Pregnant 'RHOA' Star Sanya Richards-Ross Reflects On Past 'Traumatic' Miscarriage

Sanya Richards-Ross has opened up about her traumatic experience with miscarriage.

Although she is currently expecting her second child with her husband, former NFL player Aaron Ross, this particular pregnancy will not be featured in the ongoing episodes of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" season 15. Instead, the reality star will be focusing on getting over the scary turmoil of losing a pregnancy one month before taking in again.

Viewers were psyched when "RHOA" cameras documented Sanya's emotional journey to conceive her second baby. In fact, the series lovers got a glimpse of the joyous moment she discovered she was pregnant, as teased in the mid-season trailer released earlier this month. 

However, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Jamaican-American heartbreakingly shared that she experienced a miscarriage almost two months later. As she recounted to the publication:

"It was very traumatic. I was in New York and had a really bad miscarriage. I had to go to the hospital. I had to have a blood transfusion. It was very, very, very scary. You already opened your heart to becoming a mom, so it was awful. Even just talking about it.…It really was a difficult time."

The painful loss of her pregnancy soon became a turning point for the track and field athlete, who shares a nearly six-year-old son, Aaron Jermaine, with her man. For starters, the incident made her hesitant about having another child, especially after she navigated through a period of significant changes in her life, which eventually brought stability. 

The pregnant celebrity noted that many mothers could resonate with the sentiment of wondering what their identity would be beyond being a homemaker. Sanya added:

"I had been an athlete, competing across the world while representing Team USA. Then, after retiring from sports and having a son, all these life changes hit Ross and I simultaneously. It was like a tornado hit our relationship for 14 years prior to having our son. [It] was like a honeymoon at the time. And It was really overwhelming."

After pleading not to be misunderstood and expressing that she and Aaron "loved being parents," she continued, "But all these years in, we had just gotten into a good rhythm where we finally figured out how we wanted to parent. We had that balance where we were communicating well again, I was finally working again... And so I was skeptical about having another child."

Elsewhere in the interview, the 38-year-old admitted to feeling lucky about quickly taking in again after the miscarriage. On that, she stated with a laugh, "I didn't think it'd happen so quickly again. But my husband, he prides himself. He's like, 'I never miss. Whenever you're ready, I'm ready."

As for her involvement in the long-running "RHOA," The Blast reported in September 2021 that talks were underway about the extent of her role in its 14th season. And as it turned out, it would not be Sanya's first time on reality television as she had starred in her own WEtv series titled "Sanya's Glam & Gold," which had a one-season run. 

The show provided insight into her and Aaron's lives, with their wedding getting featured on pay the television channel "Platinum Weddings" in 2010. While there was no official word on the Olympian's involvement in the popular Bravo franchise then, there was no doubt that it needed a shakeup.

The show had faced criticism for lacking excitement in its 13th season, leading to speculations that the producers might consider introducing new cast members in the upcoming season to infuse fresh energy into the series.

And Sanya seemed like the best fit since she had garnered attention for joining forces with prominent figures such as Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka to advocate for mental and physical health awareness during the widely-watched games. She bravely shared her personal story, revealing that in 2008, she underwent an abortion shortly before participating in the Olympics.

Reflecting on that challenging time, the athlete emphasized that her mental and physical strength played a crucial role in navigating through those difficult circumstances. Her candidness and courage in sharing such experiences have resonated with many.