Miss Universe Contestant Reveals She Was 16 Weeks Pregnant During the Pageant

Is there a chapter in What to Expect When You’re Expecting about competing in an international beauty competition while pregnant?

The reigning Miss Canada, Jaime VandenBerg, revealed that she walked down the runway of the Miss Universe swimsuit competition last year with a very special accessory: her four-month pregnancy.

VandenBerg, 29, publicly announced on Instagram that she was in her second trimester during the competition on March 2, juxtaposing a clip of her walking the Miss Universe runway during the swimsuit round with one of her unloading a car seat and setting it in a stroller.

The post comes just over three months after the Miss Universe 2025 competition concluded in Thailand.

She wrote in the caption, “What the world didn’t know: I was 16 weeks (4 months) pregnant when I competed in swimwear and placed Top 30. Carrying life while living out a dream I once thought impossible. Today, it feels freeing to share this: I am pregnant.”

At three months, many women start to show as their uteruses expand, though others do not, particularly if it is a first-time pregnancy or if they have strong abdominal muscles.

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VandenBerg continued, “With the evolving rules of Miss Universe, may this placement stand as proof that motherhood is not the end of ambition, and pregnancy is not a limitation. With a strong community behind you, multiple dreams can exist at once. What an honour it will be to become the first mother while reigning Miss Universe Canada.”

Competitors in the Miss Universe competition historically operated under strict guidelines: they had to be single, child-free, and between the ages of 18 and 28.

The pageant expanded its eligibility requirements in 2022 to allow mothers and married women, and in 2023 to women over 28.

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Many of VandenBerg’s fellow competitors congratulated her in the comments.

The reigning Miss Universe, Fátima Bosch, 25, of Mexico, commented on the post with heart-eyes and the Spanish word “divina,” which means “divine.”

On Wednesday, VandenBerg shared another update on her pregnancy.

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In her caption, she first voiced surprise at her pregnancy making global news, then wrote, “I signed up for @missuniversecanada to use my platform to share my story as a survivor of gender-based violence to inspire others to overcome adversity, empower them to speak their truth, and raise awareness about gender-based violence.”

Finding out she was pregnant, she recalled, forced her to consider whether she would ultimately compete in the pageant.

“After winning the title of Miss Canada and preparing to go to @missuniverse I found out I was pregnant and had to think very seriously about what to do. Would I still be able to compete? Would I be to [sic] tired? How would society view this? Would I face backlash?“

She even thought about giving up her crown, explaining that she “seriously contemplated resigning. My support system empowered me not to. And I am so glad I listened.”

Her worries were eased when her doctor cleared her to compete.

“In order to compete we had to submit a note from our doctor stating we are in good physical health. When I discussed this with my doctor he quickly explained you are in great heath, pregnancy is not an illness. That simple statement gave me a fresh perspective,” she wrote.

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She continued, “The lack of knowledge I had around pregnancy nearly scared me into giving up my dream, but it’s true. Women are incredibly strong, and pregnancy is a blessing; not a drawback or a disadvantage.”

VandenBerg concluded her post with a powerful message, writing, “Placing in the top 30 is a testament of the strength of women, at any point in their life; overcoming violence or stepping into a new chapter. You are not defined by your circumstances, but by your perseverance, your kindness, and above all, the courage to use your voice.”