Top 10 Funniest Ways TV Shows Covered Up Actresses Pregnancy

Fans of this sitcom will know that Angela Martin was “Little Preg” in Season 8– but in season 4, actress Angela Kinsey was pregnant in real life. Since her character wasn’t pregnant this time, she used some typical and not-so-typical ways to hide her baby bump. Playing a character in an office environment sure came in handy. Angela was often filmed in her cubicle, at the Xerox machine, or hiding behind objects. But in a particularly memorable scene from Season 4’s “Goodbye, Toby,” Angela and Dwight find themselves in a… compromising position, to say the least. She might’ve been caught in the act, but her pregnancy wasn’t!

This actress has openly discussed gaining eighty pounds during her pregnancy. Instead of making Carrie Heffernan pregnant, this sitcom embraced Leah’s weight gain in a very convenient way. In a recurring storyline, Carrie finds herself looking for work, but also lounging around in sweats or a bathrobe – perfect outfits for concealing a baby bump! She can also be seen clutching a pillow on her stomach, or relaxing in bed. Carrie finds work just as Leah’s pregnancy becomes more noticeable, giving her more ways to hide her bump. We actually get brief shots of her pregnancy towards the season finale, but overall, we’d say this cover-up worked in Carrie and Leah’s favor.

Elaine Benes didn’t have kids of her own, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a mother of two. Julia was pregnant throughout Season 3 of “Seinfeld.” Since Elaine wasn’t expecting, the producers had to get creative. There were the usual larger coats and hiding behind objects. In Season 3’s “The Subway,” Elaine is on her way to a lesbian wedding, wearing an oversized red coat and carrying her gift on her stomach. Things get claustrophobic pretty quick, and the subway stalls for what seems like an eternity. What results is Elaine’s totally relatable and hilarious internal monologue. Pregnant or not, we’ve all been there. Elaine also went to Europe for the first couple episodes of Season 4, returning after Julia’s maternity leave.

This actress, who played Maxwell Sheffield’s business partner C.C. Babcock, was expecting throughout Season 5 of “The Nanny.” C.C. drops some very obvious hints that Lauren Lane is having a baby. She first jokes about another pregnant sitcom star, and carries the usual large props. In an especially funny scene, C.C. later enters with a giant sign that says, “BABY.” There’s no subtlety whatsoever, but that’s what makes it work. As Lauren’s pregnancy progressed, so did Maxwell, Fran, and C.C.’s love triangle. After Maxwell and Fran become engaged in a later episode, the devastated C.C. is institutionalized. But not to worry – she comes back soon enough!

For much of “New Girl’s” fifth season, this adorkable actress and singer was pregnant. The show used conventional and not so conventional ways to hide her growing bump. In the season premiere, Zooey was not far along, so they stuck to the usual baggier clothes and hiding behind objects. And of course, no premiere is complete without Jess falling down stairs and using a motorized scooter. By episode 3, Zooey was further along, so Jess began serving on jury duty, which gave her plenty of screen time sitting down. Megan Fox served as a replacement roommate until Jess’ return.

Being a doctor is not an easy job, especially at Seattle Grace. Ever wonder why Lexie stuffed her face in Season 5? In real life, Chyler Leigh was pregnant – so while “Grey’s Anatomy” used the usual filming techniques to hide her baby bump, they also made Lexie stress eat. Lexie chows down at home, but especially at work. She’s also got quite the sweet tooth, craving Reese’s cups, Twinkies, and chocolate. Frankly, we don’t blame her. All this stress eating causes Lexie to put on a bit of weight, which leads to a brutally honest, but cheeky comment from sister Meredith. Humongous butt or not, though, the Greys are as close as ever.

While Niles and Daphne have their own baby in the series finale, Jane Leeves was pregnant throughout Season 8. Instead of hiding the pregnancy in a conventional way, the show had an ingenious solution. Daphne starts overeating, and even hides snacks around the apartment. Strangely enough, everyone but Niles seems to notice. That is, until she falls and can’t get up. After some heavy lifting by Niles, Frasier, and Martin Crane, she’s back up again. As her overeating goes from bad to worse, Niles suggests she goes to a weight loss retreat, which explains her absence for a few episodes. As far as covering up a pregnancy goes, this way is funny, clever, and poignant all at once.

Unlike some other shows on this list, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” didn’t always hide Melissa Fumero’s pregnancy. Early on, they chose the usual oversized bags, coats, and even a gift basket. But as Season 3 progressed, the show decided to make the most out of her growing bump. In the episode “Maximum Security,” Amy goes undercover as a pregnant prisoner after Rosa’s fake bump backfires. While Amy’s real identity is under wraps, her pregnancy sure isn’t! She tries to get information from inmate Maura Figgis, putting herself in all kinds of danger – well, at least Jake thinks so. Amy earns Maura’s trust regardless, making her one badass mama-to-be on and off-screen.

To quote “30 Rock” executive producer Robert Carlock, “No child should have Jenna Maroney for a mother.” So when Jane Krakowski became pregnant with her son, the show went to great lengths to hide her bump. They started out with conventional tricks, like having Jenna hold bags and filming her sitting down, but as her pregnancy continued, they came up with more unique ideas. The notoriously non-maternal Jenna suddenly really wants a baby, and even has a hysterical pregnancy. In the fifth season finale, Jenna outdoes herself, walking around Central Park in an oversized dog costume. “30 Rock” not only covered up Jane’s pregnancy, they also used it to her character’s advantage.

This actress’ second pregnancy was written into Season 7 of this beloved sitcom. However, the show decided to hide Alyson’s first pregnancy in Season 4 – that is, until we learn about The Gang’s résumés. While the friends discuss entries that don’t have anything to do with their current jobs, Lily’s résumé shows her to be quite the competitive eater. Back in 1995, Lily won a hot dog eating contest after downing 29 dogs in only 8 minutes. As she is proclaimed the winner, Lily “The Belly” Aldrin lives up to her nickname, revealing Alyson’s real-life baby bump. Hilarious and incredibly creative, this pregnancy cover-up is not only our number 1; it’s also legen – wait for it – dary.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite hidden baby bump? For more motherly Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.