The Pioneer Woman's Daughter Alex Had A Scary Health Emergency

Food Network star Ree Drummond hit it big when her blog The Pioneer Woman became the basis for a TV series of the same name just five years after its creation. But despite all her success, Ree has faced her share of tragedy over the years. Ree's husband Ladd Drummond was seriously injured in a 2021 accident, their younger daughter Paige Drummond was arrested on a public intoxication charge in 2019, and their older daughter Alex Drummond had a scary health emergency after giving birth.

Alex and her husband Mauricio Scott announced that she was expecting in June 2024, later revealing in an post to her Instagram Stories in December that her pregnancy was being treated as high-risk (per Parade). The big day came that same month and, at first, the birth of Alex's daughter Sofia seemed to go off without a hitch. After returning home, however, Alex found herself back in the hospital a lot sooner than expected.

"I noticed pretty severe swelling in my legs which didn't happen my entire pregnancy, so that caused me to take my [blood pressure] at home and it was 160/110," Alex wrote on Instagram Stories (via Taste of Country), adding that she relayed this to her doctor, who told her to go back to the hospital. "Being fresh with a newborn, I was an emotional wreck about having to go back in, but thankfully my mom was in town and immediately came over to help Mauricio with Sofia," Alex continued. Alex was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia.

Alex Drummond's post-pregnancy diagnosis was nothing to take lightly. According to the Mayo Clinic, postpartum preeclampsia is a rare but serious condition that can result in seizures, stroke, and other complications if not treated quickly. The medical organization explains that those diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia will typically start to experience symptoms shortly after childbirth, as was the case with Alex, but that the condition can sometimes take more than a month to make itself apparent.

Though it's certainly fortunate that Alex was able to get the treatment she needed just as soon as she needed it, she explained in her aforementioned Instagram Stories posts that the whole ordeal was far from pleasant. "I had to be put on a 24 hour magnesium IV drip which if you know anything about that you know makes you feel HORRIBLE," she wrote, going on to call it "one of the worst experiences ever." Alex also noted that this was, of course, on top of the usual postpartum symptoms. "I was a complete wreck," she shared.

Nevertheless, the Drummond-Scott family, including its newest member, came out on the other side of this scary episode just in time to celebrate Christmas together. Six months later, and Alex posted to Instagram in celebration of baby Sofia's half-birthday party. "Blinked and this squishy princess is halfway to one," she wrote, adding, "Wishing I could pause time right here for a little bit. Thank you Lord for our sweet sweet Sofia!"