Hallmark actress Jen Lilley is never shy about discussing her journey through motherhood. Whether she’s sharing her experiences with fostering and adopting her two eldest boys or announcing the pregnancies of her two daughters, Lilley opens up about balancing a bustling career in television and film with being a mom to four. Her journey hasn’t been without its challenges, particularly when she was shooting Hallmark’s “Paris, Wine, and Romance” in Europe while pregnant with her first daughter.
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One of the first hurdles Lilley faced was adhering to a suitable diet. “Filming in Bulgaria made finding foods that worked for me quite challenging,” she explained in an interview with IBT during the 2019 production. “There were all these delicious cheeses, but since I couldn’t confirm if they were pasteurized, I had to avoid them.” Besides dietary challenges, hiding her baby bump was another task. “Two weeks in, my bump appeared,” she shared. “Approaching the camera, you’d wonder if I overindulged in pasta or was pregnant. So, we had to modify the shots.” Despite these challenges, “Paris, Wine, and Romance” wasn’t Lilley’s only Hallmark movie filmed during pregnancy.
In fact, Lilley was no stranger to working while pregnant, having shot three Hallmark films during her first pregnancy. The journey began with 2019’s “Love Unleashed.” Luckily, she was in the early stages of pregnancy, making the process relatively smooth, save for one minor issue. “It was mostly cold, but that was the easiest one in terms of being pregnant,” she told IBT in July 2019.
Director Christie Will Wolf played a significant role in easing the shoot. “She’s fantastic. We’ve collaborated a lot. It felt like being with family, and everyone was thrilled about my pregnancy,” Lilley remarked, noting that she had worked with the same crew and director on five different films.
Jen Lilley filmed three Hallmark movies pregnant
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Despite the demands of pregnancy, Lilley demonstrated her resilience by returning to work quickly. In December 2019, during the promotion of her Christmas movie “Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday,” she revealed she took a mere eight weeks of maternity leave. Her previous experiences as a mother helped with this quick transition. “I doubt I could have done it if Julie, our daughter, had been my first,” she told ET. “Even though Julie is my first biological child, having two sons before her—one adopted and the other fostered—prepared me for the upheaval a child brings, making adaptation easier.” She added, “I don’t know that I could have managed otherwise.”
Her director, Christie Will Wolf, also made the shoot exceptionally easy. “She’s awesome. We’ve worked together a lot. So, that was great because I’ve worked with that crew and Christie on five different movies,” she continued, adding, “So, it was like being with family, and they all knew I was pregnant and they were all excited.”
Of course, Lilley didn’t just prove that she’s not the type to let pregnancy slow her down. She also got back to work almost right away. In December 2019, while promoting her Christmas film, “Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday,” she revealed that she only took eight weeks of maternity leave after giving birth. And she had her sons to thank for that!  “I don’t know that I could have done it if Julie, our daughter, had been my first baby,” she shared with ET. “She’s my first biological, but because I already had two babies before her [one through adoption and the other currently being fostered], I was used to the way a child just turns your life upside down and adapting.” She continued, “So, I don’t know that I could have done it.”