Movies

Best Movies about Pregnancy to Watch When You’re Expecting

'Waitress,' 'Baby Mama,' and 'Away We Go' are some of our favorites.

By Kristina Johnson October 13, 2022

Baby Mama is one of the best pregnancy movies

From Unexpected to Away We Go, parents-to-be can find everything from good laughs to relatable moments in these pregnancy movies

Whether it’s your first or your fourth baby, when there’s a bun in the oven, those nine months of pregnancy feel like the longest of your life. And while we can’t book you a hotel room or an all-inclusive vacay for that well-deserved break, we CAN supply you with plenty of entertainment options perfect for an evening of kicking back on the couch. If you’re done binge-watching all the very best shows out there right now, might we suggest some fun pregnancy movies? These films feature expectant characters dealing with surprise pregnancies, fertility problems, relationship issues, family drama, and more—and the good news is, there’s always a happy ending (ahem, hormones!).

What to Expect When You’re Expecting

This 2012 pregnancy movie features an incredible cast including Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Chris Rock, Elizabeth Banks, and many more. The movie introduces us to five different couples, all either hoping for or expecting a child, and handling it in very different and often hilarious ways. There’s the one-night stand baby, the IVF miracle, and a pregnancy where the meticulously crafted birth plan goes very much awry.

Why We Love It: Besides the amazing cast, one of the best things about What to Expect is that it shows the many different paths to parenting. The couples deal with everything from fertility struggles to miscarriage to adoption, just like real moms and dads everywhere.

Baby Mama

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are a comedy dream team, and nowhere is that more evident than in the ridiculously funny Baby Mama. Fey plays a successful career woman who, when she decides she’s ready for a baby, enlists the help of a surrogate. She ends up with even more than she bargained for when the surrogate shows up on her doorstep, homeless and broke. Oh, and the surrogate may or may not be a con woman. Greg Kinnear and Dax Shepard also co-star.

Why We Love It: Two of the funniest women ever teaming up for a sweet and funny rom-com? What’s not to love?

Knocked Up

TV reporter Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is moving up the ladder in her demanding career until a one-night stand with slacker Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) throws a wrench into her plans. The two decide to give their relationship a shot after Alison finds out she’s pregnant, but their wildly different lifestyle create tons of problems (and lots of laughs). Can Ben grow up in time to help raise a kid?

Why We Love It: Writer/director Judd Apatow’s brand of edgy stoner comedy mixes surprisingly well with a sweet pregnancy story, making this pregnancy movie laugh-til-it-hurts funny.

Away We Go

This cute comedy stars Saturday Night Live’s Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, AKA Jim from The Office, as an expecting couple on a quest to find the perfect place to raise their baby. The two travel all over the country testing out new locations and introducing us to a slew of flaky family members along the way. Schitt’s Creek’s Catherine O’Hara has a funny turn as a disinterested grandma, and Maggie Gyllenhaal also gets laughs as an uber-pretentious cousin.

Why We Love It: Rudolph and Krasinki are an adorable pairing as mom-and-dad-to-be Verona and Burt, and their mission to figure out where to live reminds us all that home is where the heart is.

The Back-Up Plan

First comes baby, then comes love in The Back Up Plan. Jennifer Lopez stars as a pet shop owner who decides to become a mother with the help of artificial insemination and a single mother’s support group for guidance. But things get a bit complicated when she meets her dream guy (played by Hawaii Five-0’s Alex O’Loughlin) who’s not at all ready for fatherhood.

Why We Love It: J. Lo is the undisputed queen of the rom-com, and this flick is just one more piece of proof. It shows us that timing isn’t always everything, but love truly does conquer all.

Waitress

Get your tissues ready for this 2007 hit. Pregnancy hormones or not, this one’s a tearjerker. Keri Russell stars as a waitress at a Deep South diner who’s got a knack for whipping up some amazing pies. When she finds out she’s pregnant, she begins hatching a plan to escape her abusive, loveless marriage. But things get even more complicated when she begins an affair with her long-time OB-GYN, who just happens to be married.

Why We Love It: Sure, there’s a lot of drama, but in the end, Waitress is as sweet as pie.

Unexpected

When a high school teacher finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, so too does one of her best and brightest students. The two moms-to-be strike up an emotional connection, bonding over everything from pregnancy yoga to food cravings—all while helping each other figure out their uncertain futures. How I Met Your Mother’s Cobie Smulders stars and that baby bump you see? It’s real! The actress was reportedly pregnant in real life while filming.

Why We Love It: Unexpected reminds us that pregnancy can be challenging in so many different ways, no matter your age, marital status, or financial situation. Smulders’s co-star Gail Bean also gives us a powerful performance as the pregnant high-school senior grappling with how to fit a baby into the life she’d imagined for herself.

Babies

A French film crew traveled the globe to document four different babies and their families in the first year after birth. There’s Ponijao, born in Namibia; Mari, living in Tokyo; Hattie, from San Francisco; and Bayarjargal, living in Mongolia. There’s no narration and very little dialogue, giving viewers an unadulterated look at different cultures and customs when it comes to bringing up babies (though these four are all happy teenagers now, according to the filmmaker).

Why We Love It: Besides the cute factor, which is absolutely through the roof, this thought-provoking documentary makes you look at babies in a whole new light.

Riding in Cars with Boys

Riding in cars is one of the best pregnancy movies — ©Sony Pictures

Based on the memoir of the same name by author Beverly Donofrio, this movie introduces us to Bev at 11 years old in 1961, when boys are already starting to catch her attention—much to the dismay of her police officer father. The story follows her throughout the years as a pregnant teen, a young bride, and eventually a wife dissatisfied with the course her life has taken. There are some heavy moments, but a lot of light-hearted ones, too, and through it all, Bev’s best friend Fay (played by the late Brittany Murphy) is by her side.

Why We Love It: The always lovable Drew Barrymore lights up the screen while exploring the sacrifices mothers make—and how becoming a parent yourself can make you rethink your relationship with your own.

Father of the Bride Part II

Doting dad George Banks (played to comedic perfection by Steve Martin) finds out he's going to be a grandpa in this sequel film—and he hilariously insists he's much too young for the title. As he grapples with his little girl becoming a mother, Banks then gets a massive surprise of his own. Not only is Annie expecting, but his wife Nina is, too.

Why We Love It: Father of the Bride Part II is one of the few movies where get to see an older mom celebrating a pregnancy. Martin Short also returns as scene stealer Franck, who's going to plan the baby showers instead of a wedding.

Juno

Elliot Page and Michael Cera star in this sweet coming-of-age tale about Minnesota high schoolers dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. When Juno decides not to go through with an abortion, she turns to adoption instead. She finds a seemingly perfect couple to raise the baby—but things get complicated the more time Juno spends with the not-so-happily married pair played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner.

Why We Love It: Juno tackles emotional topics with quirky charm and lots of emotion. It also features a killer soundtrack with songs from The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, Buddy Holly, and more.