Sweet Magnolias: Does Helen Have a Baby? Here's What Happens In the Books

Helen Decatur's desire to have kids is at the center of one of Sweet Magnolias' biggest storylines throughout its first four seasons on Netflix. 

Sweet Magnolias revolves around the story of three longtime best friends named Dana Sue, Maddie, and Helen as they navigate the ups and downs of life.

Part of the focus of the series (and the books it is based on) has been the story of Dana Sue and Maddie's respective families, with a good chunk of Helen's narrative focused on her thriving career as a lawyer and her romantic relationships with Ryan and Erik. 

Does Helen Have a Baby in Sweet Magnolias Books?

Helen's pregnancy journey in Netflix's Sweet Magnolias series and the books is written differently. 

In Feels Like Family by Sherryl Woods (the third book of the Sweet Magnolias novels), Helen gets pregnant and has a baby, but the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy do not sit well with some of the fans of the book. 

It turns out that Helen lied to Erik during their intimate moment together by saying that she was on birth control the whole time when she was there. This comes despite Erik saying that he does not want kids. 

However, Helen in the TV series (who is played by Heather Hadley of the Sweet Magnolias cast) reveals her desire to have kids as early as Season 2, but her childhood love Ryan does not share that hope. 

Still, Helen got pregnant in the show's sophomore season, before she ultimately suffered a devastating miscarriage. Helen and Ryan eventually broke up due to their differing priorities. She was then romantically entangled with Erik in Season 3. 

At the start of Season 4, she becomes the eventual town manager of Serenity (which was filmed in Covington, Georgia) while in a new relationship with a newcomer architect named Alexander after breaking things off with Erik in Season 3. 

Will Helen Get Pregnant in Netflix's Sweet Magnolias?

The breakups for Helen did not stop with Erik. She also broke things off with Alex midway into Season 4. This happened after the news broke about Bill's death which sent shockwaves to the rest of Serenity. 

The turning point for Helen in Season 4 came during a destructive hurricane that struck Serenity. She reunited with Erik after he raced against time to save her from being trapped inside her car during the storm. 

It was clear that Helen and Erik still have a strong chemistry, and the spark was alive right from the moment they locked lips again. They seemed to have weathered the storm (quite literally) and ended up realizing they were meant for each other. 

Sweet Magnolias Season 4 finale took things to a whole new level by revealing that Helen and Erik are finally engaged. 

Ahead of the pair's happily ever after, Sweet Magnolias showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson spoke with TV Line to tease the fact that Helen will go big on her upcoming wedding in a potential Season 5: 

"Helen is a planner, Helen is elegance embodied — I don’t think she’s going to be wearing a Bride of Frankenstein dress and trying to wipe off her stage makeup on the way down the stairs."

After the wedding bells, there is a good chance that Helen and Erik's next chapter will involve kids, considering that both of them appear to be happy with having children of their own when the time is right. 

A happy ending for Helen has long been overdue, and having kids would be the perfect way to cap off her story if Netflix ends up renewing Sweet Magnolias for Season 5. 

All episodes of Sweet Magnolias Season 4 are streaming on Netflix.