Actress and philanthropist Mariska Hargitay are well-known for playing Olivia Benson on the NBC drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

She established the Joyful Heart Foundation as a philanthropist with the goal of empowering, educating, and healing victims of physical assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.

In addition, the 57-year-old actress is married. Since August 28, 2004, she has been married to actor Peter Hermann.

With their three children, August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, Amaya Josephine Hermann, and Andrew Nicolas Hargitay Hermann, the couple is enjoying a happy marriage.

But did you know that Hargitay put on 54 pounds while carrying her first child in August due to her “must eat more” theory?

Pregnancy weight gain in Mariska Hargitay

The Jocks actress discussed her problems with gestational diabetes and weight gain during her first pregnancy in the January 2007 issue of People magazine.

Hargitay’s pregnancy was also impacted by her weight increase, as evidenced by the emergency c-section delivery and the huge birth weight of her son August. On June 28, 2006, she gave birth to a boy.

When Mariska Hargitay was carrying her son August Hermann, she gained 54 pounds. (Instagram as a source)

But the Golden Globe Award-winning actress quickly came to the realization that in order to reverse the weight gain and transform into “a fit, fun parent,” she would need to make some dietary modifications.

Hargitay started putting more of an emphasis on eating a balanced diet, such as eating lean meats along with lots of vegetables and fruit.

She exercised three times a week at Peak Performance, a gym in New York City, with her trainer Jay Wright because the specialized diet alone wasn’t sufficient to reverse the weight gain.

She eventually managed to regain her pre-baby shape thanks to her consistent hard work at the gym and healthy eating habits. She claimed after the makeover,

The other two of Mariska Hargitay’s children were adopted.

In April 2011, Hargitay and her 53-year-old husband chose to adopt a girl named Amaya after facing a number of difficulties during her first pregnancy. They were even present when she was born.

Everyone was shocked when the couple adopted son Andrew in October of the same year.

August believes he came up with the idea alone. In April 2012, Hargitay jokingly remarked to Good Housekeeping. “I want a baby sister, he added, and Amaya showed up. The moment he declared, “I want a baby brother,” Andrew arrived. The month of August is feeling strong and favorable.”

The actress later revealed that because they were both reared in large families, she and Peter had always wished for many children.

She acknowledged that adoption wasn’t a simple procedure, though. When she and her husband adopted Amaya and Andrew, she said there were “painful times” to the media source.

“I stress to everyone, ‘Adoption is not for the faint of heart,'” she continued.

However, Hargitay and her spouse had always intended to adopt a child. The concept was imposed on Hargitay when she was a little child. When she was just three and a half years old, her mother perished in a vehicle accident.

Hargitay was thankful for the mother she had as she and her brothers were raised by their father and his third wife, Ellen Siano Hargitay.

Early on, Hargitay discovered that the term “mother” did not necessarily indicate a biological connection.

The five members of the blended family are currently enjoying their joyful life together in their Hampton, Virginia, home.