As postpartum doulas, we recommend resting as your MO in the first few weeks after birth. Like really, seriously resting. You should be sitting down or lying down the majority of the time, like the saying “five days in the bed, five days on the bed, five days on the couch” suggests. After all, a human just came out of your body!
When you’re lounging in bed or hanging out on the couch, you need entertainment. And while we’re fully in favor of heavy postpartum phone usage (especially if you’re using our free My Fourth app for daily guidance and/or texting our postpartum doulas!), it’s also a good idea to load up your queue with some binge-worthy shows. Cuddle your baby during those long feeding sessions and experience the joy that is the postpartum TV show marathon.
Our postpartum show recommendations are all fun and relatively light. The shows you watch on maternity leave shouldn’t come with heavy themes like murder or violence….because postpartum hormone swings + scary TV isn’t a great mix. Unless, of course, that’s your thing, in which case, you do you!
Here are our picks for awesome TV shows to binge watch when you’re postpartum.
15 Best Postpartum TV Shows
1. Call The Midwife (Netflix): It’s such a classic and especially emotional if you’re a new parent. There are some birth scenes and scenarios that may be triggering, so avoid if you had a difficult or traumatic birth.
2. Workin’ Moms (Netflix): A show about working mothers in Canada, trying to balance motherhood, work, and everything else. It’s a fave among new moms!
3. Babies (Netflix): This documentary series on Netflix shows 15 families around the world during their babies’ first year of life. Covering everything from bonding to sleep, this show is as educational as it is adorable.
4. Full Bloom (HBO Max): This soothing show is, essentially, a competition for florists. But’s it’s so much more than that! Uplifting and overall feel-good, it’s the perfect thing to watch after birth.
5. Parenthood (Netflix): This show is a tear-jerker in the best possible way. Following a big Bay Area family, it touches on all of the best and worst parts of being a parent (as well as having a parent!)
6. The Great British Baking Show (Netflix): Another super soothing fave. No one can be sad while watching charming British people bake cakes, cookies, and pastries.
7. Bunheads (Hulu): Starring Sutton Foster, this older Amy Sherman-Palladino show about a Las Vegas showgirl who moves to a small town to teach dance only had one season—but it was uber-memorable.
8. The Letdown (Netflix): A hilarious Australian show about new parenthood. This is so true to life—get ready to identify with the main character and her friends!
9. Never Have I Ever (Netflix): A funny, smart show about an Indian-American teenage girl and her experiences attending high school. It’s the perfect mind escape from boobs, bottles, and baby butts.
10. Glow Up (Netflix): Aspiring makeup artists compete for a prize. Fun to watch and marvel at the incredible skills of these artists!
11. Dance Academy (Netflix): An Australian show about students at a dance high school. Strangely addicting!
12. Insecure (HBO MAX): A fun, real look into the world of young Black women in Los Angeles. Issa and Molly’s friendship is so real.
13. Emily In Paris (Netflix): Pure, frothy escapism. In Paris!
14. The Office (Peacock): A hilarious feel-good classic for a reason, The Office is a light choice to watch during your fourth trimester.
15. Blackish (Hulu): Funny and relatable show about a Black family. There’s seven seasons, so lots to queue up!
Whatever you choose to watch, get set up with your baby, your baby feeding supplies, some healthy snacks and a big old water bottle. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy.
About Major Care: Major Care is a doula-led maternal health company on a mission to tackle America’s postpartum care gap. We blend the power of guided learning with the support of virtual postpartum experts to create a safer and more supported experience for parents while addressing a $14B+ problem for providers, employers and payers. The My Fourth app, which is free, blends self-guided learning with virtual care. It includes a postpartum prep toolkit and six full weeks of daily guides to life after birth, with videos and content covering physical recovery, emotional health, lactation, relationships, and baby care. The app also offers plans for texting and video sessions with a diverse team of on-call doulas and lactation experts.