Jennifer Love Hewitt was up for the challenge when it came to portraying her 9-1-1 character, Maddie’s postpartum journey — but throwing herself into such a heavy story line after giving birth herself came with a set of complicated emotions.

“It was crazy. I was seven months pregnant when we finished the beginning of [Maddie’s] postpartum story line, and then I had to come back and finish it right in the middle of postpartum,” Hewitt, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with Ferrero Rocher and their Add Your Golden Touch campaign. “So it was very cathartic for me because I was able to use a lot of what I was going through with Maddie when I came back to the show. But it was also very scary. I was like, ‘Am I awakening more of this in myself? Am I going to be OK?’”

In season 5 of the hit firefighter drama, Maddie began to experience waves of depression after she and partner Chimney Han (Kenneth Choi) welcomed their first baby, daughter Jee-Yun. After Jee-Yun almost drowned in a bathtub, Maddie fled Los Angeles and told Chimney not to follow her, claiming that their daughter wasn’t safe in her care. She later arrived in Boston after attempting suicide and was diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis.

In real life, Maddie’s postpartum came in tandem with Hewitt’s third pregnancy. She and husband Brian Hallisay welcomed their youngest son, Aidan, in September 2021 — the same month season 5 of’ 9-1-1 premiered. (The pair, who tied the knot in 2013, are also parents to daughter Autumn, 12, and son Atticus, 9.)

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Hewitt said that despite her worries Maddie’s story would affect her own mental health, the 9-1-1 cast and crew were “lovely” in taking care of her every step of the way.

“[They were] checking on me to make sure I wasn’t pushing myself too hard into it, and that it was OK,” she recalled. “And I really felt like I was able to give a real glimpse into what it can look like. I was in it. So it was, sort of, my dedication to any women at that time who were also having that [experience].”

After a brief hiatus for Hewitt’s maternity leave, the actress returned to the show and worked through postpartum both on and off screen. Maddie and Chimney, for their part, went on to say “I do” before revealing that they are expecting their second baby in season 8. While Hewitt feels “great” about her 9-1-1 family expanding, she insists that real life is not imitating art this time around.

“The amount of people that texted me and were like, ‘So does this mean [you’re actually pregnant]?’ I was like, ‘No, I can do one real one and one fake one, people,’” she said with a laugh. “So let me just clarify. I am not pregnant again. I am too tired. I have three children, I’m good.”

Hewitt hopes that Maddie’s second pregnancy can be more of a “positive’ experience.

“I loved doing the postpartum story line. I loved showing that I suffered from postpartum, so it was important to me to be able to be a part of that,” she said. “But I hope for Maddie this time that we can see that not every pregnancy goes that way. … That we can see maybe a more positive experience for her this time.”

Maddie’s journey will continue in the back half of 9-1-1’s season 8, which returns in March 2025. For now, Hewitt is focused on a few other things, like her book Inheriting Magic: My Journey Through Joy, Celebration and Making Every Day Magical, her upcoming Lifetime film The Holiday Junkie — in which she stars alongside Hallisay — and preparing to avoid the “stress” of the holidays.

To keep her cool during all her upcoming celebrations, Hewitt is turning to Ferrero Rocher. The ionic Italian chocolate brand launched its Add Your Golden Touch campaign in hopes of inspiring and encouraging anyone who wants to bring their hosting game to the next level through easy and accessible tutorials and fun prizes.

“While it’s natural to get stressed — obviously I do — when you get too stressed, you take yourself out of the enjoyment of it and out of the magical feeling, which is one of the reasons why I feel like Ferrero Rocher is such a staple,” she told Us. “You can go to any local grocery store and pick them up. You’re not waiting on shipping. You’re not worried about whether you’re going to make it back home in time to get it on the table and have it look perfect. Everyone gets excited about it. The pyramid is a showstopper. It’s gold, it’s yummy, it’s beautiful.”

For those who really want to “wow” their guests this year, the Add Your Golden Touch Sweepstakes is offering a chance to win a 96-piece Ferrero Rocher® pyramid. To enter, visit here.

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9-1-1 season 8 returns to ABC in March 2025.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi