How Pregnant Alexa PenaVega Conceals Baby Bump While Filming Hallmark Movies: ‘Pain in the Booty’

Alexa PenaVega has gone to great lengths to conceal her baby bump while filming Hallmark movies.

“I’ve had to do it twice,” PenaVega, 35, said during the Wednesday, March 27, episode of “The Unplanned Podcast” episode. “It’s such a pain in the booty because you’re always in, like, big coats or giant purses or holding, like, random things in front of you.”

While PenaVega shared that she tends to get “swollen” during pregnancy, she noted that “for the most part it’s really just belly.”

“I’m able to look, for the most part, the same when I’m pregnant and filming, but they just cut around it as much as they can,” she said. “Every now and then, you might, like, notice it and be like, ‘I got a peek of her belly there!’ But really, they do a good job of hiding it.”

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When asked whether she has to alter her makeup to keep a “consistent” look during the pregnancy, PenaVega replied, “Here’s what’s amazing, whenever we’re doing, whether it’s a Hallmark movie or these TV movies, they’re quick shoots.”

PenaVega explained that filming tends to be about three or four weeks. “You are in and out,” she shared. “So, for us, not a whole lot happens in that three to four weeks that you’re able to really contain it. If I were to shoot a movie over six months [while] being pregnant, there will be such a significant change that that would be hard to conceal. But within a month, it’s usually pretty doable.”

PenaVega has been in Hallmark movies including Destination Wedding, Christmas Made to Order and Taking a Shot at Love, for years. She announced in November 2023 that she is expecting her fourth baby with husband Carlos PenaVega. The actress and former Big Time Rush member, who tied the knot in 2014, share sons Ocean, 7, Kingston, 4, and daughter Rio, 2.

“Thank God we love adventures 😍😍😍,” Alexa wrote via Instagram at the time. “Oh baby here we come! Número cuatro! 🎉 .”

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While Alexa’s been pregnant before, she exclusively told Us Weekly at the time that this go-round has been a little more difficult on her body. “Luckily, the nausea part is over because that was rough,” she said, noting she had “some scares earlier on.”

“I’m a go, go, go person. We don’t stop, and it has really forced me to have to slow down. And that’s been tough on the both of us because of our schedule and having three other kids,” Alexa explained. “And we live on a boat half the year. So, just a lot has happened in this pregnancy that’s just made me go, ‘OK, God, what are you trying to tell me right now?’”

Alexa added that she’s been learning how to press pause. “I’m just going to take it easy,” she shared. “I’m going to sit back and protect this baby as much as I can and just be a little bit more aware of when my body tells me to rest.”