Sofia Richie Shares New Details About Scary Labor and Postpartum Complications Amid Welcoming Baby Eloise

Sofia Richie has seen the beauty and the pain of pregnancy and postpartum.

The model, who welcomed her daughter Eloise with husband Elliot Grainge in May, revealed that she suffered minor health complications ahead of welcoming her baby girl.

“I had a great pregnancy up until about 32 weeks” the 26-year-old told Dr. Thais Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney on the She MD podcast. “I woke up one morning and I texted Dr. A and was like, 'Hey, I woke up and I'm 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.”

She continued, “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 okay, and then you'll go home. It's not a big deal.'”

Taking that advice, she went to the hospital where they informed her that she was in active labor at 32 weeks.

“I was really terrified, Sofia—Lionel Richie’s youngest, whom he shares with ex Diane Alexander—said about the doctor’s reveal. "Thank God she said that, because they hooked me up to the monitor and they were like, 'You're in active labor.'”

What she thought was going to be a few hours stay, ended up as a six-night stay in the hospital while she was monitored. 

But after being released and put on bed rest, she was in active labor for six weeks, before being induced at the 38-week mark.

When it came time to welcome Elosie, Sofia said “I had a fantastic delivery.”

"I gave birth and I was like, 'Wow, I really did that,’” she gushed. “I did six weeks or however many weeks of contractions and I have my beautiful daughter. I'm healthy. I'm safe. She's healthy. She's safe."

Still, Sofia’s recovery wasn’t necessarily smooth sailing as just two days after welcoming her baby girl, Sofia began to feel sick.

"I went home and I blew up like a balloon” she recalled. “Quite literally, just swelled. I felt very ill... So she [Dr. A] sent over her wonderful nurse and my blood pressure was 165 over 103, which is like…”

According to Dr. A, Sofia was suffering from Postpartum preeclampsia, which according to The Mayo Clinic is, “a rare condition that occurs when you have high blood pressure and excess protein in your urine soon after childbirth.” And ultimately, to her devastation, it landed Sofia back in the hospital.

 "The hardest thing I ever had to do, I think literally, was leave my daughter two days postpartum,” she admitted. “It was horrendous. I actually hid in the closet and cried."

"And my poor husband was like, 'I have to get you to the hospital because the doctor is saying it's just not safe. It's not safe that you're home,’” she added. “So I spent 24 hours in the hospital and it was really, really, really hard.”

It was the mom guilt that made the days of recovery away from her baby girl hard.

"My mom guilt kicked in,” she said. “I don't know why, from the second Eloise was born, I was like, 'I can't miss an awake time. I can't miss a moment. I don't want someone else taking care of my kid.'”

Now, 3 months after welcoming her baby girl, Sofia is “finally feeling like myself again.” And though she had a little setback with her pregnancy, she misses that time with her baby.

“When my pregnancy was over, I was like, ‘I miss that,’” Sofia shared. “It’s such an intimate moment being able to share one space with your child that you never get back. Your kid comes out and you share your kid with everyone, which is magical, but that moment with your child is so special.”

Keep reading for Sofia’s sweetest moments with Eloise.

Sofia Richie cuddled her daughter Eloise Samantha Grainge, who she shares with husband Elliot Grainge, in this August 2024 Instagram snapshot.

The mother-daughter duo enjoyed a sunny day out in July 2024.

In July 2024, Sofia shared a sweet photo of Eloise in a baby pink outfit featuring angel wings on the back.

Proving that her daughter's already as well-dressed as she is, Sofia snapped a picture of Eloise in a Dior T-shirt in July 2024.

Sofia couldn't get enough of Eloise's tiny feet in July 2024, taking a picture of her mini-me's big toe sticking out of a white ballet flat.

In October 2024, Sofia captioned this photo of Eloise's left foot: "I hope you have a great day."