Are you a pregnant woman looking for the best movies to watch while expecting? Read on!

Maybe you have crazy heartburn, or maybe blissfully none at all. Possibly your little one is running a circus show inside, that you can feel all the way up to your tonsils, or maybe he/she have dropped, and you can breathe easily again. 

Whichever type of pregnancy you may be experiencing, we can bet you are happy to put your feet up at the end of a long day and reach for that remote control.

Now comes the big question (other than what to name your baby- check out our other articles HERE for some ideas) and that is -What to watch?

To each his own, but word on the street is that mummy hormones are also weepy hormones. 

Many pregnant women have reported that pregnancy hormones have elevated their sensitivity threshold, and they find themselves unable to watch gory or sad movies with the same gumption as their pre-pregnancy selves. Many also haven’t the patience (or the wakefulness) for long convoluted plots and story lines.

 So what’s a girl to watch? Fear not, we got you covered!

Here’s a list of pregnant-mama, feet-up worthy movies, that will not only entertain you, but might also prove informative. Can you smell the popcorn yet? (easy on the salt though, that’s one thing pregnant mamas don’t need plenty of).

Movie number 1: What to expect when you are expecting (2012)

 

 

This movie pays clear homage to one of the most popular pregnancy guidebooks of our time, the incredibly popular and well-known month-by-month guide by Heidi Murkoff, (first published in 1984, and probably never out of print since), What to expect when you are expecting.

The guide has been a staple for expectant mothers since it was first issued, and the catchy phrase has also translated into a popular website, newsletter and videos following the guidebook dogma. 

The movie has its hilarious moments, although some are all too cringe worthy and totally relatable to every pregnant woman out there. It covers the same topics that the book does, by tracking five different couples in varying states of pregnancy and parenthood, with entertaining and hilarious twists thrown in.

Starring a group of A-listers, it is an informative and entertaining feel-good Rom-com.

From Wikipedia:

“What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Kirk Jones and distributed by Lionsgate. It was written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach and is based on Heidi Murkoff’s 1984 pregnancy guide of the same name.

 

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro Source

Movie number 2: Babies (2010)

On the other end of the line, this Documentary/movie can be funny at times, but it’s far from Rom-com territory. The movie captures the final trimester for four different women from various areas in the world, namely Japan, USA, Namibia and Mongolia, and the moments of birth for four different babies.

It then follows them through the first year of life, showcasing the vast differences but also the similarities in babyhood and child rearing between different regions in the world.

An eye opener, entertaining and educational, it’s a must see not just for mamas to be, but anyone interested in cultural diversity and the resilience of the human race. The movie received high ratings on multiple apps, including /rotten tomatoes. Source

Movie number 3: Baby Mama (2008)

 

 

If you’ve ever watched Saturday Night Live then you’ll know what we mean by saying that the combo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler is TV gold. In characteristic fashion, Tina Fey’s wry and straight-faced sense of humor offsets Amy Poehler’s goofy wacky antics, and the movie delivers on this twosome’s awesome promise.

Plenty of humor, laughs and an entertaining plot unfolds when a strait-laced, career-oriented Kate played by Tina Fey, seeks a surrogate mother to carry her baby, and winds up hiring non-conformist Angie (Amy Poehler). With plenty of funny antics, and ironic twists about motherhood and pregnancy thrown in, this movie will entertain you and make you laugh. Source

 

Movie number 4: Knocked up (2007)

 

 

Another powerful Duo star in this movie, with Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen taking the lead.

An unplanned one-night stand leads up to Alison (Katherine Heigl) getting “knocked up” by Ben (Seth Rogan), and as the non-couple navigate their oncoming parenthood (with Ben taking a more scenic circular route to get there) plenty of comical, as well as emotional and poignant moments are played out to their full potential.

The movie is realistic yet funny and lighthearted, and worth watching. Source

Movie Number 5: Look who’s talking (1989)

The first of the popular Look Who’s talking Trilogy, the book takes the interesting point of view of the baby Mikey, voiced by non other than Bruce Willis, as he shares wry and funny observations starting with his time inside the womb as a foetus, and then later a running commentary about the going-ons in the life of his single mother (played by Kirstie Alley) as she meets and develops a relationship with James(played by John Travolta, who plays the role of a cabbie/part time pilot that drives her to the hospital when she goes into labor.

The movie is a classic, it’s funny and entertaining, and offers an interesting view point for a pregnant mama, as you try to imagine the world from a baby’s point of view. Source

 

Movie Number 6: Three men and a baby (1983)

 

An endearing, funny (and sometimes outdated) classic, three mean and a baby, is exactly about that; Watching three men struggle to care for, feed and diaper a baby left at their doorstep. Hilariously incompetent at first, it will inspire faith (and giggles) in every pregnant mama, as the men navigate and discover the world of parenthood, one diaper at a time.

