Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega shared some very sad news on Monday. They said their fourth child was born but didn’t survive. They posted a message on Instagram together, saying their daughter, named Indy, was “born at rest.”
In their message, they said, “It’s hard to find the right words when you lose someone.” They shared that after a calm delivery, their daughter Indy was born but didn’t survive. They’ve been through a lot of pain, but they’ve also found some peace in it.
They added, “God is helping us and holding us close. The prayers from our community are helping us get through this tough time.” They also said their daughter was beautiful and looked a lot like her dad, with dark hair.
They said that grief has been hitting them in waves. Sometimes, they feel completely crushed by sadness. Other times, they feel grateful just to have had some time with their daughter.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a stillbirth is when a baby dies before or during delivery. It happens in about 1 out of 175 births in the U.S. each year. Unlike a miscarriage, where the baby dies before the 20th week of pregnancy, stillbirth is when the baby dies at or after the 20th week of pregnancy.
Stillbirth can happen to women of any age, race, ethnicity, or background. Some things can increase the risk of stillbirth, like being Black, being 35 or older, smoking, having a pre-existing medical condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, or having had a previous pregnancy loss.
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images, FILE
The couple got married in 2014 and have three kids: Ocean, who is 6, Kingston, who is 4, and Rio, who is 2. They shared in November that they were expecting another baby, posting a sweet message on Instagram that said, “Oh baby here we come! Number four!”
Even though they’re going through a tough time, Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega ended their post by saying that their daughter, Indy, has changed them in many ways.
“We don’t understand why things like this happen, and we may never know,” they said. “Indy Rex PenaVega, you’ve completely changed our lives. You’ve brought us to a new place and given us the community we’ve been looking for. We love you and can’t wait to see how many other lives you’ll change.”
In the comments, their friends like Derek Hough, Julianne Hough, and James Maslow from Big Time Rush showed their support.
“Your words are beautiful and show strength during a time of sadness,” Derek Hough said. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope your hearts find comfort.”
