While many shows take the plunge and write a pregnancy storyline into the show once an actress is pregnant in real life, others take a different route.
From hiding behind furniture and drastic wardrobe changes to creative new storylines, here are 19 ways TV shows have hidden pregnancies.
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
When Zooey Deschanel was pregnant during New Girl Season 5, they got really creative about hiding her baby bump. From a fall down some stairs to have her stuck in bed during the season premiere, to a scooter and sequestering her for jury duty, it made for a very different season for Jessica Day.
Ellen Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy has had to deal with this a lot, you guys. While Jessica Capshaw’s Arizona went overseas during her pregnancy, the writers went in a different direction with the show’s titular character, coming up with a liver transplant storyline that kept Meredith Grey in bed and well-hidden.
Alyson Hannigan, How I Met Your Mother
Mostly, Lily found herself hiding the bump in some obvious ways, but How I Met Your Mother did give her a reason to show off her bump more than once — only they showed it as a massive food baby instead!
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
On Modern Family, Claire Dunphy was hiding behind throw pillows and counters to hide the fact that Julie Bowen was actually pregnant during filming.
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Yes, 30 Rock used things like big coats to hide Jane Krakowski’s pregnancy, but maybe the best choice was just putting her in a giant dog suit. Hilarious.
Kelly Rutherford, Gossip Girl
Big sweaters and giant handbags really are the go-to, aren’t they? Well, that worked for Kelly Rutherford when she was pregnant and filming Gossip Girl during Season 2.
January Jones, Mad Men
During Mad Men Season 5, January Jones was 8 months pregnant, but it definitely wouldn’t have made sense for Betty to be. So, instead, her character just had dramatic weight-gain.
Charisma Carpenter, Angel
I mean, why hide a pregnancy when you can write in a whole storyline about being pregnant with an evil force? That’s what the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff, Angel, did with Cordelia’s character. Apparently, it was also a last minute decision since Chase didn’t reveal that she was pregnant right away.
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
The nice thing about comedy is when that can find excuses to hide behind all sorts of ridiculous things. And that’s just what Amy Poehler had to do on Parks and Recreation.
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Wardrobe changes and really big bags were just two of the tricks Scandal used to hide Kerry Washington’s baby bump. Add to that having her hide behind all sorts of objects, and it made playing Olivia Pope extra difficult.
Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City
Carrie Bradshaw wasn’t exactly going to be having a baby of her own on Sex and the City Season 5, so instead, her character’s fashion had to cover up Sarah Jessica Parker’s baby bump. That meant flowing dresses galore.
Keri Russell, The Americans
Keri Russell and husband Matthew Rhys, who are also married on the show, were expecting a child while filming the series. Mostly, her baby bump was disguised with things like big coats and grocery bags, though they also used CGI occasionally to erase the bump.
Gillian Anderson, The X-Files
When crafty camera angles and big coats will no longer do, you can always go with an alien abduction, right? Okay, not always, but if you’re The X-Files, you can totally get away with it.
Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show
When Phylicia Rashad was pregnant during Season 3 of The Cosby Show, she mostly sat behind desks or under blankets. She also carried big bags of groceries, and even hid behind this adorable giant bear.
Melissa Fumero, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
To cover up Melissa Fumer’s pregnancy, the show decided to have Amy and Jake head off on a cruise, giving her a wardrobe change that would make it easier to hide her baby belly, plus all kinds of things she could hide behind.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Seinfeld
Oversized clothes and big packages are the classic move to cover a baby bump, and that’s exactly what Seinfeld did when Julia Louis-Dreyfus was pregnant.
Jaime King, Hart of Dixie
While Rachel Bilson’s pregnancy was written into Hart of Dixie, Jaime King was hiding behind counters and carrying big bags. Just don’t look too closely, and you might not notice!
Angela Kinsey, The Office
The good thing about a show that’s shot in an office setting? Desks! For the most part, The Office was able to hide Angela Kinsey’s baby bump by just keeping her at her desk. No problem.
Ginnifer Goodwin, Once Upon a Time
Well, here’s one way to do it. Once Upon a Time’s costume department conveniently covered her body in more and more character-appropriate attire when the actress was expecting. Also funny? This is her real-life husband too!