Superstar Laura Prepon has revealed the heartbreaking reason she decided to end her second pregnancy.
The big reveal comes in the 40-year-old actress’ new book title, “You and I, as Mothers,” which she admits started out as a memoir/notebook when she found out she and husband Ben Foster were expecting their second child, per Page Six in a piece published Thursday. (RELATED: Country Star Maren Morris Shares Life-Changing News)
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At 12 weeks, the “Orange Is The New Black” star said they found out that the baby had a slightly elevated nuchal translucence — a sign of potential abnormalities such as Down syndrome, heart defects or spina bifida. (RELATED: Nick Cannon Welcomes Son Into The World)
But at the time, doctors weren’t too worried about it. The actress entered her second trimester and it was then she got a call from their genetics counselor that they needed to speak to her when convenient.
“I called immediately,” Prepon wrote. “All was clear…What a relief! And it was another baby girl!… We couldn’t wait to tell our loved ones about the new addition to our family.”
However, the counselor called back a few minutes later and asked if the couple could hold off telling family and loved ones until the actress had underwent a sixteen-week anatomy screening.
Two weeks went by and it was then the doctor immediately revealed something was wrong.
“I burst into tears,” the “That ’70s Show” star shared. “I couldn’t bear to hear what was about to come out of her mouth. Ben held me tightly.”
The doctor explained that the fetus’s lymphatic fluid was outside of the body and the “brain” wasn’t forming.
“The brain isn’t forming correctly,” Prepon shared of what the doctor said. “The bones aren’t growing as they should.”
“Is there any chance she might be okay?” the actress added.
“Laura, the brain isn’t growing,” her doctor replied, “I’m sorry.”
“She told us that further tests could be done, but it was unlikely the baby would survive to full term, and my body was at risk as well,” she added.
With that news, Prepon and her husband decided to terminate the pregnancy.
“I was so confused and angry at myself and my body,” Laura admitted. “It was brutal.”
Slowly she started to cope with the loss and eventually she and Ben found out she was pregnant again. Recently, the pair celebrated the birth of a healthy baby boy in February.