6 Movies about Families of All Shapes and Sizes

When you’re going through fertility treatment, sometimes you just want a break – you want to lighten the mood and be entertained. A movie might sound like the perfect form of relief. But then again, you might find it difficult to watch something so outside of your reality that it makes you feel even more isolated in your journey.

If you’re feeling this way, you may want to watch a movie or a show you can relate to – and we’ve put together a shortlist for you. From a very realistic portrayal of the IVF journey to a coming of age movie about adoption, our movie, and show list is all about family-building in all its forms.

While all these movies might not be right for you and your particular situation – and none of these movies is by any means perfect, with many containing sensitive moments – you may want to consider these fertility and baby movies:

Private Life – Rated R (Drama)

This 2018 Netflix movie was a bit hit when it first came out because of the realistic nature of the film. If you want a hard look at IVF and the fertility rollercoaster, complete with all its ups and downs, check this one out. Watch on Netflix.

This is Us – Rated PG (A Serious Storyline)

The popular NBC show gained new fans recently when one of the show’s characters went through a lot: a miscarriage, an IVF journey fraught with weight struggles, and finally, premature labor. If you want a modern (but not perfect) perspective on the fertility journey, this show might be for you. Watch on Hulu.

Juno – Rated PG 13 (A serious storyline with comedic moments)

This 2007 movie probably isn’t for every woman struggling to conceive, but it is a coming-of-age classic that deals with an unplanned pregnancy, infertility, and the meeting of those two worlds: adoption. Rent from iTunes.

Up – Rated PG (An animated family film that touches on serious life events)

Up, a 2009 Pixar classic about a widowed senior looking for one more adventure in life, is not about fertility per se. But it is an inspiring, uplifting, and uniquely human animated movie about life that starts off with a remarkable silent opening scene that charts the arc of the widow’s life with his wife, from young adulthood to later years, and includes a scene about miscarriage that stays with you long after the credits roll. Watch on Disney+.

Look Who’s Talking – Rated PG 13 (Comedy)

This 1989 movie is also not about fertility treatment, as the movie’s lead, Kirstie Alley, gets pregnant naturally (but with a man who is not ready to commit). It is, however, about the unconventional family she creates with co-star John Travolta, the taxi driver who rushes her to the hospital during labor. Watch on Crackle.

Junior – Rated PG 13 (Comedy)

If you want something totally different, unrealistic, and light, check out this 1994 comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is a scientist that ends up becoming pregnant and delivering a baby in a fertility drug trial gone bizarre. Watch on Starz.