Gimme Me Some of That Baby Mama Drama

We've all seen those TV shows and movies that over exaggerate the pregnancy glow and how wonderful it is to be pregnant (I mean, don't get me wrong, being pregnant is an incredible thing. You are literally creating a new human being inside of your body. It's totally badass) but they never show the down sides and/or complications of being pregnant.

In "What To Expect When You're Expecting" they do a phenomenal job showing how different women's bodies react to pregnancy in a light and fun way. Sometimes you are super lucky and breeze through with minimal complications like Skyler (played by Brooklyn Decker) or the opposite side of the spectrum like Wendy (played by Elizabeth Banks) who not only has a difficult time conceiving, but has the pregnancy from hell.

They also delve into other issues women (and couples) run into like miscarriages (Anna Kendrick's character Rosie) and the adoption process (Jennifer Lopez's character Holly).

Though this movie is riddled with hilarity, it still presented a realistic view of what pregnancy and parenthood could be like for some couples and for that, I really appreciate this movie.

If you were completely enamored with this movie I highly recommend watching these three next.

The Back-up Plan (available on DVD, Amazon Video)

Trying to become a parent is no easy feat, but try falling in love at the same time. Zoe (played by Jennifer Lopez) has got her life on track. She's got a place of her own and a successful business. Only thing she feels that she's missing is a baby. Ready to become a mom, Zoe makes the executive decision to get inseminated. On that fateful day, as she leaves her OB/GYN office a perfect stranger, Stan (played by Alex O'Loughlin), tries to steal her cab. From this moment on, their paths are crossed.

As she falls in love with Stan, a handsome cheese farmer, Zoe discovers that the insemination was not only successful, but that she's having twins! Zoe is overjoyed to become a mom and yet worries she might lose her dream guy. Stan wonders if he's bit off more than he can chew. Will they be able to make it work?

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So reasons why I love this movie:

1. It puts a new twist on the rom-com arc. If you LOVE rom-coms (or really just seeing beautiful shirtless men) I highly suggest this movie for you. It's got all of the ups and downs and the inevitable romance that we crave from a good rom-com.

2. It's fun and shows an unconventional side of pregnancy--insemination, something of which I feel isn't talked about much and maybe even a little taboo when there is nothing wrong with being a single mother.

3. Single Mothers and Proud. Zoe finds a nice mother's group led by Carol (played by Melissa McCarthy). It might be a little bit on the cult side (seems totally normal until one of the mother's is doing a home birth in a kiddie pool and all the ladies start chanting), but it is the perfect amount of normal to ridiculous ratio to keep this movie light and upbeat.

4. Despite the absurdity of the mother's group and the love drama, there's the reality of just simply being overwhelmed by all of the options (because honestly there should not be that many different options for strollers, bottles, etc.) as well as the changes there Zoe's body goes through with her growing belly.

The Let Down (available on Netflix)

Nobody said it would be this hard. Brand new moms have come through the other side from baby bump to new born and struggle with their new day to day lives. Audrey (played by Alison Bell) is attempting to acclimate to being a mom after a really rough delivery, something she still physically struggles with. She joins a mother's group to help her get out of the house and the merry band of mother's she meets helps her understand that not everyone has an easy of a go of being a new mom (whether it's the first or second or third time).

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Reasons why I love this show:

1. This show dives into the lives of six different woman who come from drastically different backgrounds.

• You have Audrey and her partner Jeremy (played by Duncan Fellows) who are trying their best at being first time parents and in all honesty have a bit of a rough go.
• Sophie (Lucy Durack) who kind of has the whole parent thing figured out and spends her days instagraming her new bundle of joy while struggling with the new changes of her body.
• Ester (Sacha Horler) who is a working mom; she's a strong business woman who goes back to work fairly quickly while her husband struggles with wanting to continue to be an At Home Dad.
• Barbara (Celeste Barber) who is a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) and this isn't her first rodeo, shows how it doesn't necessarily get easier with the more you have.
• Martha (Laura Vandenburg) is a closet-lesbian (mostly just from her very strict family) and had a fellow member of the orchestra be her sperm donor; though it turns out that he's kind of in love with her and wants to be a part of their baby's life despite previous agreements.
• Georgia (Xana Tang) who is a New Age mom and does everything a little bit different than the other moms.

It's these collective differences that draws you in and creates the dynamics of the show between the characters.

2. Despite not being a mom yet, I feel like I'm definitely an Audrey. She struggles with unfolding the stroller and forgets her baby in the car on her first day of mom's group. The characters in this show, even if you haven't been in their shoes, feel super relatable. They aren't super glamorous. They look like everyday women with everyday problems.

3. It's messy. Audrey deals with leaky breasts. Sophie has a loose bladder. Someone almost always has some kind of food or baby vomit in their hair or on their clothes. It's real. Having kids isn't always pretty and I appreciate that so so much that they've captured that in a TV show.

Workin' Moms (available on Netflix)

Four moms are reaching the end of their maternity leave and have to make the hard adjustment of returning to work. With struggles of separation anxiety and postpartum, these moms are trying to figure out what's the right path for them. Filled with hilarity and real life struggles with the help of an over eccentric mom's group leader, together these women find their way with the most important fact: it's ok to not always be a good mom.

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Reasons why I love this show:

1. Val Szalinsky (played by Sarah McVie) is the glue that holds this show together. She leads this unconventional group of mothers with a twist of her own. She's just the right amount of crazy to take the pressure off of being a new mom.

2. Different perspectives from different backgrounds:

• Kate Foster (Catherine Reitman) is a first time mom who didn't think it would be such a struggle to return to work. She finds herself trying to be the perfect balance between being the perfect mom and perfect business woman.
• Anne Carlson (Dani Kind) a second time mom, and Kate's BFF, goes back to work as a therapist. She used to work out of her home, but with a baby crying it makes it hard to find that perfect balance of peace for her clients.
• Frankie Coyne (Juno Ruddell) is a real estate agent and used to be the best at her firm. But with worsening postpartum symptoms she risks her job and her relationship with her partner Giselle (Olunike Adeliyi) who begs her to seek help.
• Jenny Matthews (Jessalyn Wanlim) works in an office and finds that she enjoys being at work and misses the freedoms of being young more than she does being a mom. Riddled with guilt, she tries to find a balance and where she wants to go in life next.

3. You feel like "one of the girls." Kate and Anne have this fantastic relationship and bond and watching them really feels like I could be one of them. They talk shit about people they both dislike, they're real about the struggles of being a mom and complain about their partners.

4. Frankie's character might be ever so slightly unhinged, but I think that's why I love her even more. She's definitely a handful and keeps you on your toes. I feel her struggles and only want the best for her, even though at times she can be a bit of a dumpster fire.

Whether you are looking for a new show to watch on a girl's night or just want something real and possibly an insight into what the future might hold, I highly recommend these three: The Back-Up Plan, The Let Down, and Workin' Moms. They are fun and witty and real. Life is complicated and messy and these shows and movie encompass those feelings with the theatrical flare for the dramatics!