"The Shocking and Traumatic Birth of My Baby Left Me in Disbelief - What Happened Next Will Astonish You!" - OK! Magazine

CONTENT ADVISORY: This text includes first-person accounts of birth trauma that may trouble some readers.

Since becoming a mother to her son Leo in November 2021, reality TV personality and former Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson has been candid about her traumatic birth experience. After an emergency C-section that resulted in numerous complications, the 34-year-old has courageously shared her experience with the public through interviews and her book titled Lucky: Learning To Live Again, available for £16.99.

Lauren Prentice, a 34-year-old woman like Louise Thompson, has also gone through a traumatic birth. She welcomed her son Tavi 15 months ago. In this article, she recounts her ordeal.

“On a Friday, I said farewell to my workmates to begin my maternity leave, thinking I had some days ahead to prepare for the baby. A planned C-section was scheduled the next Thursday. I had to finalize a few final things like my hospital bag.

'Things, however, changed quickly. I awoke on the subsequent Monday morning at five o'clock to an abrupt pop. After initially dismissing it, I entered my en-suite bathroom and noticed that I was hemhorraging heavily. It left me breathless with fear.

'The emergency services arrived within ten minutes after my partner called an ambulance. Upon arrival at the hospital, clots were freely flowing out of my body. It was overwhelmingly bloody.

'It was a jarring experience. The events evolved quickly from the time I realized I was bleeding to when I arrived at the hospital. It wasn't until they rushed me for an emergency C-section that I fully grasped the severity of the situation when a midwife told me that they were doing everything possible to save both me and my still unborn child.

'Later on, it was revealed that I'd undergone a placental abruption. Tavi was transferred directly to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to breathing difficulties. I too had to recover due to a severe loss of blood that left me semi-conscious. It felt as if I had severe jet lag for several days.

'After a four-day hospital stay, I was discharged. Although I had to return the next day for an iron transfusion, returning home felt good.

'I am grateful for the support of friends, family, and the staff of my business, The Business Box. Before my discharge, they visited my home to ensure it was comfortable and welcoming. The housekeeper managed to clean the blood spillage which I was so worried about her encountering in the first place.

'Over the subsequent days and weeks, I was overwhelmed at times. Tavi is 15 months old now and I haven’t returned to that en-suite bathroom. We're moving houses due to the emotional trauma of having to avoid an entire room in the house.

'Each time Tavi cried, it reminded me of the traumatic birth and brought forth feelings relating to failing my child.

'Fortunately, the perinatal mental health team was involved immediately after the traumatic birth. They provided routine checks and invited me to a baby group for parents dealing with postnatal depression or anxiety.

'I was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Postnatal Depression (PND), and postnatal anxiety as a result of the birth trauma, and had to undergo EMDR therapy when Tavi turned six months. It was challenging, but it worked and significantly aided my recovery.

'Compared to last year, my health has improved hundredfold. Tavi turning one year old marked a turning point for me. Throughout that whole year, triggers such as his sickness or hospital visits would transport me back to the birth trauma.

'EMDR therapy has helped me understand that not all births are as complicated as mine. Despite this understanding, the thought of my second pregnancy being a repetition of the first terrifies me. I hope to have another child, but I'm aware of the risks involved.”