Shawn Johnson East has been sharing her pregnancy journey with fans, but she has offered a heartbreaking update more than a year after she suffered a miscarriage with her first pregnancy.
The Olympic gold medalist, 27, and her husband, Washington Redskins player Andrew East, told their 821,000 subscribers that they are experiencing complications.
The Idaho-born athlete divulged that at her 20-week ultrasound appointment, her doctor gave the couple some upsetting news.
Emotional: Shawn Johnson East, 27, cries through new video in which she reveals pregnancy complications
Humbling: Mom-to-be Shawn called the experience a rude awakening, as she and husband Andrew East pray for a healthy baby
The duo, who married in 2016, was told by the doctor that things looked ‘just OK.’
In a video posted July 18, Shawn explained, ‘I felt like someone knocked every ounce of air out of me. The [baby’s] kidneys were really underdeveloped but dilated, so they were retaining a bunch of fluid.’
She added that the issue could ‘get worse or correct itself’ in time.
According to the University of California, San Francisco’s Department of Urology, dilated kidneys in a fetus occurs in about 1 in 100 pregnancies.
Shawn, who penned the best-selling book Winning Balance, also said that she has a rare two-vessel umbilical cord (as opposed to three) which only happens in one percent of pregnancies.
Couple: Shawn and husband Andrew, pictured, experienced a miscarriage in 2017
Support: Shawn and Andrew, both 27, revealed that Shawn has a two-vessel umbilical cord
‘It’s super rare and can have its complications,’ the gymnast explained emotionally. ‘There’s the risk of stillbirth and the baby not making it to term and the baby not getting enough nutrients or having too much toxins in their body.’
‘There are a lot more risks involved with a two-vessel cord,’ Shawn added, saying that her baby may have Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder or a chromosomal anomaly.
OB-GYN Brian Iriye told TheBump.com that in most cases of two-vessel umbilical cords, babies are born ‘perfectly healthy’.
However, the medical professional urged parents to be aware that baby’s kidneys and heart develop at the same time as the umbilical cord, so there may be ‘a slight increase in risk of abnormalities to those organs.’
Shawn said the couple’s baby will need to be monitored every four weeks as her pregnancy is now considered a risk. Monitoring the baby will ensure he/she gets adequate nutrients and oxygen.
‘We love our baby so much and not being able to do anything for them was the worst feeling in the world. Welcome to parenthood,’ she said tearfully.
Social: Over 1.7 million people are following the pregnant star and her journey on Instagram
Young love: Shawn and Andrew, pictured in 2013, said ‘I Do’ in 2015
They will also have genetic testing done, on their doctor’s recommendation, and they plan to share that experience in a later video on their channel The East Family.
Talent: Des Moines, Idaho-native Shawn won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
Shawn also called the experience ‘humbling,’ a ‘rude awakening,’ and a ‘huge gut-check,’ as she and her athletic husband are used to being healthy and fit.
‘You never plan for an unhealthy baby,’ she said. ‘It also put things in perspective for us. Everyone asks, “Are you having a girl or a boy, what do you want? Are you going to put them in gymnastics? Are you going to put them in football?” We had those thoughts in the beginning, and now … we do not care … I just pray that our baby is healthy.’
Shawn and her NFL star husband Andrew, also 27, have shared many snippets into their pregnancy journey so far.
In 2017, the couple uploaded a 20-minute video in which they sadly revealed that then-25-year-old Shawn had suffered a miscarriage.
‘The past 48 hours have been some of the happiest, scariest, and saddest times of my life,’ Johnson wrote in the video description. ‘My husband Andrew and I found out that we were unexpectedly pregnant, only to find out hours later some tragic news. I have been crying more than I ever have, but am still optimistic for what is next.’
The couple was back with good news in May 2019, as they revealed they were expecting in a heartwarming video that has been viewed over one million times on both Instagram and YouTube.
‘The past few weeks have been some of the happiest, scariest, and nerve racking times in my entire life. My husband and I found out that we we are pregnant… We want to thank all of you for being a part of our journey and can’t wait to learn through this together,’ Shawn captioned her post.
Parents-to-be: Shawn and Andrew, pictured in 2017, are getting ready to welcome their first child