Janet Caperna Says Filming The Valley While Pregnant Was ‘Maybe the Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done’ (Exclusive)

“I’m really happy with the success of the show, but filming pregnant was really difficult,” the TV personality exclusively tells PEOPLE

The Valley’s Janet Caperna is reflecting on her first season of Bravo’s new Vanderpump Rules spinoff and her experience participating on the show as an expectant mother.

Caperna, 34, exclusively tells PEOPLE at the VIP Launch of Jeremy Scott X Cybex Car on Wednesday, June 5, in Los Angeles, that although it “was a great first season,” she’s “glad it’s over,” especially now that she’s “a little bit postpartum.”

“As a Bravo fan and somebody who loves all the [Real] Housewives, I think we made some great TV and we really brought it,” she begins to tell PEOPLE. “So I’m really happy with the success of the show, but filming pregnant was really difficult,” confessing that during filming, her “emotions were already so high.”

Caperna is joined on the show by her husband, Jason. Since season one filming wrapped, the couple welcomed their first child, Cameron, 6 months, in December 2023.

“I feel really proud of all of us that we got through it all mostly in one piece,” she says, admitting that while she’s watched her friends on Vanderpump Rules film a reality show, she thought she knew “what to expect.”

“You never really know what to expect when it’s yourself. So there are definitely comments out there that have made me cry and ones that have made me cry happy tears too. A lot of pregnant people and moms are reaching out. I love that.”

“So it’s all over the place. I feel like, with emotions, I’m so proud of it, but also I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this was maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever done.’ ”

The TV personality tells PEOPLE that during filming last summer, she was “an exaggerated form” of herself “because [she] was pretty miserable pregnant.”

“So you saw more of that side, but I hope next season you see a lot more… Yeah, of my fun side I hope for season two you’ll see,” she says. The reality star also explains that because she was pregnant she “had to protect [her] space and stress levels.”

“Season two, I’m going to go in just as authentic as I was season one, but I can actually have some drinks now,” she declares, adding that in season 2 she’ll be able to “handle a little bit more stress.”

“It’ll be fun, I guess, to do the experience when I can actually really dive in instead of feeling really protective over my space like I was in season 1,” she concludes.