Amber Marshall Reveals the Truth Playing Pregnant on Heartland: “Fun Would Not Be a Word I’d Use”

If you watched Amy Fleming’s pregnancy storyline on Heartland and wondered whether Amber Marshall was pregnant in real life, you weren’t alone. The portrayal felt so grounded that rumors followed the show for months.

She wasn’t.

Instead, Marshall filmed the storyline during a sweltering Calgary summer, strapped into a medical-grade, 10-pound silicone prosthetic. Because the material doesn’t breathe, spending 12-hour days under the sun while handling horses made for a brutal shoot.

During an appearance on the Hallmarkies Podcast, Marshall was candid when asked if she had fun playing that arc: “Fun would not be a word I would use.”

Looking back at those episodes, that physical toll is visible on screen. The moments where Amy constantly shifts her weight, struggles to get comfortable, or looks worn out working around the barn weren’t just acting—Marshall was genuinely exhausted and overheated under the weight of the suit.

Because she had never been pregnant herself, Marshall refused to settle for television clichés. She turned to co-star Michelle Morgan (Lou) and other mothers on the crew for advice, asking about the subtle physical realities: the lingering fatigue of morning sickness, the ache of Braxton-Hicks, and the way an altered center of gravity completely changes how you walk.

She took their advice to heart, subtly adjusting how she stood, walked, and eased herself into chairs between takes.

That dedication is why Amy and Ty’s transition into parenthood resonated so deeply with viewers. It wasn’t a glossy, idealized TV pregnancy—it captured the quiet strain and physical heaviness of the real thing.

You can hear her talk about it here:

It was a rough shoot — long days in a rubber suit in summer — but that’s what made Amy and Ty’s turn into parents feel believable.