Did Khloe Kardashian Go Into Stress-Induced Early Labor? A Fertility Expert Weighs In

Earlier today, Khloe Kardashian gave birth to a baby girl on the heels of controversy surrounding her relationship with boyfriend Tristan Thompson. The Cleveland Cavaliers player was reportedly spotted locking lips with a woman who was not his nine-months pregnant girlfriend at a New York City nightclub earlier this week. After the news broke on Tuesday, other reports have surfaced claiming Thompson has been "serial cheating" on Kardashian throughout her pregnancy.

Along with the rest of the Internet, we are officially in shock. The couple, who have been dating since fall 2016, often share aww-worthy social media snaps and appear very much in love.

Becoming a mother is supposed to be a blissful time, but with so much stress in her personal life, it must have been a difficult and emotional few days for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star. She's currently in Cleveland, where Thompson is based, and was due to give birth later this month. While the reality star's early delivery could have been a pure coincidence, we wanted to know if this type of emotional trauma could have an impact on a mom-to-be's delivery. We asked a fertility expert to weigh in on how stress might affect pregnancy, especially towards the final stages.

High stress throughout pregnancy can up a woman's risk of preterm labor and preterm birth, according to the March of Dimes. But Bat-Sheva Lerner Maslow, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Extend Fertility clinic in New York City, tells Health it's highly unlikely that one single stressful experience would induce labor. Women who experience significant stress during pregnancy—such as death of a family member, abuse, or food scarcity—may have increased risk of maternal and fetal complications, she explains. But she adds that the human body is designed to withstand many stressors.

"There are many stories of strength and resilience with perfectly healthy maternal and infant outcomes," she says, explaining that she's seen this resilience firsthand when participating in deliveries of women who'd experienced terrible loss or hardship during their pregnancies. "The resolve of mothers who have experienced a great tragedy and the emotion they experience when delivering a healthy baby is truly unique."

The birth of Kardashian’s baby girl may have come at a delicate and sensitive time, but we're hoping that the new mom is now able to find joy in these early days with her new little one—and we're sending lots of virtual hugs her way.