Sofia Richie Grainge is getting candid about her pregnancy.
The daughter of music legend Lionel Richie opened up to Dr. Thais Aliabadi and women's health advocate Mary Alice Haney on the "She MD" podcast in an interview shared Tuesday.
"I had a great pregnancy up until about 32 weeks" she told the podcast co-hosts. Richie Grainge, 26, announced the birth of her and music executive Elliot Grainge's daughter Eloise in an Instagram post on May 24.
But Grainge says she "woke up one morning" and texted Aliabadi that she was "really tired today. My back really hurts. I feel a little crampy.' And I really thought it was going to be another one of those, 'Yeah, babe, that's pregnancy. You're going to be fine, but you can come in if you want me to check you' type situations."
Sofia Richie announces birth of daughterEloise: 'Best day of my life'
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"But instead, she was like, 'You know what? Actually, I think you should go see the fetal specialist to monitor, to make sure that everything's OK, and then you'll go home. It's not a big deal,'" she added. "Thank God, she said that."
She went to the hospital, where healthcare professionals told the influencer that she was in active labor at 32 weeks. Grainge, who originally thought she'd be there for hours, did a six-night stay at Los Angeles-based hospital Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which is known for its maternity care for celebrities.
She said she was "terrified" during the ordeal and was "begging" to go home at the end of her stay, but was later placed on bed rest at home, adding that it was a "waiting game" while going through contractions.
What is preeclampsia?And does it still kill women in the US?
"I shockingly made it to 38 weeks, and we induced at 38 weeks," Grainge said, adding that she had a "fantastic delivery" and Aliabadi, whom she affectionately calls "Dr. A," was "like a football coach" in the delivery room.
After giving birth, Grainge says she went home and "blew up like a balloon" from swelling and was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia.
"The hardest thing I ever had to do, I think literally, was leave my daughter two days postpartum," she admitted. "And my poor husband was like, 'I have to get you to the hospital because Dr. A is saying it's just not safe. It's not safe that you're home.' So I spent 24 hours in the hospital, and it was really, really, really hard."
According to Mayo Clinic, postpartum preeclampsia "is a rare condition that occurs when you have high blood pressure and excess protein in your urine soon after childbirth" and if it goes untreated, it can "cause seizures and other serious complications."
Contributing: Cara Kelly