“When I had my third baby, it should have been a happy time, but I was so traumatised that it sent me into a spiral of anxiety and fear,” says Greek Cypriot comedian, actor and writer Olga Thompson, 50.
“My husband, Paul, and I, already had two boys, Harrison and Marcus, so when I fell pregnant again, we were both over the moon. But when I was four months pregnant, I started experiencing horrendous panic attacks, convinced that I was going to die.
“The birth was extremely tough. Our baby boy weighed 10 pounds and as I tried to push him out, he got stuck in the womb. After three days of labour, doctors performed an emergency C-section and I lost a huge amount of blood.
“As they whisked away my boy, putting him in intensive care, I wondered if I’d ever see him again.
“Fortunately, Pierce survived, but I felt so extremely distressed after. My mind had fallen off a cliff. I was diagnosed with PTSD after the birth and offered meds, but decided not to take them."
Running on autopilot
“Navigating life with three boys was hard enough, but the breakdown that I was experiencing made things a whole different ball game. Most mornings I’d have a panic attack and at night, I barely slept.
“I kept everything inside, convinced that if I looked okay, things would be fine. But as soon as I put the boys to bed, the beast took over. I was convinced that my body was diseased and that I was going to die.
“Paul knew that I was struggling to an extent, but he was overwhelmed with stress at work and the debt that we were in. I didn’t want to talk to anyone because I feared it would become a bigger problem.
“My brain had checked out and my body was functioning, but I was battling dark thoughts every day."
A breakthrough
“Then one day in the supermarket, two years after Pierce was born, I broke down in tears in the aisle and put my basket on the floor. ‘Oh dear, I’m not very well,’ I thought."
“Back at home, I opened up to Paul. ‘You need to get some help,’ he said gently. I realised I was broken and needed to get fixed. I went to see my doctor, who prescribed me antidepressants and referred me to a counsellor.
“It took a long time, just like building a house, but I started to feel like myself again. While the thoughts would still come, I no longer obsessed over them and managed to let them go.
“Throwing myself into life, I reconnected with comedy. I’d performed since I was a little girl and I started to dip my toe in it again, working with charities and then becoming a performing arts lecturer.
PTSD after birth
- Birth trauma happens when the mother goes through a frightening, stressful or distressing event which is related to giving birth.
- Symptoms can include: vivid flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares, intense stress and physical sensations such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling.
- Treatments can include trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR).
Find out more about PTSD and birth trauma, and how to get support at Mind.
“At home, I started performing for the boys. Remembering the variety of customers we served in my mum’s hair salon when I was a teen, I’d make up my own characters based on them. I’d write songs to accompany each character and play them out to the boys on their keyboard.
“As my characters developed, I decided to start filming myself performing little skits and upload them to Instagram and TikTok. Taking inspiration from my roots, I called myself the ‘Big Fat Greek Mother’, deciding to fully embrace what it means to be Greek.
“The online world really sped up my success. Opportunities kept popping up and soon enough I was performing regular comedy shows. ‘This is my time,’ I thought. It reminded me that there’s no sell-by date for women, you can start things whenever you want.
"Putting myself out there wasn’t scary – I’d already been to hell and back. Now was my chance to shine."
Making peace
“A real pinch-me moment was when I took to the stage at Edinburgh Fringe in 2021, performing my show 'El Greco of Hornsey.' It was such an incredible experience. ‘You’re so cool, Mum,’ the boys tell me, which is, honestly, the best thing ever to hear.
“I still can’t believe how far I’ve come since my breakdown. It catapulted me into a new place I never knew I could occupy. I know my past struggles meant that I’ve missed out on some precious moments, but looking back at things you’ve lost will only make you bitter. I have made peace with my past.
“Sometimes, it might feel like you have to go out and do a big adventure to shake things up, but other times, just sitting with what you know can unlock something incredible.
“You have to be brave and let that thing rise to the surface. I’m finally enjoying life more than I ever imagined.”
Olga's memoir, Split Ends: And New Beginnings, was published in May 2025, a quirky, candid account of 'growing up Greek' in Britain in the 1980s.
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