'Floribama Shore' Star Candace Renee Rice Gives Birth to Baby Boy at 24 Weeks
Floribama Shore star Candace Renee Rice revealed that she has given birth to a baby boy at 24 weeks pregnant. The baby, whose name is Maxwell Michael Hardy, was born on Christmas Day and is in the NICU. Rice asked fans for prayers and support, writing on Instagram that she hopes to be able to take Maxwell home in a few months. "We have a Christmas baby and another Capricorn! He's so strong! Currently in Nicu and hopefully I can take him home in a few months," she wrote alongside a photo of him. "I'm asking for prayers now, more than ever for my little man. He's so small, but so aware. I cannot wait to hold him. Please keep the development of baby Maxwell in your family prayers today as you gather with family & friends."
Maxwell's early arrival comes two days after Rice revealed she was hospitalized with pregnancy complications. The news came as a shock to her fans, who did not know she was pregnant. The 28-year-old made the announcement via Instagram on Thursday, writing that she is in the hospital because she "went into pre-term labor at 24 weeks."
In her post that featured a series of maternity photos, she wrote that her doctors and nurses "have been doing all they can to keep baby Maxwell Michael Hardy inside the womb as long as possible. It's wayyyy too early for him to enter." She thanked her friends and family for checking on her, writing that her parents have been there for her "every step of the way."
Rice also tagged her boyfriend, who goes by DJ Star on social media. "Thank you most of all to my love who have been there for me through the worst HG possible (I lost 20 pounds in the first 4 months and was throwing up on average 7 times a day) could barely walk or move and he was there for me every single day making sure I had what I needed all while working full time," she said. "I couldn't ask for a better support system. Praying for a healthy son and speaking a miracle over my son's life and health." She added that she is "officially on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy" and will not be able to leave the hospital.
"This pregnancy has sat my busy body behind down," she wrote. "[I] will be in the hospital for the remainder of the year in isolation thanks to COVID. Take it easy mommy-to-bes. I don't care what you think you have to do, the only thing you actually HAVE to do is let that baby bake, stress-free in peace."
Rice's Floribama Shore co-star Nilsa Prowant, who gave birth to a son with her fiancé Gus Gazda in May, commented on Rice's post. "Praying for you! Sending you all my love! Baby Maxwell is already so loved," she wrote. Prowant and Rice have starred on Floribama Shore together since its 2017 premiere. Prowant also had a difficult labor, having been diagnosed with polyhydramnios. She also suffered from postpartum depression.
She told PopCulture.com in February that filming the show while pregnant was "the hardest thing [she's] ever done in [her] life." She said, "I'm used to being a party girl – the wild one, the fun one. This season, I had to be mom of the group." Joking that she now has plenty of practice caring for "big babies," being sober throughout the group's booze-filled activities was tough, especially when fights would break out between her friends. "I would just kind of go do my own thing because pregnant girl doesn't need to be around all that," she joked of removing herself from tense situations.