Tarek & Heather El Moussa Reveal Baby’s Name & Details of ‘Terrifying’ Delivery

Getty Heather and Tarek El Moussa in June 2022

After following along with every twist and turn of pregnancy that HGTV‘s Tarek and Heather El Moussa posted on social media as they awaited the arrival of their first baby together, fans and friends are happy to see the couple has finally shared their little boy’s face and name — Tristan Jay El Moussa — more than two weeks after his birth, though some have expressed frustration over the long wait.

Though the El Moussas had posted that their son was born on January 31, 2023, they waited two weeks to share any more details or his face on social media until Us Weekly published an exclusive photo shoot and story on February 15. Hours after the story was published, the couple, who will co-star in HGTV’s “The Flipping El Moussas” premiering March 2, shared their own photos of baby Tristan on Instagram and Facebook, and the story of his emergency delivery, which Heather called “terrifying.”

Heather El Moussa Details ‘Scary Moments’ Leading Up to Baby’s Birth

In their Instagram post revealing Tristan Jay’s name and face for the first time on social media, with photos taken at the hospital after his birth, Heather El Moussa wrote that despite her attempts to be fully prepared for her firstborn’s arrival — including packing and sharing a video of her “very organized” hospital bag — nothing went as planned.

“Before our angel was born we had some scary moments leading up to him entering the world,” she wrote.

While visiting her OBGYN on January 30, four days after Tristan’s due date, she wrote that her doctor “rushed us to the hospital to get monitored because Tristan‘s movements had slowed down.”

She told Us Weekly, “Tarek and I were like, ‘Wait, what do you mean right now?’ And I said, ‘Can I go home and grab my hospital bag that I’ve been prepping for months now and can I go home and wash my hair?’ Like, I hadn’t washed my hair in four days ’cause I didn’t think I was gonna be going to the hospital after this appointment. And she said, ‘No, you can’t. You need to get monitored.”

Due to “scar tissue built up from a biopsy” several years prior, her cervix couldn’t soften and her water couldn’t break without a medication called Cytotec, she shared on Instagram.

Hours later, once she was fully dilated and allowed to push, she wrote, “Tristan’s heart rate was dropping very low every time I’d push & was staying low. Which was terrifying.”

“My doctor told me that we had to get him out right away,” she continued. “I had 4 more pushes and to give it my all & she was going to use a vacuum to help get him out fast or otherwise we would have to do an emergency C-section. Tarek was on my right holding my hand talking me through everything. I pushed so hard all the blood vessels broke in my face and chest.”

With that final push, Tristan was born at 6:55 a.m. Pacific time at Hoag, a hospital in Orange County, California.

El Moussa wrote, “Our baby boy came out healthy and beautiful, I was in a state of shock it was a surreal experience. I was emotional and drained & so in love already. It was scary, but beautiful & I had the best support from Tarek, my incredible @drlisakaramardian and all the nurses at Hoag.”

She also shared that the baby’s name has special significance in their family, writing, “Tristan was the name that Tarek was supposed to have, Jay is my dads middle name & 4 generations of Jay.”

Given that the El Moussas are typically open books on social media and experts at navigating sponsored posts, many fans suspected the couple was waiting to be paid by a media outlet or sponsor for an exclusive first look at the baby, and wrote as much in the comment sections of their posts.

When someone commented on her latest post, “Happy to share the details now you’ve been paid by US Weekly,” the new mom clapped back, “zero pay involved. Bye” and added a waving hand emoji.

Heather El Moussa Says Breastfeeding is ‘Harder’ Than She Expected

The El Moussas have shared social media updates and photos since Tristan’s birth, including photos in the hospital and others from when they took him home. His proud mama has also provided periodic updates in her Instagram Stories, from sharing photos of her body at one- and two-weeks postpartum to gifts and flowers they’ve received from friends.

On February 13, she posted an Instagram photo of the unclothed infant sleeping, with his head on her bare chest to provide skin-on-skin contact.

“It’s love week and we’re definitely feeling it over here,” she wrote. “Lots and lots of kissing, snuggling, skin on skin, and holding our lover boy… we can’t get enough”

In November, she told People magazine she planned to prioritize skin-on-skin contact for her newborn, including shaving her husband’s chest hair so he could bond that way with their baby, too. She was also eager to breastfeed but has revealed in her Instagram Stories that it’s proving to be more challenging than she expected.

On February 13, she posted a photo of the liquid supplements she’s drinking, including non-dairy cocoa cream, an Orgain organic nutritional shake, and coconut water. Over the photo, she asked fans to share their breastfeeding journeys with her.

The next day, she posted a video while holding Tristan in her bedroom, whispering that she’d been reading people’s responses.

“Breastfeeding for me is definitely harder than I thought,” she said. “Harder but very gratifying and I love it.”

Adding that she’s sure others have gotten through the same hiccups she’s facing, she said she’ll reveal more about her own breastfeeding journey soon.

She whispered, “I’m gonna tell you guys my journey and my strengths with everything and some of the challenges I’ve been having. I love it, I love skin-to-skin, I love breastfeeding. Luckily I’m producing a lot of milk.”