‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 7: Candice Accola Is Pregnant; 4 Ways The CW Drama Could Handle Her Baby Bump

Nina Dobrev’s departure might not be the biggest challenge “The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 has to deal with. Candice Accola has announced that she is pregnant. Accola, who plays Caroline on the CW drama, revealed the news on Monday with a picture that showed the word “Baby” painted on her shirt, right over her stomach.

“Sometimes a Saturday is best spent painting T-shirts and taking an awesome family photo,” the actress wrote on Instagram. “Happy Monday, everybody! #ThatAintNoBurritoinMyBelly.”

This will be Accola’s first child, but her husband Joe King, a guitarist for The Fray, has two daughters from a previous relationship. King, 35, and Accola, 28, got married in October in New Orleans.

While we’re thrilled for the actress, we’re a little concerned about her character on “The Vampire Diaries.” Without Dobrev on the show, the focus will shift to Caroline, as well as Stefan (Paul Wesley), Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Bonnie (Kat Graham). In Accola’s Instagram post, a small baby bump is already showing, so the writers will have to figure it out fast. So how will the show incorporate her pregnancy? We have a few theories:

1. Vampire Baby – “The Vampire Diaries” is always coming up with weird, new mythology. Caroline is a vampire, so she technically shouldn’t get pregnant. However, vampires find ways around the rules all the time. Whether it’s a daylight ring, coming back from the dead or a cure for vampirism, “TVD” has proven that the rules of this universe are flexible. The real question is: Will Stefan be ready to be a father?

2. Hide The Bump – Plenty of shows shoot around actresses’ baby bumps. Costume designers can put Caroline in loose clothing or have her carrying large handbags. Once she is a little further along in her pregnancy, they could start shooting just close-ups, sitting at tables, behind bars or just from the shoulders up. A body double could easily be used for wide shots or stunt scenes.

3. Write Her Out – This seems like the least likely option, unless Accola really wants to take a major break. Producers have repeatedly said that Caroline would be in the spotlight much more in “The Vampire Diaries” Season 7.

“Ultimately, I think hopefully, Caroline will realize that Stefan is an amazing guy, and she’d be an idiot if she kept drawing this out any longer,” executive producer Caroline Dries told TV Equals in July. “So obviously, there’s going to be obstacles that get in their way, but that’s going to be sort of the big, huge, epic love story.” She would probably need to be around for an “epic love story” to happen, right?

4. Body Swap – Maybe Caroline can be around without Accola being on set. Bodies get switched all the time on “Vampire Diaries” spinoff, “The Originals.” With a little magic, Caroline could be recast just for a portion of the season.

“The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 premieres Thursday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. EDT on The CW. How do you hope the show handles Accola’s pregnancy? Sound off in the comments section below!