The 20 Best Shows for New Moms to Binge Watch

So you’ve just had a baby. You might find that you have a lot of time on your hands. Time when you’re stuck in the house all day and night, attached to a warm little body who is completely dependent on you. Your house is a mess, you haven’t slept in days, weeks or months, and you are starting to resent the fact that no one has come to visit. You haven’t managed to shower in a day or two (or five), and you can’t even remember how to cook. What’s a new mom (or dad!) to do?

That’s right. Watch Netflix. Or Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime. Whether your situation is temporary or you’re becoming a full time stay-at-home parent, there’s a great show for every mood you will find yourself in. Check out these 20 great shows that will make you laugh, cry, and remember how great life used to be and will be again.

1. Gilmore Girls. Whether you have a daughter or are a daughter, you won’t be able to help but love the Lorelais. You’ll rage when you see Rory making the same mistakes her mom made, and you’ll sympathize with Lorelai when you watch her try to be a better mother than the one she had. Romance, rock and roll and some fast-paced dialogue will help you to remember that there is life past all the late-night feedings.

2. Parenthood. If you loved Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore, you’ll love her in Parenthood. She is part of an amazing cast that comes together to portray the Braverman family, three generations of people who go through the highs and lows of love, loss, marriage and babies. It’ll keep you in mind of the magic that it is to be a parent and watch your children grow up.

3. The Mindy Project. If you’re starting to resent your new baby and think fondly back on what it was like to be a single lady, Mindy Lahiri will remind you of all that you should be thankful to forget. A modern-day Bridget Jones, Dr L. is plagued by boy troubles, work drama and an ever-present need to prove she is beautiful and smart, no matter what anyone else thinks. You’ll be happy as a clam to have your little family and have left all your singleton drama behind.

4. Nashville. A TV show all about country music stars, featuring some amazingly talented singers, Nashville is pure escapism. You’ll have plenty of eye candy to keep you excited, and the music that flows through the show will get stuck in your head AND keep the baby calm in the way that only good music can.

5. New Girl. Zooey Deschanel is adorkable in this cute and funny comedy about a 20-something school teacher who moves in with a loft full of boys. The sexual tension is always on display, but it’s the friendships that make the show solid gold. It’s a great reminder that good friends make all the difference. Maybe call yours and get them to come over and see the new baby?

6. Orange Is the New Black. Watching this Netflix original, you might find you relate to Piper’s incarceration. After all, being at the beck and call of a new baby can oftentimes make you feel like you’re in prison. Being forced to do all the manual labor that you just aren’t prepared for while being grossed out constantly by one new diaper explosion after another will make you seriously consider giving up men altogether.

7. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Another Netflix original! Kimmy is a small-town girl who is rescued after being kept in an underground bunker for the past 15 years with three other women. Her super positive attitude will help you remember that you can get through this. After all, as Kimmy says, “You can do anything for ten seconds.”

8. Weeds. A reminder that moms will do anything to keep the family afloat, even if it means selling drugs, fleeing the country or going to jail. If you ever wanted to feel like there’s a possibility of looking like a MILF one day, Mary-Louise Parker will help you keep the faith.

9. The Office. If you’re missing your days as a working girl, watching the gang at Dunder Mifflin might just remind you of all the people you are happy to have left behind! Plus, let’s face it, watching Jim and Pam fall in love is just one of the sweetest things ever.

10. The White Queen. What’s better than a British mini-series based on historical romance novels? The White Queen offers sex, war, love, more sex and beautiful cinematography that will transport you to another time and place. Perfect for when you want to be anywhere but here.

11. Game of Thrones. New moms are the best people to watch gory shows like GoT. After seeing a bloody human ripped from your own loins, dealing with the afterbirth and weeks of bleeding and lochia, seeing your baby’s umbilical cord fall off and dealing with every kind of bodily fluid, nothing you see on TV is going to bother you again. May as well see what everyone’s been talking about.

12. Doctor Who. For the sci-fi geek in you, Doctor Who can’t be beat. But even if it’s not necessarily your thing, there’s plenty to love about this awesome franchise. Sexy leading men, out-of-this-world humor, drama that will bring you to tears and even that little bit of romance to keep you interested, you will fall in love with the Doctor and his many companions.

13. Once Upon a Time. Having a new baby will bring out the kid in you. You’ll start remembering all the fairy tales and Disney movies you loved as a child. But you’re not a child. You’re a mom now. And you like your fairy tales a little darker. This show twists up your favorite fairy tales and makes them a must-watch.

14. Friends. Ah, remember the carefree days of your 20s? Before kids and partners and mortgages? This ’90s classic will remind you of how much fun you used to have and remind you just how important your best friends are. Maybe give them a call. Go on, we’ll wait!

15. Portlandia. A satirical show about the inhabitants of Portland, Oregon, this show is utterly absurd. Providing constant smart humor, it’ll help you feel somewhat like yourself again — a smart, capable woman of the world.

16. Futurama. Ah, a classic grown-up cartoon that will provide belly laughs when you really need them. This is the story of a loser pizza delivery guy who falls into cryostasis just before midnight on New Year’s Eve 1999 and wakes up 1000 years later to find everyone he’s ever known gone and the world a very different place. This is great for those really late nights when you have no attention span and just want something to watch.

17. 3rd Rock from the Sun. If you grew up in the ’90s, you’ll remember this hilarious show about four aliens who come to Earth to observe how humanity works. Finding themselves in strange new bodies with strange new emotions, this killer cast (including a very young Joseph Gordon Levitt) will be totally relatable when you’re acclimating to your new role as “mom.”

18. 30 Rock. A show about a show. What could be more fun? Tina Fey kills it as the inimitable Liz Lemon, a woman of a certain age who has put career before everything and wants something more. Another great show to remind you that the grass is always greener.

19. Modern Family. A mockumentary-style TV show following Jay Pritchett and his brood, a very … you guessed it … modern family. Whatever your own situation, you’ll find fun in this dysfunctional family dynamic!

20. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you just need to be reminded that you are a strong, beautiful, powerful woman, this show will show you that girls can kick some major ass. Not exactly family-focused, Buffy is great for getting your groove back.

Happy binge- watching, mamas!

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