The TVNZ newsreader has always dreamt of being a mum. Photo / Amalia Osborne
Becoming a mum has always been a dream close to broadcaster Jenny Suo’s heart.
And now, with just weeks to go until she and partner Michael welcome their much-longed-for baby girl, the countdown to parenthood feels every bit as magical as she’d hoped.
The couple’s journey hasn’t always been easy, but as they sit down to chat to Woman’s Day, they say the challenges they’ve faced have only strengthened their bond and made them all the more grateful for the new chapter that’s about to begin.
“I just feel so incredibly lucky,” says TVNZ star Jenny, welcoming us into her and Michael’s Auckland home for a joyful pre-baby photoshoot. “From the very start, I have loved being pregnant and now we’re just so excited to meet her.”
Jenny first shared her news with a typically hilarious Instagram post showing off her growing baby bump beside the couple’s beloved dog Kia, captioned: “Guess which one is neutered.”
But today, she’s opening up about the full story behind that joyful announcement. Miscarriage, fertility treatment and the emotional rollercoaster that goes with it have made for a tough few years, but all that seems a distant memory as the nature-lovers prepare for their biggest adventure yet.
“I’ve always had such a firm belief that everything happens for a reason,” says Jenny, 35. “And even though I wish we hadn’t gone through what we did, it’s left us in such an incredible place. We know that if we can get through that, we can get through anything.”
In fact, Jenny says this pregnancy has been everything she hoped it would be.
“When we were imagining what it would be like when it finally happened, I dreamed it would be magical. And it is – it’s every bit as magical as I expected it would be.”
Jenny and Michael met almost seven years ago, and despite spending the early years of their relationship long-distance – with Michael working as a doctor in Whangārei and Jenny based in Auckland – they knew quickly they wanted a future together. And for both of them, that involved children.
By 2023, they decided the time was right to begin thinking about having a baby, but as it turned out, life had already taken the lead. Jenny discovered she was pregnant during a visit to the GP, which she’d booked to ensure everything was in working order before they started trying!
“I was so, so happy,” tells Jenny, who shares a close bond with her own mother May. “I had always wanted to be a mum, ever since I was really young.”
Like many couples, they waited until the all-important 12-week scan before they shared their exciting news. Yet a week later, a potential problem was identified and Jenny was called back in for another scan. She was referred to Auckland City Hospital’s high-risk maternity unit and from there, the uncertainty began.
She explains, “It was the hardest time because we had to wait five weeks before we would know if the thing they were concerned about would happen. I was trying so hard to hold on to hope, but it was incredibly difficult.”
At 17 weeks pregnant, tests confirmed their deepest fear – the pregnancy was unable to continue. Jenny and Michael were devastated.
“People say you become a parent as soon as you get that positive pregnancy test, and I think that’s right,” says Michael. “And so when that was no longer our reality, it wasn’t just grieving for a child, I guess we were also grieving for a future.”
Determined not to give up, Jenny and Michael started trying to conceive a second time.
“I so wanted to be pregnant again, I think perhaps I wanted to pretend like it had never happened,” reflects Jenny.
But the journey to parenthood took another challenging turn. Month after month, they failed to conceive, and after a year of disappointment and frustration, they turned to fertility treatment. But when their first round of IVF resulted in no viable embryos, it felt like another grief all over again.
“It was just bad news after bad news,” recalls Jenny. “I was starting to believe that nothing we tried would work. I read a lot of articles and listened to podcasts, and people always said, ‘Just relax, just stop thinking about it and it will happen’. And I just couldn’t – this was the thing I wanted more than anything.”
But Jenny says Michael’s unwavering support – plus the love of family and friends, and plenty of counselling – helped immensely, and after a second round of IVF, they finally had some good news. They’d managed to create several healthy embryos.
“It didn’t mean we were guaranteed a baby from there, but at least it was one step forward,” says Jenny. “It was the first bit of good news we’d had since we lost the pregnancy.”
Before pushing ahead, the travel-loving couple decided to take a holiday to Japan.
Says Jenny, “It was me who was like, ‘Let’s just hold off a month so my body is rested and strong’. I wanted us to have this little holiday to regroup, spend time together and let off some steam before we did the embryo transfer.”
But a month after they got home, Jenny started to feel a little “off”. There was tiredness, nausea crept in and crucially, her period was late. She jokes that she didn’t need a medical degree like Michael to have an inkling about what was going on.
“It was pretty obvious I was pregnant, but I was too scared to take a test because I didn’t think I could handle it if I was wrong,” she says.
But on New Year’s Eve 2024, she and Michael decided it was time to find out for sure.
“I needed to know if I could have Champagne that night!”
The couple were thrilled to see the positive result appear almost straightaway.
“We both started crying,” says Jenny.
Michael says the fact it happened on New Year’s Eve felt poignant. They could look ahead to their future and it was like the dawn of a new chapter. “We could let go of what we’d been through a little bit.”
While they’ll always think of the first pregnancy they lost, Jenny says her way of coping with all they’ve been through is focusing on what they have.
“I don’t think of what happened as losing our baby because that’s just too sad,” she shares. “Instead, I think we lost the pregnancy and that baby’s soul was waiting in the wings till now. There was just a little delay but she’s here now.”
And one of the reasons they’re speaking out is to help others keep the faith. When Jenny was deep in the sorrow of loss and struggling to conceive, hearing others’ stories helped her hold on to hope. She’s been amazed at how calm and confident she’s felt for the past eight months as her baby has grown inside her. Yes, she’s experienced the usual fatigue and nausea, but Jenny says even those side effects were a beautiful reminder of how lucky they are.
“I’m just so grateful for this,” she says. “I have seriously loved every moment of this pregnancy.”
With each scan, the couple’s excitement has grown – their baby girl appears to be thriving. In fact, on the day we speak, they’ve just come from an appointment where they saw her yawn on screen.
“It was so cute,” says Jenny. “She’s a very wriggly baby – every time we see her, she’s moving away like mad.”
And as they count down the final weeks until her September 3 due date, the avid hikers are already dreaming up adventures for their new addition. A summer camping trip is on the cards and they’ve been researching baby backpacks so she can join them on their trips into the great outdoors.
“We just can’t wait to meet her,” enthuses Jenny. “I’m sure she’ll be a nature-lover – it’s in her blood after all.”
While neither Jenny nor Michael would want to relive the heartbreak of the past, there’s no denying the journey has changed them. It’s made them stronger, more connected and deeply grateful for what lies ahead.
Says Michael, “Jenny has been so resilient in the face of everything. She’s going to be an amazing mum and I know that everything we’ve learnt is going to make us better parents. We just feel very, very lucky.”