The Health Issues Meghan Ory Dealt With Behind The Scenes Of Chesapeake Shores' Final Season
"Chesapeake Shores" was, in many ways, the perfect Hallmark series. It embraced the clichéd yet universally beloved theme of a divorced woman returning to her hometown and highlighted certain universal family dynamics. The series also featured the ideal heroine in Abby O'Brien, a divorced mom with two kids winningly played by Meghan Ory.
At the start of the series, her romance with Trace Riley (Jesse Metcalfe) seemed just a tad forced, which didn't endear Abby to fans. But, by the time "Chesapeake Shores" was wrapping up, she'd won our hearts. However, beyond her on-screen life, Ory dealt with more than her fair share of illnesses throughout the show's sixth and final season.
The actor offered some insight into her health issues in July 2022, on Instagram: "Well, that is a wrap on #chesapeakeshores after 6 seasons! I started this season with #hyperemesisgravidarum and ended it with #covid — it has been quite the run! Thank you so much to our amazing cast and crew for having so much patience with me while I tried not to barf on anyone." Ory's husband, John Reardon, also got a shout-out for being her rock throughout the trying period.
Meghan Ory was pregnant while filming Season 6
Though it was well hidden from the cameras, the biggest fans of Hallmarks' "Chesapeake Shores" already know that Meghan Ory was pregnant while the final season was being filmed. Sadly, the actor didn't have an easy pregnancy. She dealt with hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition affecting 0.3% to 2% of pregnant women, according to a 2008 study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. It's often accompanied by waves of severe nausea and vomiting, much more severe than typical morning sickness, per MedlinePlus.
Many pregnant women with the condition lose weight, become dehydrated, and suffer electrolyte imbalances. Impressively, the Hallmark star looked amazing onscreen through it all. In May 2022, she posted a gorgeous picture of herself on Instagram but captioned it: "#onset #acting like I'm not going to barf." And, the following September, Ory shared a photo of herself with one hand cradling her prominent baby bump. This post was her last public baby bump picture before giving birth to her child in January 2023.
Chesapeake Shores' final season had a baby boom
The final season of "Chesapeake Shores" ended with most of the main characters finding closure or love, including Meghan Ory's protagonist, who received a marriage proposal. Similarly, in reality, many of the female stars shared a common experience. In an interview with TV Insider, showrunner Phoef Sutton disclosed that Ory wasn't the only one pregnant while filming the last season. "Literally everyone of pregnancy age this season, the actresses, all got pregnant or had babies. Laci and Jessica both had babies right at the beginning of when we shot this season. Meghan and Emilie got pregnant over the course of the season," she explained.
While Ory's pregnancy might have been tougher than most, her colleagues supported her through it all. Emilie Ullerup, who played her younger sister, and Robert Buckley, her most recent love interest, sweetly left supportive comments on the Hallmark star's July 2022 Instagram post. To the delight of fans, Sutton also dropped a major reveal during the interview, divulging that the story of "Chesapeake Shores" might someday continue elsewhere. "I can't really share anything yet, but we are in discussion about something like that. I don't really know what it would entail yet, but I don't think you've seen the last of the O'Briens, let me put it that way," she said.