Robyn Lawley: 'I won't get pregnant again out of pure fear'.

Aussie supermodel Robyn Lawley has spoken out following the birth of daughter Ripley to reveal she is suffering the auto-immune illness SLE lupus.

After the birth of Ripley in February, Robyn begun to suffer loss of vision, with her ability to walk and talk also deteriorating. She was admitted to hospital, and after a week of tests, diagnosed with lupus SLE.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. It can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs. Robyn said that while in hospital, all she could think about was her daughter, and the prospect of her having to grow up without a Mum.

“I’d rather go through childbirth 10 times over than the pain I was experiencing,” said Robyn of her harrowing experience.

While it is not impossible to carry a healthy child full term with lupus, the risks are significant, including kidney disease, preterm birth, hypertension, and even stillbirth. Robyn said she won’t consider falling pregnant again “out of pure fear”.

“If I had another attack while I was pregnant, the medicine I’d have to take is so hardcore it’d probably cause health problems for the baby. It’s too risky, so I am done.”

Robyn was unable to breastfeed Ripley due to the lupus medication she was prescribed shortly after the birth, a situation she described as leaving her “feeling guilty”.  

Robyn, 26, began her modelling career at 15, but didn’t find success until 18 when she signed with plus-sized agency Bella Models. She went on to find international success as the first ever ‘plus sized’ model to grace the Australian Vogue cover, and then Vogue Italia in 2011.