Meghan Trainor gave birth to her son Riley back in February and, in a new interview, revealed that there were some scary complications during delivery.
“It was one of those horror stories where he didn’t cry,” Trainor told Today Parents. “He didn’t make noise when he came out. I was like, ‘Why isn’t he crying?’ Then they told me he was having breathing issues. It was terrifying.”
She explained that Riley was born breech, which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says means the baby is positioned so that its head would not come out first during delivery. Doctors can tell if a baby is in a breech position before birth and may recommend delivery via a planned C-section rather than vaginally, ACOG says, but vaginal birth is still possible in some cases. Trainor told Today that she delivered Riley by C-section, but she didn’t specify whether or not it was planned.
“I got to see him for one second before they took him away. That was probably the worst part,” Trainor said. After the delivery, the medical team rushed Riley to the neonatal intensive care unit. While there, he required a feeding tube. “It was definitely a rough start,” Trainor said. “But we’re so lucky we got to bring him home after five days.” Now three months old, Riley is “the smiliest, happiest baby,” Trainor said.
She also shared more about what her pregnancy was like. Previously, Trainor revealed that she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. Her mother had also had the condition, which put Trainor at a higher risk for developing it. To help manage her gestational diabetes, she worked with a personal trainer and changed up her diet.
Trainor, who has depression and anxiety, told Today that she spoke with her doctors and decided to stay on a low dose of her antidepressants while pregnant. “They told me, ‘If you’re happy, then your body will be happy and then your baby will happy,’” she said. “I haven’t had any postpartum depression or anything. I think the medicine definitely helped.”
Deciding whether or not to stay on antidepressants or to lower the dose while pregnant is usually an individual choice made between a pregnant person and their doctor. Taking these drugs while pregnant has been linked with an increased risk for some birth complications, the Mayo Clinic says. But in many cases, the known benefits of keeping the pregnant person on the medication (even at a lower dose) will outweigh the potential risks. The most important thing for someone deciding what to do in this situation is to talk with their health care team—and to not stop taking their medication suddenly without medical guidance.
In addition to her medication, Trainor said that therapy, working out, and her “amazing” family have helped keep up her mental health while she finds her way through the adventures of being a new mom.
Related:
- Meghan Trainor Reveals She Was Diagnosed With Gestational Diabetes
- ‘RHOA’ Star Kenya Moore Says Her Uterine Fibroids Led to Her 3-Hour C-Section
- New CDC Data Sheds Light on the COVID-19 Risks Pregnant People Face