Model Hunter McGrady Explains Why She Was Nervous About How Her Doctors Would React to Her Being Pregnant

Model Hunter McGrady is opening up about her anxiety surrounding her pregnancy and why she was nervous to tell her doctors about being pregnant.

The 28-year-old Sports Illustrated model welcomed her first child with husband Brian Keys back in June 2021.

“Before pregnancy, society kept telling me that my body was unhealthy and that I’d have a hard time getting pregnant or staying pregnant. Every doctor’s appointment, I was so nervous,” she told Health. “I’ve become more bold when it comes to my body and doctors. In the past, I’d go in for an earache and they’d say, ‘You should lose weight.’ So, early in my pregnancy, I told my doctor that I didn’t want to discuss my weight unless it became a real issue to me or the baby. When I’d get on the scale, I’d tell them I didn’t want to know the number. As someone who came from disordered eating, I’ve worked too long and hard to care about what that number is. My doctor was on board with it, and I had a healthy pregnancy until the end, when I got preeclampsia.”

Hunter was asked if pregnancy changed how she felt about her body.

“I had to meet myself again during pregnancy. My body was providing for someone else. I appreciated my body in a different way,” she said. “Maybe it’s because of the way society treats pregnant women. All of a sudden, people say you’re glowing and fabulous. And then postpartum happens, and everyone asks when you’re going to lose weight—there’s that whole bounce-back culture. You’re not sleeping, you don’t even know your name—you can’t think about bouncing back. It made me realize that throughout life, you have to meet yourself over and over again, because your body does change—and that’s what’s beautiful about it.”

Hunter suffered a tragic loss earlier this year.