Sofia Richie Grainge Shares Symptoms That Led to Postpartum Preeclampsia Diagnosis

Sofia Richie Grainge called the birth of her daughter the "best day of my life" in an Instagram post alongside a photo of Eloise Samantha Grainge's baby feet. But her first few weeks postpartum proved to be more trying for the model and daughter of musician Lionel Richie, a familiar experience for a lot of new moms.

"I stayed in the hospital for two days. I went home and I blew up like a balloon — quite literally, just swelled," she shares on the podcast SHE MD. "I felt very ill. My blood pressure was 165 over 103. It was postpartum preeclampsia."

Postpartum preeclampsia is a serious health condition that can happen within 48 hours after birth. It can lead to eclampsia (seizures) and HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) among other issues.

Grainge had already experienced preeclampsia during pregnancy. This condition is characterized by a sudden onset of high blood pressure. At 32 weeks pregnant, she reported feeling tired and crampy. She made the proactive decision to go to the hospital.

"I texted [my OB/GYN, Dr. Thais Aliabadi] and I was like, 'Hey, I woke up and I'm really tired today. My back really hurts. I feel a little crampy,'" Grainge shares. "And 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.'"

Ultimately, Grainge's medical team decided to keep her at the hospital for monitoring for six days before releasing her on bed rest and then inducing labor at 38 weeks.

While she says she had a "fantastic delivery" and her symptoms resolved with the birth of her daughter, just two days postpartum she experienced severe swelling. Again, she called her care team, who directed her to return to the hospital.

"The hardest thing I ever had to do, I think literally, was leave my daughter two days postpartum," she says on the podcast. "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."

While postpartum preeclampsia is rare — only 4 to 6% of women who experience preeclampsia during pregnancy are diagnosed — all expectant and new parents should be aware of the symptoms:

• High blood pressure — 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or higher
• Too much protein in your urine (proteinuria)
• Headaches that can often be severe
• Vision changes, including blurry vision, light sensitivity and a temporary loss of sight
• Abdominal pain (particularly under the ribs of the upper, right-hand side of the stomach)
• Nausea or vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling