Drama, Romance, & Baby Bumps: 7 K-Dramas Embracing Pregnancy On Screen

Romantic stories are the bread and butter of South Korean showmakers. These shows, however, usually start with the leads’ meet-cute and end with them getting together. If the protagonists do get to start a family, the actual pregnancy and childbirth usually take up no more than the last few minutes of a series.

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If you want to see a female character get pregnant and actually be pregnant for more than a few minutes, if the struggles and joys of an expecting period and having a new baby sound relatable to you, here are seven fan-recommended K-dramas that don't shy away from focusing on these topics.

Oh My Baby (2020)

IMDb rating: 7.0/10

Where to stream: Netflix, Viki, iQIYI, WeTV

Jang Ha-ri works at a parenting magazine, but at 39, she's not even close to having a child of her own. So she goes on a quest to have a baby before it might be too late. The problem is, she hasn't dated in years and has given up on love and marriage. Who will be the biological father of the baby? Ha-ri realizes that there are at least three possible candidates.

Hogu's Love (2015)

IMDb rating: 7.4/10

Where to stream: Prime Video, Tubi, Sling TV, Pluto TV

The male lead of this drama has always been in love with his beautiful, popular, and unattainable classmate. Years later, at the school reunion, he gets the chance to spend time with the woman of his dreams. Little does he know, she's hiding a secret that could ruin her life: she's pregnant.

Birthcare Center (2020)

IMDb rating: 7.5/10

Where to stream: Netflix

The drama is more about the challenges of parenthood than pregnancy, but it fits the theme perfectly. Oh Hyun-jin is a successful businesswoman who has no idea what to do with her new baby. After giving birth, she enrolls in an elite postpartum care center, where she meets all kinds of moms in their postnatal period and makes friends.

Heard It Through the Grapevine (2015)

IMDb rating: 7.8/10

Where to stream: Viki, Kocowa

This drama stars a teenage couple, the well-mannered son of a wealthy family and an ambitious girl from a poor neighborhood. When the girl becomes pregnant, the couple must fight for their love and independence against the male lead's egotistical, wealthy and corrupt father.

Fated to Love You (2014)

IMDb rating: 7.9/10

Where to stream: Netflix, Viki, Kocowa, iQIYI

The K-drama has an alternate title: You Are My Destiny. Pregnancy is a driving force of the main story. In fact, it comes before romance. A chaebol CEO and a timid office worker sleep together through a bizarre accident, and the female lead becomes pregnant. Since the CEO needs an heir, they become an unwilling couple and gradually learn to love each other.

Flower of Evil (2020)

IMDb rating: 8.6/10

Where to stream: Netflix, Viki

Flower of Evil is first and foremost a thriller about a police detective who, while investigating a murder, discovers that her husband of many years is keeping secrets from her and may not even be who he says he is. However, there are flashbacks that show the protagonists' lives before they met, their marriage, pregnancy, and family life as a whole.

Our Blues (2022)

IMDb rating: 8.6/10

Where to stream: Netflix

This drama is a touching, therapeutic slice of life about the residents of the isolated island of Jeju. The ensemble cast includes a teenage couple who discover they are expecting a child and struggle with the situation. While this means depicting the darker side of pregnancy, their story is bittersweet and very powerful.