Writer Becky Hunter Kelm reflects on Louise Thompson’s journey through birth trauma, recovery, and her openness to spirituality. Becky gently encourages Louise to lean into those stirrings of faith and discover the hope and fullness found in Jesus.
From watching Louise Thompson on Made in Chelsea years ago, to enjoying her style, home, and mum content on Instagram these days, I’ve always been a bit of a fangirl of London-based reality TV personality Louise Thompson.
I followed her story closely when she started to show up on Instagram this year after a long break after Leo’s birth in 2021. Louise was raw and candid in her posts about what she had been through in a very traumatic birth where she nearly lost her life. I would pray for her, too, because what she went through was horrific.
A few years later, I read Louise’s book ‘Lucky’, where she shares in detail about her experience of miscarriage and birth trauma and the severe impact on her mental health. Her story was so brutally honest, and her journey to recovery has been a source of strength to many women, helping them feel less alone. She was a voice for the collective earlier this year, when she and her brother Sam were welcomed to Parliament for Birth Trauma Awareness Week. Louise has emerged from the flames as a mother with perspective, passion and grit to live daily for all its worth.
This week, while I was hanging the washing, I popped on Louise’s podcast, ‘He Said, She Said’, which she hosts with her partner Ryan Libbey. The episode was called: ‘Has Louise Accidentally Joined a Cult!?’
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Caroline had: ‘Really kindly when I was really unwell, DM’d me a few times, and she actually invited me to a Bible group at her house
Louise mentioned she’d been watching a few episodes of The Real Housewives of London, where Caroline Stanbury had made a guest appearance, and that Caroline had: ‘Really kindly when I was really unwell, DM’d me a few times, and she actually invited me to a Bible group at her house. And I have thought about it quite a lot since because I thought, firstly, that is such an incredibly kind gesture, but I’m really in this phase of my life since going through all that hell, where I like to do extremely random things with extremely random people that I don’t know. I’m willing to try anything. And I wish that I’d taken up the offer and replied to her at some point, because I think that that would have been really quite interesting. But now that she’s on TV, I can never reply to her because she’ll think I’m only replying because she’s now in the show.’
Louise felt she had missed the boat on this significant invitation, but Ryan disagreed
Louise felt she had missed the boat on this significant invitation, but Ryan disagreed, encouraging her to reach out to Caroline. Louise then asked if Ryan would go with her to the Bible study at Caroline’s house, to which he replied: ‘Oh, well, this is my second invitation to a church this week.’
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And Louise responded with: ’Do you know what’s funny about this? It’s also my second invitation to a church this week, because I’ve been invited to this cult…’
Louise then shared how she went to a church wedding recently when someone was singing beside her: ’I actually had this really amazing feeling sort of shoot through my body… I then felt this like, wave of strength come through me and I thought, oh my God, I’ve just been hit with a lightning bolt, spirituality, no choir needed.’
What followed was some hilarious banter about church attendance at boarding school on Ryan’s part. But Louise, if you’re reading this, I want to encourage you to follow the prompts you’re feeling to go to church and explore faith further. I believe God is revealing himself to you. If you want life in fullness, as a 40-year-old boy-mum myself, may I share that my experience has been that walking in the way of Jesus is IT. Jesus said himself: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’
It sounds like you and Ryan are familiar with church from school or childhood, but I would love for you to know that it’s about way more than religion or ritual, it’s about being friends with God, an awesome powerful God who loves you and made you and has a plan and purpose for your life. CS. Lewis, the famous author of Narnia books, said: ‘Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.’
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Give some time to investigating faith for yourself - it’s worth it because if it’s true, it will change your life. Go and attend an Alpha Course together with Ryan in London. It is a weekly series of group conversations to explore the basics of the Christian faith, in a friendly relaxed environment where everyone is welcome, and no question is taboo.
Quick word of warning on cults: Watch out for anyone who claims to have unique authority on God’s word or that people need to accept their teachings as equal to the Bible. Another alarm bell would be if a leader is manipulative or controlling, asks for money, or if the meetings are secretive.
With love and prayers for you on your journey.
Becky
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