The Best 10 Movies To Watch When You’re Pregnant

Whether it’s retail therapy (though you’ll probably be splurging on baby items rather than things for yourself), taking a nice bubble bath, or putting your feet up and watching a cozy movie, you deserve it, even if you’ve done the bare minimum for the day. You’ve got nine months to be pregnant, so you’ll probably need an exhaustive list of the best movies to watch while you’re pregnant. We’ve got you.

1. What To Expect When You’re Expecting

This quintessential pregnancy movie is at the top of this list for a reason. Featuring an ensemble cast and tons of tender moments, this movie takes you through the intertwined lives of couples as they prepare for their own bundles of joy while navigating issues like job loss, unplanned pregnancy, and disagreeing with your spouse on names and circumcision. The plot definitely deviates from a one-size-fits-all narrative of parenthood and pregnancy and even touches on hardships like adoption and miscarriage, but it’ll leave you with a warm, feel-good sensation by the end. You can stream What to Expect When You’re Expecting on HBO Max.

2. Juno

When Juno was released in 2007, it broke the mold as far as comedic teen movies go. Everything about Juno MacGuff is unconventional, including her unplanned pregnancy. Instead of getting an abortion as she initially planned, Juno instead chooses to give her baby boy to a yuppie affluent couple who want to adopt a child. Juno experiences conflict with her parents and her baby’s father, and develops a close friendship with the adoptive father. Nothing ends the way you might expect it to, but it’ll bring tears regardless. You can stream Juno on Hulu and HBO Max.

3. The Backup Plan

Zoe, played by JLo, desperately wants a baby but is convinced she’ll never find her soul mate. Only after she conceives a baby via artificial insemination does she meet Mr. Right, a hunky farmer who might be the right man for her as well as the right dad to her babies. Not only is this movie funny and cute, but it shows us that no matter what you might think, your child is always better off with a family unit of two parents as opposed to one. While Zoe initially chooses to be a single mom, she learns eventually that she and her kids don’t have to go through life alone, and she’s happier for it. You can stream The Backup Plan on Amazon Prime.

4. Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II

Steve Martin and Martin Short have been a comedic duo for decades, but these movies are the stars at their best. When George Banks’ daughter Annie announces her sudden engagement to a guy she met abroad, he’s less than enthused about paying for a wedding, but more than that, his daughter leaving the nest once and for all. The second film features Annie’s pregnancy, as well as George and his wife (Diane Keaton) getting a surprise of their own in addition to becoming grandparents. Nancy Meyers, of The Holiday and The Parent Trap fame, helped write the screenplays, so you know it’s going to be good. This movie is a comedy first and foremost, but it reminds us of the bond between father and daughter, and what your own child will experience. You can stream both on Hulu. 

5. Waitress

Before Waitress was a smash hit on Broadway, it was a lesser-known indie film starring Keri Russell. Russell is Jenna, a talented pie maker and small-town waitress who’s stuck in an abusive marriage and facing an unplanned pregnancy. Jenna then begins an affair with her married doctor, but this relationship doesn’t end how we think it will, nor is it the focal point of the film. Over time, Jenna gains the courage to love herself and her child enough to pursue her dreams with her daughter by her side. You can rent Waitress on Amazon Prime.

6. Life As We Know It

We all need a juicy rom-com now and then, and this one fits the bill. Holly and Eric, played by Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel, are as opposite as can be but are nevertheless set up on a blind date by their mutual best friends. The date is a disaster, with both parties swearing never to interact with one another ever again. But fate takes a turn when both Holly and Eric are named as the legal guardians for their friends’ baby girl. The two are forced into parenthood by outside forces, but their attraction for one another grows as they become a family. This movie isn’t your typical parenthood flick, as it’s really about two people who never planned to be parents raising a child and what that looks like. You can watch Life As We Know It on Netflix.

7. Where the Heart Is

Remember that movie that was always on cable TV in the early 2000s about the Walmart baby? This is that movie. Natalie Portman plays a young first-time mom, Novalee, who is abandoned by her child’s father at (you guessed it) a Walmart in the rural West. Novalee embraces being a single mom, and the pair soon become part of the community they were unexpectedly dropped into. This movie definitely scores high on the corny factor, but gives us insight into the power of motherhood, the strength of women, and the beauty of adopted family.

8. Baby Boom

Diane Keaton in ‘80s business casual isn’t all of our requirements in a must-watch film, but consider this one anyway. Keaton is a high-powered businesswoman on her way up the career ladder when she’s suddenly named the guardian of a baby, the daughter of distant relatives. She tries to juggle the demands of her job and newly-acquired motherhood, but soon finds the two at odds with one another – especially since her adopted child is often a touchpoint for her workplace rivals. Keaton’s character moves to the country to raise her child and is soon inspired to start her own business, and finds love in the process. You can stream it on Amazon Prime. 

9. Stepmom

Of all the movies that will tug at your heartstrings, this one takes the cake. Susan Sarandon is a mom divorced from her children’s father who struggles to accept his new (and younger) wife, played by Julia Roberts, as her children grapple with her cancer diagnosis. The two women eventually come to respect one another, and if you have a stepmom yourself or are a stepmom, this movie is instantly relatable.

10. Fools Rush In

Matthew Perry was never cuter than during his Friends era, and together with Salma Hayek, these two are a dramedy dream come true. Alex and Isabel meet in Las Vegas and engage in a Vegas-type fling, only for Isabel to later discover she’s pregnant. The two get married in a whirlwind but quickly realize how different their lifestyles and personalities are. Will they stay together for their baby, or will what happened in Vegas stay in Vegas? You can stream this one on Netflix. 

Closing Thoughts

Want to watch one or all of these? The good thing is you have three months shy of a year to complete the list! Add some popcorn while you’re at it. Baby will thank you.

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