram post to mark seven weeks since she gave birth to her first child.

    The star had a baby boy with fiance Ryan Libbey in November and they've named him Leo-Hunter. She faced a traumatic birth experience, revealing online that she nearly died during the process.

    Posting to Instagram, the reality TV star shared a carousel of photos of the couple with their son while standing in their kitchen at home.

    She wrote: "Happy 7 weeks squirrel chops, please stop growing, you’re almost as big as mummy."

    You may like
    • Louise Thompson is campaigning for a Maternity Commissioner following the traumatic birth of her son. “It Is One Of The Grossest Failings In Humanity That Women Are Treated Like This”
    • Anne Hathaway has just announced her third pregnancy at 43 Anne Hathaway's Pregnancy Hides a Much Bigger Truth About Having Babies in Your 40s
    • Bryony Deery I'm Building One of the World's Biggest Pilates Apps and Just Had My First Child—Here's How to Feel Your Strongest Pre- and Postpartum

    A photo posted by on

    In a separate post, she said she suffered "various serious complications" and almost died.

    She didn't update fans of the baby's arrival for the majority of the month of November when he was born, as she was recovering in intensive care.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Just before Christmas, she shared with her followers: "The reason I have been absent for weeks is because I have been very unwell."

    "[Five] weeks ago I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy Leo-Hunter Libbey weighing in at 7lbs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the easiest start for either of us. One ended up in NICU and the other ended up in ICU."

    "Whilst Leo made a fairly quick recovery, I have been recovering in hospital for a month with various serious complications."

    What to read next
    • Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan' Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
    • Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2 Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    • Arsenal player and Lioness Chloe Kelly Chloe Kelly: “I Never Take Playing for My Country for Granted—I Just Want to Give it My All”

    A photo posted by on

    She added that NHS staff saved her life, concluding: "I want to thank the room full of people who worked through the night to save my life. Many of them were called in from their family homes at an unearthly hour.’

    She further thanked finance Ryan in the post for his ongoing love and support during what she called the "hardest year of her life".

    She hasn't yet shared what the complications were, instead focusing on thanking staff, family, and her finance.

    It's thought the couple just managed to finish their home renovations in time for the baby's arrival after narrowly escaped a house fire in October with Ryan, her mum, and their dogs.

    Congratulations to the pair - wishing Louise and the baby a speedy recovery and return to normal.

    Ally Head
    Ally Head
    Social Links Navigation
    Senior Health and Sustainability Editor

    Ally is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health and Sustainability Editor, a well-regarded wellness expert, ten-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner.

    Utilising her impressive skillset and exceptional quality of writing, she pens investigative, review and first-person pieces that consistently demonstrate flair and originality.

    Ally manages a team of freelancers, oversees all commissioning and strategy for her pillars, and spearheads the brand's annual Women in Sport covers, interviewing and shooting the likes of Mary Earps, Millie Bright, and Ilona Maher. Shortlisted for three BSMEs and winning one in 2022, Ally lives and breathes her verticals: her eye for a story and connections within the wellness sphere are unrivalled. Follow Ally on Instagram for more.

    Read more
    Louise Thompson is campaigning for a Maternity Commissioner following the traumatic birth of her son.
    Life “It Is One Of The Grossest Failings In Humanity That Women Are Treated Like This”
    Anne Hathaway has just announced her third pregnancy at 43
    Life Anne Hathaway's Pregnancy Hides a Much Bigger Truth About Having Babies in Your 40s
     
     
    Bryony Deery
    Female health I'm Building One of the World's Biggest Pilates Apps and Just Had My First Child—Here's How to Feel Your Strongest Pre- and Postpartum
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Latest in Health and Fitness
    Health freelancer Katie Sims trying to opt out of wellness optimisation for a month
    Wellbeing I Opted Out of Wellness Optimisation for a Month—and It Completely Changed My Relationship With My Health
    Arsenal footballer and Lioness Chloe Kelly
    Health and Fitness Women in Sport 2026: Featuring Chloe Kelly, Elite Beauty Products, Grand Prix 2.0 and So Much More
     
     
    Eva Syti, yoga coach, ARC sauna leader and breathwork practitioner
    Wellbeing Most People Think They're Manifesting Correctly—But Usually Miss These 3 Essential Steps
    A woman lying on the floor scrolling on her phone
    Female health If You're Frazzled, Overworked and At Your Limit, These 5 Science-Backed Tips Can Help Avoid Burnout
     
     
    Latest in Features
    The Beauty Digest
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Head Spas, Coco Mademoiselle Reimagined, and What the TPO Ban Really Means
    The long hair trend and the post-bob era
    Hair I’ve Spent Two Years Growing My Bob—Turns Out, There's a Reason Long Hair Is Trending
     
     
    @nlmarilyn in transitional autumn outfits
    Fashion Goodbye Summer Dresses, I'm in Autumn Outfit Planning Mode—These 5 Are Fresh
    AW26 denim trends listing
    Fashion Autumn's Denim Trends Are Already Surfacing—Here Are the Cuts, Colours and Details to Know Now
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.