Pregnant Shahs of Sunset Star Golnesa 'GG' Gharachedaghi Reveals She's Having a Boy Named Elijah
It’ll be a boy for Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi!
On Sunday, the Shahs of Sunset star, 38, shared the sex of her baby on the way with guests gathered at her beautiful baby shower, even telling them the name she’s picked out for the boy: Elijah.
PEOPLE was among the family, friends and Bravo costars in attendance at the event, held at Gharachedaghi’s home in Los Angeles.
Rather than following on the trendy bandwagon of elaborate “sex reveal” stunts, Gharachedaghi broke the news to her loved ones in a simple way, decorating the party with royal blue and gold accents.
The first-time mom-to-be had Elijah’s name displayed in a sign made of gold acrylic glass, placed above the Moroccan-inspired cake.
“I’m so excited that everyone now knows and I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore,” Gharachedaghi tells PEOPLE. “I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and am thrilled I’ll be raising a little man. I’m just so happy to be here celebrating with all these people who have supported me on this journey.”
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As for how she settled on the name, well, that’s something she settled on years ago.
“Honestly, since I was little, I have been in love with Elijah Woods,” Gharachedaghi says, explaining that she will name her future son after the actor. “I remember first seeing him in [1992’s] Radio Flyer. He was just, the guy for me. My best friend and I even had a bet where I said if I had a boy, I’d name him Elijah. So when I found out I was pregnant with a boy, I was like, ‘Well, that’s settled!’ “
Adding extra special meaning to the name was the fact that it gave a nod to Gharachedaghi’s sperm donor, who is Jewish.
“It’s a Hebrew name, so it’s kind of honors my ‘Donor Daddy,’ as I call him,” Gharachedaghi jokes. “It was just perfect; it all worked out perfectly.”
Gharachedaghi was in great spirits at her baby shower on Sunday, smiling and beaming with joy while showing off her baby bump in a curve-hugging nude dress.
Event planner Anita Gohari, of Anita Gohari Events, helped Gharachedaghi put together the event, while Ladubugs Catering and Events provided a delicious spread of food.
Gharachedaghi’s maternity photos were also on display at the party.
“I’m just so proud to show this off,” she raves of her pregnancy. “You know, in the Persian community, it’s kind of unheard of to have a baby by yourself. So this is an important celebration for me, because it’s a chance for me to show everyone that I’m not afraid of that taboo. I’m flaunting it, in fact.”
The Bravo star adds, “You know, I could have focused my energy into finding a partner to have a baby with; that wouldn’t have been hard. But I’m totally choosing this because this is what I want; this is what I’m ready for. I love that.”
The reality star also used the party as a chance to give back, asking guests to bring unopened essentials for babies (diapers, baby wipes, formula, blankets, clothings, bottles, pacifiers, etc.) in lieu of gifts.
All items will be donated to Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles-based charity that provides children living in poverty, ages 0-12 years, with necessities that every child deserves.
“Everyone’s like, ‘The whole point of having a baby shower is to get the free gifts.’ But I told everybody, ‘I do not want gifts,’ ” Gharachedaghi says. “I just feel like, I’m not someone who likes to splurge; I can afford the necessities, and don’t want to spoil my son with fancy, fancy things. So why not use this opportunity to help others for people lacking in life?”
The reality star shares, “Baby2Baby is such a great organization, and I’m so glad we can all help those in need.”
PEOPLE first revealed the news of Gharachedaghi’s pregnancy back in October.
“This is what I wanted my entire life,” she told PEOPLE at the time. “When little girls were talking about their perfect husband and their perfect weddings, I was talking about the 10 kids I was going to have.”
Though she’s been happy to reach this milestone, getting there wasn’t easy. She nearly lost her life after her first successful IVF transfer last spring led to an ectopic pregnancy that required emergency surgery and the removal of both Fallopian tubes. The experience left Gharachedaghi feeling angry, depressed and lost.
“For weeks, [I was] playing the, ‘Who am I supposed to be mad at?’ game,” she said. “I wanted to blame someone and I couldn’t. I kept blaming myself because no one had an answer. I checked back into therapy, to try to figure out how to work through this all.”
Eventually, Gharachedaghi tried again, with a successful IVF implantation in August.
Pregnancy has been mostly smooth sailing, she said on WWHL earlier this month, though due to her autoimmune disease (she has long suffered from rheumatoid arthritis), Gharachedaghi will have to have labor induced “a couple weeks early” so she can resume her normal medications.
“I can’t wait to give this child a life of unconditional love without judgment, the same way my mom has shown me my whole life,” she previously told PEOPLE. “I just wish she could teach me how to cook! I still haven’t figured that out yet…”
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