Five months pregnant, Andy attends a Knicks game with Emily, Max, and Miles. Emily is still recovering from an appendectomy she underwent during their New Year’s vacation to Vieques. During that trip, Andy took charge when Emily fell ill at a dilapidated clinic, chartering a plane to Miami and arranging emergency surgery. Miranda’s office sent an extravagant flower arrangement to the hospital, which further delayed discussions about the acquisition.

At the game, Emily spots Miranda Priestly with tennis star Rafael Nadal in the VIP lounge. Despite Andy’s protests, Emily drags her over to thank Miranda for the flowers. Nadal mistakes them for autograph seekers. After noticing Andy’s pregnancy, Miranda becomes uncharacteristically warm, offering to share her baby list and nanny recommendations. However, when Emily attempts to discuss business, Miranda’s demeanor turns ice-cold, snapping that discussing work in social settings is rude.

After Miranda leaves, Andy argues that Miranda’s behavior proves they cannot sell to her. Emily disagrees, focusing on Miranda’s positive reaction and the opportunity. Max joins them, expressing enthusiasm about the buyout, which frustrates Andy. To avoid conflict, Andy lies and agrees to postpone the decision until after the baby is born. Emily accepts the delay, planning to tell their Elias-Clark contact, Stanley, that they are taking a brief hiatus from negotiations.

At eight and a half months pregnant, Andy attends actress Olive Chase’s bachelorette party at a hotel spa to conduct an interview. Earlier that week, Elias-Clark made its first contact since January, increasing the offer by 12% and demanding an immediate answer. Emily called during Andy’s stressful obstetrics appointment; Andy refused to discuss the offer, and Emily told Stanley that they would wait until after the birth. Miranda then sent Hermès bangles to both women.

At the spa, Olive dismisses her publicist and speaks candidly. She reveals that she met her fiancé, Clint Sever, online through a profile without a picture. After weeks of emails and calls, she flew to Louisville to meet him at a Marriott and knew immediately that she would marry him. When Andy asks about wedding details, Olive says she has delegated everything to her stylist, including choosing her dress. She explains that finding her soul mate is what matters and that she doesn’t care about details like the flowers.

Olive’s words strike Andy deeply. She begins questioning whether Max is truly her soulmate or if their relationship was born of inevitability rather than passion. Andy dismisses these doubts as pre-birth anxiety and calls Max, leaving a loving voicemail to reassure herself that her marriage is solid.

After giving birth to daughter, Clementine Rose, Andy wakes in her hospital room, where a nurse checks her vitals and offers pain medication. Emily arrives, impeccably dressed, and immediately seeks out Miranda’s baby gift: an extravagant Bonpoint bag filled with luxurious items, including a rabbit-fur vest. Emily insists they must address the acquisition, but Andy deliberately begins breastfeeding, knowing it will make Emily uncomfortable. Emily hastily leaves.

Months later, Andy struggles with the loneliness and drudgery of maternity leave. Her oldest friend, Lily, visits, and they commiserate about the realities of childbirth that women seldom share. Andy takes Clementine to her weekly new-moms support group, where the mothers ignore their life coach facilitator to discuss real struggles.

Sophie, a non-mother who brings her niece, Lola, to the group, confesses that she cheated on her long-term boyfriend, Xander, by making out with Tomás, a student in her photography class. The group offers various advice. Andy encourages Sophie to explore her feelings, telling her to give Tomás a test drive before making any decisions. At home, Andy has a tense exchange with Max about childcare, but later finds him playing lovingly with Clementine, who makes her first laugh-like sound. The heartwarming scene reassures Andy, making her earlier anxieties about the marriage feel like distant memories.

Four months postpartum, Andy prepares for The Plunge’s three-year anniversary party, her first night out since giving birth. She is anxious about leaving Clementine with new babysitter, Isla. Barbara Harrison arrives unexpectedly, adding to Andy’s stress as she struggles with body image while getting dressed. Jill calls with moral support. Barbara discovers Miranda’s Ultimate Baby List, a comprehensive, 22-page document, and an extravagant mink baby blanket Miranda sent. Impressed by Miranda’s regard for Andy, Barbara even calls her a wonderful mother.

At the glamorous rooftop party, Max frames the event as a strategic opportunity to impress Elias-Clark, annoying Andy. Emily greets them, and Andy notes the continued coolness in their friendship. Andy runs into her ex-boyfriend, Christian Collinsworth, and they engage in a tense, flirtatious conversation. Nigel interrupts, announcing that the Runway team is present, but Miranda is not. He reveals that he and his partner, Neil, are getting married. Andy excitedly offers to feature their wedding in The Plunge.

Nigel says that he and Miranda have already discussed it and agreed it will be a cover story, suggesting that the acquisition is essentially complete and that Miranda is already making editorial decisions. Andy is stunned. Max remains silent during the exchange. The encounter solidifies Andy’s resolve never to sell. At home, she rushes to Clementine and breastfeeds her in bed. Feeling reassured by the peaceful domestic scene, she tells Max she loves him.

On her third day back at work, Andy says an emotional goodbye to Clementine. Max wishes her luck with her meeting with Emily about the acquisition. At the dry cleaner, Andy runs into Alex. They share a warm reunion, and he invites her for coffee. At a hidden bakery, Alex reveals he has moved back to New York and is starting a job as vice-principal at an elite private school called Imagine. He explains that he chose the better-paying position because his girlfriend, an artist, has become fixated on babies after her brother had a child, implying financial pressure for their future together.

Andy is privately dismayed by this news, feeling possessive over her first love despite her own marriage. Emily repeatedly calls, but Andy ignores her. Alex invites Andy to breakfast at a diner. She asks directly if he plans to marry his girlfriend, which makes the conversation awkward. Outside, they share a significant hug, and Andy impulsively suggests that the two couples should get together, a polite suggestion she immediately regrets. Alex gives a noncommittal response.

In the taxi, Andy is shaken. Max calls, worried because she is late and not answering her phone. Andy lies about running errands. The secrecy makes her understand for the first time why Max might have hidden his encounter with Katherine in Bermuda. Max reveals that he was calling to check on the Elias-Clark discussion, confirming that he and Emily are coordinating. Emily calls again; Andy sees her waiting impatiently outside their office building. Emily confronts her about being late and insists that they finally have the conversation they’ve been avoiding. Andy keeps Alex a secret but misses him already, feeling that this is a very bad sign.