Gretchen Rossi Opens Up About Anxiety Struggles On Instagram After Leaving Her Baby For The First Time

Gretchen Rossi had a rough time when she left her new baby girl, Skylar Gray, for the first time earlier this week.

In an emotional post on Instagram, the former Real Housewives of Orange County star, who gave birth in early July, revealed that she struggled with anxiety after leaving her daughter with her grandparents to tend to a work engagement.

“I’m not going to lie I had so much anxiety over it,” she admitted.

According to Rossi, Skylar’s grandparents are the best people on earth for her daughter to be with, but she still couldn’t stop thinking about her and missing her when she was gone, even though she was away for just eight hours.

“I was so happy when I got home last night and got to see her and kiss and love on her! She is my sweet angel baby and now I know why they say there is such a bond with children and their parents! It’s just the best connection in the world!” she added.

Rossi welcomed her first child with longtime partner Slade Smiley and quickly sparked rumors of a potential secret marriage when she debuted the first photos of Skylar while wearing a robe with the monogram “G.C.S.,” instead of her assumed initials, which are “G.C.R.”

Rossi and Smiley began dating shortly after Rossi joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County during the show’s fourth season. Prior to their relationship, Smiley dated a couple of other cast members, including Jo De La Rosa and Lauri Waring-Peterson.

While Rossi and Smiley eventually became engaged to one another during the eighth season finale of the show, which aired in 2013, Rossi made it clear that walking down the aisle wasn’t her priority. Instead, she wanted to become a mother before spending a ton of money on a one-day event. As for the suspiciously monogrammed robe she was wearing after giving birth, Rossi hasn’t shared any updates on her relationship status with Smiley.

Because Smiley had previously undergone a vasectomy after welcoming two sons during a previous relationship, Rossi was forced to undergo in vitro fertilization to conceive their first child, and the process wasn’t always easy. In fact, she struggled for years to conceive her baby girl, which has surely made her arrival that much more of a blessing to her and Smiley.

The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 14 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV.