Six women facing different fertility issues have a group chat: HELLO BABY. It’s where they exchange information and seek comfort in one another as they surmount the pains of IVF and the agony of failure and miscarriages in their journey to motherhood. The novel switches between narrators, where each woman’s story is spotlighted, alongside a main storyline that unfolds across the chapters.
Kang Munjung, 44, Freelance Writer for Women’s Magazine
Munjung and her novelist husband have put off trying for a child for a decade as they focus on making ends meet. She finally visits the fertility hospital, only to be admonished that her biological clock is ticking, and she should’ve come five years earlier. Her husband thinks it is an embarrassment to be seen at the fertility hospital with her. The pains and loneliness of IVF spur Munjung to gather like-minded women into a group chat – HELLO BABY.
Lee Hye-gyeong, 44, Lawyer
Hye-gyeong is a high-flyer in all aspects but fails to get pregnant. She is stressed by her unsupportive husband who complains that she has become too emotional during IVF treatments, and her mother-in-law who is dismissive of her pains post-fibroid removal surgery. Her ‘mama boy’ husband leaves her to fend for herself.
Han Jieun, 38, Office Employee
Jieun’s husband is lithe, athletic, and handsome. She cannot accept the shocking diagnosis that his semen is a dud. The silver lining is that the sperms can be directly extracted from his testicles. Jieun finds herself alone on an uncomfortable subway ride, transporting a nitrogen tank of sperms from the urology clinic to the fertility hospital. When Jieun witnesses her workplace senior being bullied and ostracised for using fertility leave, she decides to quit her job.
Han Sora, 37, Vet
Sora broke up with her long-time boyfriend. She no longer believes in marriage, but her desire to have a child motivates her to freeze her eggs and explore sperm donation. She learns that in Korea, it is a viable option only for legally married couples with the husband’s consent. It is a complicated process, as the donor will also have to give permission, and if the donor is married, his wife’s permission is also required by law.
Jang Eunha, 37, Policewoman
Eunha’s in-laws are pressuring her to have kids, and because her husband’s sperms are healthy, all the blame lies on her. She starts to question if she really wants children, but at the same time, that she will post photos of her vagina bleeding on online mum groups to ask around if it’s pregnancy spotting.
Kim Junghyo, 46, Housewife
Junghyo, the oldest among the group, had 27 failed IVF attempts in the past 15 years. Following her announcement that she’d be giving up fertility treatment, Junghyo has gone completely off-grid for the past year.
I’ve given birth a few days ago.
After a year of silence, Junghyo suddenly drops a text in the group chat and invites the rest to go over to her place in the evening to celebrate her daughter’s birth. But doubts are sowed when news break out that a woman lost her newborn at the hospital. Seolju, Junghyo’s neighbour, wonders at the sudden appearance of a baby when she has never seen Junghyo’s baby bump. Jieun is curious about Junghyo’s online pregnancy diary, where the last post a few days ago stopped at Week 21. Meanwhile, Eunha is put on the case for the lost newborn, and when suspicions lead her to Junghyo, she discreetly asks Sora to take a photo of the newborn at the party for comparison.
The readers learn that Junghyo married into a rich family and lives as a housewife with her in-laws while her husband frequently travels for work. Her in-laws place great emphasis on having kids, but when she was finally pregnant at 44 years old, her child died in her womb at Week 10. The combined stress pushes her to breaking point, and she develops animosity towards her in-laws and believes that the doctors are lying to her. She starts having morning sickness and goes to the gynae, only to be old that she was imagining her pregnancy. She dismisses the doctor’s advice and wanders to the room of newborns. She hears a baby crying out for her and brings her home, truly believing the baby is hers.
The police arrive at Junghyo’s house. She is confused, and believes that her nosy neighbour, Seolju, has reported her for breaking the five-person gathering restriction during the pandemic. When she opens the door to see Eunha among them, her annoyance is tempered by the happiness of showing Eunha her daughter. A policeman starts to ask questions, and the group gets riled up on Junghyo’s behalf when he is dismissive of her and asks to speak to the husband instead. When it finally dawns on the group what has happened, they are shocked, but band together to protect Junghyo, understanding that she imagined her pregnancy and didn’t want to do any harm. Hye-gyeong immediately introduces herself as her lawyer, while Jieun and Munjung both claim responsibility.
The group asks for some time alone with Junghyo before she’s taken into custody, and gently shows her the last message in the chat. It’s a photo from Eunha of the missing baby. Junghyo clutches her skirt, as the earlier scenes flash through her mind.