Even while pregnant, Kerry Washington filmed for “Scandal”, and while it might have been easy to get away with it in days past, viewers these days are savvy to the tricks filmmakers use. The producers gave Washington big, voluminous coats to wear, hid her behind objects that didn’t always make sense, and often shot her from the chest up.
It got so silly that TV Guide published an article titled “The 20 Most Ridiculous Ways “Scandal” Has Hidden Kerry Washington’s Pregnancy.” Washington reported that filming was difficult since her “instrument” was changing every day.
Lucille Ball — I Love Lucy
"I Love Lucy" broke ground in more ways than we can count. One of its most famous firsts was that Lucille was the first character pregnant on television. It seems almost incredible to think, but this was still during a time when TV couples slept in separate beds.
The actress Lucille was also pregnant at the same time, but they had to do things carefully just because the actress got pregnant before the character did. They gave her big coats to wear, which became the standard for hiding a growing belly. The show also shied away from using the word “pregnant” and went with terms like “expecting,” instead.
Alyson Hannigan — How I Met Your Mother
During the time Hannigan portrayed Lily Aldrin in "How I Met Your Mother", she got pregnant twice. Hannigan is quite a small woman, so they had to take drastic measures to hide a baby bump that no one could miss.
They did it all – big coats, black clothing, hiding her behind set pieces. But the best part about it is that the producers actually used the bump as a gag that has Lily taking part in a hot dog eating contest. The second time Hannigan got pregnant, the show gave Lily and her husband Marshall a baby at the same time, so they didn't need any tricks.
Cobie Smulders — How I Met Your Mother
Cobie Smulders, who played Robin Scherbatsky on "How I Met Your Mother", was in an interesting dilemma when she found out she was expecting. Her character didn't want to get pregnant or have children at all, and she found out in one dramatic moment in the mostly-comedic show that she was unable to get pregnant whatsoever.
So, when Smulders got in the family way, they had to fall back on big coats, suspicious framing, and having Robin hold things in front of her pregnant belly. In the 2015 film, "Unexpected", Smulders' character gets pregnant, which coincided with her own pregnancy, so it worked out well.
Debra Messing — Will & Grace
"Will & Grace" star Debra Messing loved to wear outfits that showed off her fit body, and her midriff in particular. So when Messing got pregnant and started hiding, fans weren't fooled for a moment.
She switched to more concealing clothing options and took to holding things in front of her abdomen – the basics. This went on for most of the sixth season but took a five-episode-break, most of it at the end of the season. It means that one of the title characters wasn't there for a full twenty percent of the season. It sure put a lot of pressure on Will, but he handled it.