When filming for a series, especially ones that span multiple seasons, the actors go through many phases of their lives. It’s not uncommon for actors to go through pregnancy while shooting, and many shows either include it in the storyline or hide it completely.

Here’s a look at five times actor's real life pregnancy on TV shows was creatively managed.

1. Lisa Kudrow On ‘Friends’

When Lisa Kudrow got pregnant on the 4th season of Friends, the makers of the hugely popular series included it in the show. Her character, Phoebe, became a surrogate for her half-brother, Frank Buffay Jr, and his wife, Alice Knight.

It was a wholesome development in the series and the shooting process was just as heartwarming. Kudrow shared in an interview about a little pre-show ritual she and fellow cast members used to do before filming and how her pregnancy changed it.

The six of us would do a huddle backstage and just say, ‘All right, have a good show, love you love you love you love you.’ And when I was pregnant, then they would say, ‘Have a great show, love you love you - love you, little Julian!’ Cause we knew it was a boy and that it was his name.

The actress and her husband Michael Stern welcomed son Julian Murray Stern on May 6, 1998.

2. Chandra Wilson On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Chandra Wilson was expecting her youngest son, Michael, during the filming for the second season of Grey’s Anatomy. Conveniently, Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, had decided that she wanted to focus on Dr. Bailey’s (Wilson’s character) personal life.

In the end, we got a dramatic arc that involved Dr. Bailey giving birth, the brain surgery of her husband, as well as a bomb in the hospital.

3. Jessica Capshaw On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Chandra Wilson wasn’t the only actress who got pregnant while working on Grey’s Anatomy. Jessica Capshaw, who plays Dr. Arizona Robbins, got pregnant during the medical drama’s seventh season.

However, unlike Wilson’s pregnancy, Capshaw’s was dealt with differently. Her character was sent to Africa, making her break up with Callie Torres.

4. Alyson Hannigan On ‘How I Met Your Mother’

Alyson Hannigan became pregnant twice while filming for How I Met Your Mother. And each time, the pregnancies were handled differently on the show.

For the first pregnancy, her character, Lily, entered a hot dog eating competition where she ate 29 hot dogs. To add a comedic touch to the episode and conveniently portray her baby bump, the series showed her protruding belly due to her eating too much during the competition.

During Hannigan’s second pregnancy, it was much easier as they didn’t have to think of any creative ways to hide it because her character was also pregnant.

5. Marcia Cross On ‘Desperate Housewives’

Marcia Cross was told by her doctor to get bed rest when she was pregnant with twins during season 3 of Desperate Housewives. Since she couldn’t travel to the set for shooting, they transferred the set to her house to continue filming.

Her pregnancy was also excluded from the show, so they had to be creative about filming. When talking to Good House Keeping, Cross revealed she wore many sweaters to hide her baby bump, and they also used some other props, like an entire gingerbread house.