With an adorable baby, interesting plot, and eye-openers, the movie goes to show, that no matter how helpless or clueless one might be at first, there is a way to master all that baby stuff. Source

 

Movie Number 7: The Business of Being Born. (2008)

 

 

One thing all soon to be moms should know, is that multitasking is of the essence. This movie does just that, both entertaining and educational. The movie takes an up close and personal look at the process and practices behind birth and /delivery in the United States, with hidden twists and a thickening plot along the way. 

Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America. Focusing on New York City, the film reveals that there is much to distrust behind hospital doors and follows several couples who decide to give birth on their own terms.

There is an unexpected turn when director Epstein not only discovers she is pregnant but finds the life of her child on the line. Should birth be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical emergency? Source

Movie Number 8: Nine Months (1995)

 

 

Hugh Grant. Julianne Moore. An unplanned pregnancy, and a commitment-phobe finally being forced to come to terms with the ultimate commitment: Parenthood. Light Romcom, with plenty of entertainment thrown in, this one is a must watch. 

Movie Number 9: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

 

 

Where do we begin with this one? Star-studded cast (Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried) amazing vocals, dynamic choreography and stunning visuals and as if that wasn’t enough, the location is gorgeous with plenty of aqua blue and azure waters of a Greek backdrop thrown in for extra measure.

A true classic, it has pregnancy, parenthood, and the connection of mother to daughter at the heart of its plot. A must watch!

 

Movie Number 10: Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)

 

In true Bridget Jones fashion, she stumbles clumsily but entertainingly into pregnancy and motherhood, with plenty of plot twists and cringe worthy moments in between (perhaps the most endearing part of watching a Bridget Jones diary movie, really.)

Aside from Bridget herself ,played by Renée Zellweger , Colin Firth reprises his role as Bridget’s eternal love interest, Mark Darcy, Patrick Dempsey plays the role of Jack Qwant, the third point in this pregnancy induced love triangle. Source

 

Movie Number 11: The Back-Up Plan (2010)

 

 

Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin star in this movie about the “best laid plans”. In complete irony that is totally relatable, Jennifer’s character Zoe, gives up on the idea of meeting the right man to start a family and decides to start one on her own, only to run into him the same day she’s undergone artificial insemination.

Zoe and Stan stumble and fall only to get up and find each other again as the plot unfolds for this light Romcom, focusing on pregnancy, impending parenthood and falling in love. 

Movie Number 12:  Junior (1994) 

 

 

If the idea of seeing a man go through the ups and downs of pregnancy isn’t enough to tickle your fancy, perhaps we should add that the man in question is none other than the great Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.  A star cast including Arnold SchwarzeneggerDanny DeVitoEmma Thompson makes this movie a classic and a must see.

Labelled as a Sci-fi comedy, the movie will keep you laughing and entertained, as you observe first-hand how “well” Alex Hesse, (Arnold’s character) manages his growing belly and pregnancy symptoms, after he is convinced by his OB/GYN colleague Dr. Larry Arbogast (played by Danny DeVito) to test their newly developed fertility drug on himself. 

Movie Number 13:  She’s Having a Baby (1988)

 

Another classic, this romantic comedy follows the story of a young couple, Jake and Kristy, played by Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern, from the moment they say “I Do” all the way to the birth of their first child. They each have different views on when they should start a family, but in an interesting twist, we only get to see the story as it plays out through Jake’s eyes (played by Kevin Bacon) , as his voice carries over in commentary and imagery.

Touching on various interesting topics relating to pregnancy and motherhood, this one is a classic and a satisfying romantic watch, a must see. 

Movie Number 14: Away we go (2019)

 

While pregnancy brings on strong nesting feelings for most, for Verona De Tessant (played by Maya Rudolph) and Burt Farlander ( played by John Krasinski) these nesting feelings translate into a journey of exploration towards finding their forever-after home. The couple find out that they are expecting, and soon after discover that their only family living nearby (Burt’s parents) are moving away, which allows the couple to reconsider their options.

Embarking on a journey that is realistic, entertaining, and thought invoking, we follow their journey through distance as they come closer to parenthood. 

Movie Number 15: For Keeps (1988)

 

 

A coming-of-age movie that centers on pregnancy, impending parenthood, and the ups and downs that are part of life and part of growing up, this Comedy Drama, carries poignant moments and light laughter in every twist. Starring Molly Ringwald as Darcy, and Randall Batinkoff as Stan, the movie focuses on the aspects of a teenage pregnancy, with all its nuances and challenges.

When Darcy finds out she’s fallen unexpectedly pregnant, she decides to keep the baby, and the movie plot covers all the events that unfold afterwards. It’s worth noting that this was one of Molly Ringwald’s last teen movie appearances.  A must watch. 

What is your favorite movie to watch while you are pregnant? Let us know in the comments below. we would love to know!

 

 

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