Actress Ellen Pompeo is Meredith Grey in the ABC series Grey's Anatomy
Actress Ellen Pompeo, of the series "Grey's Anatomy" arrives at the 2013 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles, January 9, 2013. Reuters/Danny Moloshok

"Grey's Anatomy" Season 11 is on winter hiatus, so creator Shonda Rhimes promises on Twitter that she would be helping the avid viewers cope with the characters' absence. The Shondaland queen also reveals to fans the source of the unpleasant "Japril baby" arc.

Spoiler alert: This update contains Grey's Season 11 spoilers. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the previous episodes. There is no new episode this week. Episode 9 is airing in January 2015.

"The #Japril baby plot is something that @SarahDrewGreys came and pitched to us. She's very passionate about it," Shonda Rhimes revealed on Twitter in response to a fan question about Grey's Anatomy Season 11.

Sarah Drew, who plays April Kepner, uses the Twitter handle @SarahDrewGreys. [Fans of Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April call the couple Japril on TV forum sites.] In the final 2014 episode (Grey's Anatomy Season 11, Episode 8), it is revealed that there is little chance that Japril's unborn child would survive long if the baby gets delivered at all.

(Off-cam, Sarah Drew is ready to give birth before the year ends. The actress has posted a photo of her baby bump on Twitter.)

Grey's Anatomy Season 11, Episode 8 ("Risk") ties the Japril baby risk to the story of "prenatal" surgeon Dr Herman (Geena Davis), who is suffering from brain tumour. The episode leaves room for hope when Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) announces she can remove Dr Herman's tumour.

The "risk" is not only around Japril's baby and Dr Herman's cancer. First, Herman has to come clean to the chief and to the board. Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) could be at risk, too, for failing to disclose to Chief Hunt (Kevin McKidd) her mentor's condition.

Meanwhile, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who is the centre of Grey's Anatomy Season 11 according to Rhimes, pushes Derek (Patrick Dempsey) to take the Washington job. Apparently, it is still up for grabs. The next new episode of the series could place Derek in D.C.

There are bad news all over for the shippers of Grey's Anatomy Season 11 couples. Jolex (Jo and Alex) is doing a lot better than the rest. However, the Merder chaos might mean Mer would need more of Karev's (Justin Chambers) time, and Wilson (Camilla Luddington) could feel worse about it.

Finally, for Calzona (Callie and Arizona), a meaningful reconciliation does not seem to be underway. Callie (Sara Ramirez) has a lot on her plate with her artificial leg project, and Arizona has to deal with the Dr Herman (and perhaps Japril baby) situation. Grey's Anatomy Season 11, Episode 9 is expected to pick up where things left off in the fall finale.

It's not all bad news in Grey's Anatomy Season 11, though. For Dr Webber (James Pickens Jr), things are looking up between him and his daughter Maggie (Kelly McCreary). All is well for Bailey (Chandra Wilson), too, and Hunt earns a new friend in Amelia.

Grey's Anatomy Season 11, Episode 9 has a lot to tell, but Shonda Rhimes and team are going easy on the spoilers. Below is one of Rhimes' recent tweets, through which she would keep the fans close until the 2015 return of the ABC drama.

Came across my private collection of photos from early days of #greysanatomy Will post one every Thursday until we come back -True #TBT.

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) December 2, 2014