Sofia Richie opens up about the scary part of her pregnancy that “terrified” her and why they had to go on bed rest.
Richie, 26, and her husband, Elliot Grainge, 30, welcomed their firstborn, Eloise Samantha Grainge, in May, but largely kept most of their pregnancy experience private.
Now, he’s sharing more about some of the struggles he went through in a new podcast. Ella MDbrought to you by your own OB-GYN, Dr. Thais Aliabadi and women’s advocate Mary Alice Haney.
Richie began the episode by explaining that she was excited to be a guest on the podcast, as she felt that people don’t always talk about the complications that can occur during pregnancy and even after.
The Solid & Stripes designer explained that during her pregnancy everything seemed to be going well until she reached 32 weeks, which was when things took a little turn.
Sofia Richie-Grainge, 26, opens up about a scary part of her pregnancy that “terrified” her and why she had to go on bed rest.
Richie-Grainge and her husband, Elliott, welcomed their first child in May 2024, a daughter named Eloise Samantha Grainge.
She remembered waking up and feeling very tired and crampy, with back pain.
Richie said he didn’t think much of it and thought it was a normal part of pregnancy, but he decided to consult with his doctor anyway, who admitted that he was always texting and, luckily, that was definitely the right choice.
“She said to me, ‘You know what? Actually, I think you should go see the fetal specialist to check you up, to make sure everything is okay, and then you can go home. “It’s not a big deal,” the fashion expert said.
“Thank God he said that, because they hooked me up to the monitor and told me, ‘You’re in active labor,’ at 32 weeks,” she revealed.
She was then sent to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles for additional monitoring and intravenous fluids.
“So what was supposed to be a few hours actually ended up being a six-night stay,” Richie shared.
Her OBYGYN, Dr. Aliabadi, explained that preterm birth can be caused by several different factors, such as stress, infection, and trauma.
Sometimes, however, it happens simply at random, without cause.
“Thank God she said that, because they hooked me up to the monitor and said, ‘You’re in active labor,’ at 32 weeks,” Richie revealed.
“I was really terrified,” Ambassador David Yurman admitted, but explained that Dr. Aliabadi was super comforting and reassuring during this time.
Dr. Aliabadi shared that if a patient goes into labor early, he will do everything he can to stop it, which is what Richie was able to do.
“I was really terrified,” Ambassador David Yurman admitted, but explained that Dr. Aliabadi was super comforting and reassuring during this difficult time.
After a six-day stay, Richie was able to return home and go on bed rest, where she was still having contractions but was being monitored.
“From there it was kind of a waiting game,” Richie shared, explaining that her doctor wanted her to just take things “week by week.”
Richie was able to carry herself to term at 38 weeks and said her delivery went smoothly.
“She’s amazing, this girl doesn’t complain, by the way,” Dr. Aliabadi said of Richie.
“What she went through was really traumatic, six weeks she was having contractions… it was a long six weeks for you, I think.”
Richie admitted his experience was ’emotional,’ but he felt happy when it was over and, most importantly, that his daughter was healthy.
Richie admitted his experience was ’emotional,’ but he was happy when it was over and most importantly, that his daughter was healthy.
The model said that when she returned home from the hospital after being hospitalized for two days, ‘she exploded like a balloon’
“It was intense, I gave birth and I thought, wow, I really did that,” Richie described.
“I had six weeks or so weeks of contractions and I have my beautiful daughter, I’m healthy, I’m safe, she’s healthy, she’s safe.”
However, unfortunately for Richie, the complications didn’t end there.
The model said that when she came home from the hospital after a two-day stay, she “exploded like a balloon.”
“Then I went home and bloated like a balloon, literally bloated,” he revealed, explaining that he really didn’t feel well.
Richie texted her doctor again, who she said was “on top,” and sent her nurse.
After some tests, Richie discovered that her blood pressure was 165/103, which is within the range of postpartum preeclampsia, which is a serious blood pressure condition.
Some of the symptoms include headaches, swelling and vision problems, according to Yale Medicine.
Fortunately, Richie and his daughter Eloise are now healthy and she seems to be enjoying all aspects of motherhood.
The influencer ended up having to return to the hospital for treatment, but admitted that leaving her newborn daughter was really difficult.
Dr. Aliabadi explained that while preeclampsia can occur after 20 weeks, it can also occur up to six weeks after delivery.
“It can put you at risk for seizures, so it’s a very, very dangerous condition, if you ignore it completely you can have strokes,” the doctor said.
Fortunately, Richie and his daughter Eloise are now healthy and she seems to be enjoying all aspects of motherhood.
She revealed in an August interview with The Wall Street Journal how much becoming a mother has changed her.
‘I am a very programmed and organized person. “I am very type A, clean and organized,” she told the outlet at the time.
‘But I also learned that I don’t have to be like that, because when you have a baby, all that goes out the window. I’ve learned that I’m more flexible than I think.’