The house is a mess. There’s an interesting smell radiating from the hamper. And your hair has no idea what a brush is anymore. The women in the following 14 series know your plight all too well. From teenagers who get the surprise of a lifetime to mothers so overwhelmed they’re pushed to rash decisions they grow to regret, this collection of parenting shows on TV covers the new-mom experience in all its extreme facets. So put the baby down for another nap, forgo the shower for another night, and find your next binge.
Workin’ Moms
Catherine Reitman–daughter of Ivan, sister of Jason–is the funny bone behind this mom-com, as she created the series based on her own “flawed” experiences as a new mom. She also stars in the show as Kate Foster, a public relations exec who returns to the office after maternity leave. A mix of dry humor and battle cry, Workin’ Moms isn’t afraid to tackle the hard stuff–like PPD–with the same love and care as the fun stuff–like spilled breast milk.
The Letdown
You don’t have to be from Down Under to relate to the discombobulation at the center of this Aussie dramedy series, which also stars its writer and creator. Alison Bell plays Audrey, a thirtysomething who refuses to be defined by the two-year-old holding her life hostage. As those around her, including her husband, continue on with their lives, Audrey seeks support at baby groups, helplessly watching the gulf between her new norm and the life she once lived widen.
Human Resources
A spinoff to Big Mouth, the raw and hilarious animated parenting show on TV about a bunch of Hormone Monsters and the angsty, pubescent preteens they’re assigned to, Human Resources is a peek into the mythical creatures’ workplace. The adults-only toon has only two seasons, but several episodes are must-sees for new moms because they star Ali Wong as Becca, a pregnant lawyer who struggles through birth, postpartum, and so much more with a reality that will hit home.
Catastrophe
What begins as a one-week stand for a Boston exec and an Irish schoolteacher turns into four seasons of some of the funniest R-rated comedy you can find streaming. The narrative unfolds around Sharon and Rob, the aforementioned couple, who continuously struggle to get romance, new parenthood, health, friendships, work, and every other adulting thing right in their lives. Spoiler alert: They never achieve that goal. But the point is, there’s beauty and hilarity in the mess.
SMILF
Work/life/fun balance: We all know there’s no such thing, yet the quest to capture the unicorn continues. So goes the fantasy in SMILF, a blunt and in-your-face series created by its star, Frankie Shaw. As Bridgette, the twentysomething single mother of a toddler, she lives in a cramped apartment in Boston, takes freelance gigs just to make ends meet, and spends every other second proving she’s not the perfect role model–which is exactly the point. Perfection does not exist.
Related: 11 Funny, In-Your-Face Shows Like ‘Workin Moms’
Jane the Virgin
Every mom’s experience is different, of course. But there are shared moments, like breastfeeding challenges, neglected hygiene, and test-result anxiety, that when portrayed well on the screen really hit home. Jane the Virgin, a brilliant take on a soapy telenovela, does just that. The narrative centers around a bonkers storyline about a religious young woman who gets accidentally artificially inseminated, but sprinkled throughout are magical moments of relatability new moms will love.
Ali Wong: Baby Cobra
Ali Wong is a marvel behind the mic. Always dropping bombs as stunning as her statement frames, she lets filthy jokes about pregnancy, gender roles, and feminism rip onstage–while her firstborn grows in her belly. Pro tip: The only way to properly watch this comedy special is to follow it up with the rest of Wong’s stand-up trilogy: Hard Knock Wife and Don Wong. It’s a full-circle moment that is so smart, so funny, and so human, it can only come from Wong.
Expecting Amy
Speaking of hilarious women, Amy Schumer documented welcoming her first baby for Max, revealing all the very un-glamorous realities she experienced as someone who went through nine months of hyperemesis gravidarum, or extreme and persistent vomiting during pregnancy. Here’s another pro tip: Follow up the three-part docuseries with Schumer’s first major stand-up special after giving birth, Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact.
Pramface
A British series full of heart and humor, Pramface offers an empathetic portrayal of teen pregnancy. Meet 16-year-old Jamie and 18-year-old Laura: He’s a kid concerned with exams, she’s on her way to uni, but all their plans are turned upside down after one night of partying. The best thing about this three-season series charting the ups and downs of unplanned pregnancy is the hopeful situation that’s possible when young people are supported rather than shamed in challenging times.
Related: 25 Netflix Shows Every Parent Should Binge-Watch in 2024
9 Months With Courteney Cox
Infertility, cancer, disability, anxiety, uncertainty, and so much more are all on display in this intimate docuseries hosted by one of your favorite Friends. So far, there have been three 20-episode seasons that welcome viewers into the unscripted pregnancies of first-time moms and couples all over the nation. Courteney Cox narrates, provides commentary, and even shares her own struggles with getting pregnant.
The Mindy Project
For three quirk-consumed seasons, Mindy Kaling’s workplace comedy spins a yarn about a young, single OBGYN whose obsession with rom-coms dictates her personal life. When she finally gets her happily ever after–the man, the baby, the expectation–reality sets in. In Season 4, the seemingly endless challenges of new moms take center stage when Mindy welcomes a baby boy—maternity leave, the SAH conundrum, and more issues are relatable and delivered with comedic aplomb.
Trying
Adoption presents an entirely new set of challenges for parents, and for the couple at the center of this charming comedy series, they’re in over their heads. Nikki wants nothing more than children, and her partner, Jason, wants nothing more than for her to be happy. After they learn a natural birth is unlikely, this parenting show on TV shifts to charting the pair’s journey to adoption. By Season 3, Nikki wakes up a new mom to two children she barely knows. Bonding, stability, and rehoming threats all ensue.
Bump
Here’s a fun parenting show on TV that nails the new-mum and new-grandmum experience. It’s an Aussie comedy that feels like a mash-up of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and the narrative follows Oly, a high school student who gives birth on campus. The whole ordeal is a surprise to her; she doesn’t want the baby, but with family support, her worst days become some of her best. The optimistic tone might ring unrelatable to some, but give it a few episodes. This one will grow on you.
Little Fires Everywhere
Liz Tigelaar’s series, based on Celeste Ng’s award-winning best seller, is a drama, wrapped in a thriller, packaged as a character study. A fascinating portrait of parenting, the show features four mothers who have very different styles of raising humans. There’s nomadic Mia, affluent Elena, and well-meaning Linda. And then there’s Bebe, a first-time mother struggling to feed her baby, who is so overwhelmed and exhausted that she leaves her in the care of a fire station.
