A morning phone call from her doctor confirmed Jessie Tu's worst fears. She'd lost the baby she was carrying. Jessie and her partner had tried for months to get pregnant, and the news sparked a specific kind of grief she hadn't encountered before.

The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, Jessie was raised with the idea that discipline and hard work gets you results. But this was a test she couldn't ace.

Jessie's path to pregnancy and loss made her confront questions about what it means to be a family and the sacrifices that mothers are expected to bear.

She shares her complicated relationship with fertility in this tender conversation with Yumi Stynes.

Jessie Tu is the author of The Honeyeater and A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing.

Helpful links:

Miscarriage Australia

The Pink Elephants Support network

Gidget Foundation

Red Nose Grief and Loss

Lifeline

This episode contains references to: pregnancy loss, miscarriage, fertility, parenting, relationships, babies, grief, family, motherhood, womanhood, feminism, mental health.