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Louise Thompson’s fiancé Ryan Libbey has revealed for the first time in his own words just how badly she struggled with her mental health after giving birth.
The Made in Chelsea star, 34, gave birth to two-year-old Leo in 2021 via an emergency caesarean section.
Ryan, 33, believes those first 10 months of Leo’s life ‘couldn’t have been much worse’ after both parents were pushed to their limit.
Despite welcoming their bundle of joy, Louise fell into a deep depression and needed to be on ‘suicide watch’.
‘Those first 10 months, when I say it was bad, I mean I don’t think it could have been much worse at home in terms of the environment we had to just exist in,’ Ryan told Josh Patterson on the Exercising The Demons podcast.
He explained that while the physical impact of Louise’s three surgeries was ‘one thing’ but the toll on her mental state caused concern.
‘It just completely unhinged her as a person,’ Ryan shared. ‘So we had daily visits from care visitors but they were also on suicide watch because she was saying things like “I just cannot get through this and I don’t really want to”.
‘She couldn’t really even barely look at Leo, let alone hold Leo.’
Postnatal depression is incredibly common with one in 10 mothers experiencing some form of mental health decline after birth.
The NHS recommends speaking to doctors if the depressive episode lasts more than two weeks or if emotions become extreme.
Various medical staff were constantly in their space, while their newborn baby was desperate for his ‘mummy’.
Ryan felt he was ‘fighting against biology’ of their tot as he stepped into that role to give Louise time to heal.
‘It’s incredibly difficult,’ he continued. ‘When I got to the end of that 10 months I was in such a bad state.
‘I’d pushed myself to such an extent that I’d become unhelpful to people around me. I was so deeply unhappy and very short on energy and patience.
‘I had a lot of resentment as well and that started to trickle in. I started to feel resentment to Louise. I don’t want to say Leo, but just the version of becoming a father that I had. I’d really struggle with it.’
Louise has had ongoing medical issues since the birth, including needing a stoma bag fitted after trips back and forth to the hospital.
She confessed that her partner had thought about leaving her at times and admitted she was ‘not a good parent’ in those early months.
Family life has stabilised now and Ryan took to Instagram to thank everyone for their ‘unbelievably kind’ messages after the podcast went live at 6am.
‘Arriving at this place where I feel comfortable to talk about this is empowering for me and my hope is that by doing so it will encourage more men to talk and open up,’ he wrote.
Looking at his and Louise’s eight-year relationship he touched on the couple having ‘ups and downs’ but they’ve also ‘endured so much’.
Ryan added: ‘The wonderful thing is that we now have a greater sense of understanding, respect and love for each other than we ever have, and that is definitely the silver lining to all of this.’
Touching on the strain of dating someone in the public eye as well as newer parenting pressures he revealed they would be launching their own podcast soon.
‘The body keeps score of these heavy experiences and although I’m now at a peaceful place of acceptance, of course it took its toll and affected me.
‘I have so much to say, and I’m really looking forward to doing that with Louise on our new podcast that is coming soon. Thanks again for all your support.’
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