Just like in real life, a character giving birth on any TV show is a major event that usually makes for a special episode for the series. Over the years, the portrayal of pregnancy and childbirth on television has changed dramatically and gone from a time where Lucy wasn’t allowed to say the word “pregnant” on I Love Lucy to entire shows built around various fertility treatments.
And while childbirth is certainly not the only topic that can make for a milestone episode, it is certainly one of the more common, although it’s not always dealt with in the most realistic manner. Nonetheless, both sitcoms and dramas have handled the topic of childbirth in their own hilarious and dramatic ways by creating some of the best episodes on television.
Full House: “Happy Birthday, Babies” (Season 5 – Episodes 9 & 10)
The extended Tanner family grew by two during season five when Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky welcomed their twins in one of the best Full House episodes of all time. The birth of Nicky and Alex was so iconic that the show dedicated an entire hour to chronicling Aunt Becky’s childbirth experience.
The first part of the episode begins with the family getting ready to celebrate Michelle’s fifth birthday, which ends early when Becky announces she’s in labor. Later at the hospital, Jesse discovers he must have his appendix removed, nearly missing the birth of the twins.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air: “The Baby Comes Out” (Season 3 – Episode 20)
Season 3 was a huge season for Vivian on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Not only did she announce she was pregnant and give birth to her son, but it also marked the last season Vivian was portrayed by Janey Hubert-Whitten, who left the show when the season concluded.
Despite being a week past her delivery date, Vivian’s family isn’t too concerned about the delay and instead, they go out to a beauty salon, leaving Vivian alone with Geoffrey, who can’t drive, and Ashley, who’s only 13.
This Is Us: “Pilot” (Season 1 – Episode 1)
NBC’s smash hit This Is Us only needed to air one episode for critics and fans to realize how special the show was. In fact, the show became one of the highest-rated broadcast shows in recent years.
Despite jumping between timelines, the real heart of the pilot episode is set in the past and follows Rebecca and Jack as they prepare to welcome triplets into the world. Unfortunately, one of the triplets doesn’t make it, which is a heartbreaking moment for the couple, but one that leads them to adopt Randall. Rebecca’s difficult pregnancy is a reminder that while pregnancy is beautiful, it can also be dangerous, and the episode was important as it raised awareness of the impact of losing a child in labor and portrayed it in a sensitive way.
The Office: “The Delivery” (Season 6 – Episodes 17 & 18)
The employees of Dunder Mifflin welcomed a few babies over the years, but Jim and Pam’s first baby is arguably one of the most memorable moments of the show,
In the episode, Pam is determined not to check into the hospital until midnight so that she can stay an extra night without having to pay for it. Unfortunately, her contractions start coming while at work. Jim and the rest of the office eventually convince her to go to the hospital, where she eventually gives birth to a beautiful baby girl.
Friends: “The One Where Rachel Has The Baby” (Season 8 – Episodes 23 & 24)
“The One Where Rachel Has The Baby” is a two-part episode that is now a fan favorite. It’s also full of humor and extremely relatable for couples who have endured long labors, like Rachel.
After being over-due, Rachel finally goes into labor at the start of this two-part episode. Unfortunately, her labor is anything but fast and easy and Rachel is left laboring for an extremely long time while watching her “roommates” come and go. Eventually, Rachel gives birth, but now faces the impossible task of naming her daughter.
Jane The Virgin: “Chapter 22” (Season 1 – Episode 22)
The entirety of the first season of Jane the Virgin is building up to the moment that Jane gives birth to her son. Thankfully, the season one finale did not disappoint and even depicted two births — flashing back to Xiomara giving birth to Jane.
The episode is a rollercoaster from start to finish, with Jane faking contractions as a prank, suffering Braxton Hicks contractions, and then going into full labor within the hour episode. In the end, Jane gives birth surrounded by her family, including her mother, who makes it back just in time.
Friends: “The One Hundredth” (Season 5 – Episode 3)
Friends had a few childbirth episodes over its iconic 10-year run, but a fan favorite remains the episode where Phoebe gives birth to her brother’s triplets. The episode is also iconic because it was the show’s 100th episode – a major milestone for any television show.
After nine months of carrying the triplets, it’s finally time to deliver them, so the gang rushes to the hospital to support Phoebe. The birth is a rollercoaster ride, with Pheobe demanding new doctors and begging Rachel to convince her brother to let her keep one of the babies. In the end, Phoebe delivers all three triplets and spends a heartwarming moment together with them before giving them to her brother and sister-in-law.
Superstore: “Delivery Day” (Season 4 – Episode 5)
NBC’s Superstore didn’t need a pregnancy storyline, but after America Ferrera, who plays Amy, got pregnant in real life, they decided to write the pregnancy into the show. The show doubled down and also had Dina become pregnant as a surrogate for Glenn.
Of course, both women end up in labor together, however, their labors are extremely different. With two pregnancies, Superstore was able to tackle the financial hardship that affects some new parents thanks to complications with insurance. In the end, both Amy and Dina give birth to healthy babies in what becomes a comedic and memorable episode.
Grey’s Anatomy: “Perfect Storm” (Season 9 – Episode 24)
While Grey’s Anatomy has featured its fair share of patients going into labor on the iconic medical drama series, the main character, Meredith, also experiences the highs and lows of childbirth for the first time.
In true Grey’s Anatomy fashion, though, Meredith’s birth is all parts dramatic. When Seattle is hit with a major superstorm that knocks out the power at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, the doctors must figure out a way to carry on treating their patients, including helping Meredith give birth to her son via C-section.
Murphy Brown: “Birth 101” (Season 4 – Episode 26)
While there are a lot of classic sitcoms that handled childbirth in different ways depending on the rules of the time, Murphy Brown tackled pregnancy and childbirth in an entirely revolutionary way and it created quite the political backlash in the process.
Murphy Brown was the poster-woman for career-driven women of the time and when she got pregnant after a one-night stand with her ex-husband, she became even more inspiring for women when she decided to become a single mother. The birth was revolutionary for TV shows of the time (and for real-life society) because Murphy’s husband was not by her side or in the delivery room. Instead, she was surrounded by her friends from the new’s station, who became her family.
