The Truth About The Scary Medical Condition Scheana Shay Faced Postpartum
After years of being unlucky in love, Scheana Shay finally found rugby beau Brock Davies. Her happy state increased exponentially when the "Vanderpump Rules" star fell pregnant. The ecstatic couple welcomed daughter Summer Moon in April 2021, per an Instagram post in which Shay gushed that her heart was "so full."
As E! News reported at the time, Shay confirmed she was pregnant the previous October, referring to her "rainbow baby" since the couple previously suffered a miscarriage. "I've always told you everything going on in my life and so many of you have followed me on my fertility journey over the last year and a half and this is a part of it," she revealed on her podcast. "It's just a sad part."
True to her word, Shay kept fans abreast of her pregnancy journey on social media, including her glamorous baby shower and various tests and appointments along the way. She was among several "Vanderpump Rules" cast members who welcomed kids around the same time, alongside Brittany Cartwright, Stassi Schroeder, and Lala Kent (Cartwright and Schroeder no longer appear on the hit reality show, however).
Although Shay was thrilled to finally become a mother, even describing it on her podcast as something she'd wanted more than anything else in her life, actually giving birth wasn't without drama. In particular, the reality star had one truly frightening moment after labor.
Scheana Shay's blood pressure went through the roof
Scheana Shay waited her whole life to have a child, but, when the time finally came to give birth to daughter Summer Moon, she found herself in serious danger. The Bravolebrity revealed the terrifying moment she developed "extremely elevated" blood pressure almost a full day after being induced, on Instagram.
Shay was initially diagnosed with preeclampsia, a relatively common pregnancy complication, but it quickly progressed and "turned into HELLP syndrome," she said, which is a more severe form of the condition, per Mayo Clinic. HELLP can be life-threatening to both mother and baby if diagnosed during the birth, however, Shay developed it after delivering Summer Moon. "My doctor said I was lucky, and we caught this just in time to treat as it's very unusual to be caught so late, in postpartum," the reality star explained.
She was subsequently placed "on a magnesium drip that made me extremely lethargic and flu-like, shivering uncontrollably to the point where I felt like I was seizing," she said. Shay was kept in hospital to be closely monitored by doctors, but she was finally allowed to go home once given the all-clear just a couple of days later (via Us Weekly).
Shay confirmed she was "feeling so much better" but was remaining under supervision for the time being. She was also put on blood pressure medication. Thankfully, everything settled down in the ensuing months as the little family readjusted to their new normal.