Entertainment
11 TV Shows That Are “Dangerous” To Watch When You’re Pregnant
Full disclosure? I did not enjoy being pregnant. I was exhausted, uncomfortable, experienced complications, and was in a constant state of worry. To make matters worse, I am super-sensitive when I’m not pregnant. In other words, I had a tendency to cry at otherwise lame commercials or when I found out my local grocery store ran out of my favorite ice cream. So believe me when I say there are some TV shows that are straight-up dangerous to watch when you’re pregnant. Consider yourself fully warned.
For instance, pregnant people absolutely do not want to watch medical shows. Trust me. I guarantee you that if you do, you will spend the rest of the day Googling pregnancy symptoms and worrying about some rare illness or pregnancy complication. The same goes for emotionally-charged dramas. Don't do it. Every single one on air will make you cry when things are sad and when good things finally happen to your favorite characters.
Because I was nauseated during my pregnancy, cooking shows were a seriously bad idea, too. And if I watched something that made me laugh, I was likely to pee my pants. I finally switched the channel to HGTV, which just made me want to redecorate my house before my baby was born. And don't even get me started on shows that feature pregnant characters. It was such a bad idea.
I honestly started to think that nothing was safe to watch while pregnant, especially the following:
'This Is Us'
OK, so I am so sensitive and sentimental that I should probably never watch This Is Us, pregnant or not. I can't get through an episode without crying. Pregnant people should never watch this show, unless they want the next week randomly crying.
'Game of Thrones'
I made the mistake of trying to binge watch Game of Thrones while pregnant. I would fall asleep in the middle of episodes and wake up to find my favorite character had died. It was horrifying and so depressing. Not to mention that the show's tendency to show graphic violence against women made me physically ill. I just couldn't stop watching, though. Such a mistake.
'Grey's Anatomy'
I think I have probably watched enough Grey's Anatomy in my lifetime to qualify as a surgeon, or at the very least a surgical intern. I deeply regret watching this show while pregnant, though. Every time there was a pregnant patient, I would worry about my pregnancy. Pregnancy loss or complications would make me weep, then worry, then weep some more.
'Law & Order SVU'
I think there's an episode of Law & Order SVU on television whenever I turn it on. It draws you in, and then makes you lose faith in humanity, which is exactly how you don't want to feel during your pregnancy.
'Master Chef Junior'
I don't know if it is the adorable kids trying their hardest, the fact that Gordon Ramsay can actually be nice to people, or the sight of all that food, but damn, Master Chef Junior was hard to watch when I was growing another human inside my body.
'Gilmore Girls'
Gilmore Girls has always been my happy place. As a single mom, Lorelai was my hero, and I literally watched Rory grow up from an innocent awkward kid into a not-so-innocent but still awkward adult. I totally thought it would be safe to watch while pregnant. Not a chance. Too. Many. Feelings.
'Call The Midwife'
I don't know what I was thinking watching a show about birth. Not only did the show's raw portrayal of what prenatal care and childbirth was like in England before women had access to birth control make me angry, but it made me worry about the possibility that something could go wrong during my own labor and delivery.
'Jessica Jones'
Jessica Jones is one of my favorite shows. It has badass women doing badass things, is sexy AF, and it deals with trauma and the human condition better than most shows about people who aren't vigilantes and villains. However, this realism is exactly why pregnant people should not watch it. It's too raw and horrible.
'Jane The Virgin'
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Jane the Virgin. It's smart, sexy, funny, and deals with topics related to pregnancy and new motherhood in such a thoughtful way. It's sort of like your BFF in show form. While pregnant, though, the show made me laugh so hard I peed my pants. So dangerous.
'Downton Abbey'
I was on bed rest when I decided to binge watch Downton Abbey. It was a welcome diversion from my state of perpetual boredom, and I became my guilty pleasure. Then one of the characters got pregnant, and ended up having the same pregnancy complication as I did. It made things so much more terrifying.
'The Outlander'
I have been following the love affair between Claire and Jamie since I first read The Outlander series years ago. There's something about seeing it unfold on the screen, though, that made me weep like a baby when I was pregnant. Worse, because I had read the books, I knew what was going to happen. It was so traumatic to watch, especially while I was pregnant.
