How do you respond when someone asks how many kids you have? Or when a baby shower invite arrives in your inbox? What about the medical advice you didn’t ask for or the pressure to "move on"?

In this episode, Brooke Schuelke, Jennie Parks, and Kristin Hernandez share personal stories and practical wisdom for navigating the often uncomfortable and unexpected situations that arise after the loss of a baby.

You’ll hear how we respond to…

(4:27) questions about family size

(23:23) invitations to social gatherings like baby showers and birthday parties

(43:35) unsolicited advice

(48:08) timelines placed on grief

(52:39) pressure to grieve a certain way

We open up about the lessons we’ve learned through our own failures, the value of honest communication, receiving accountability even when it hurts, and the lasting encouragement we find in God and His Word.

If you're walking through grief—or walking with someone who is—we pray this conversation helps you as you navigate various scenarios and reminds you that you're not alone!

Links:

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Sponsorship

This episode of the Hope Mommies Podcast is sponsored by Kevin and Johanna Klinger in honor of their son, Charles Liam Paul Klinger. They write," We love you and miss you, Charlie! We are so thankful for the gift of your life. May God be honored and glorified as we treasure the precious memory of you until we are all reunited in heaven."

If you’d like to sponsor an episode in honor of your Hope Baby, or on behalf of a Hope Mom you know, visit hopemommies.org.

Sponsor an episode of the HM Podcast

The Hope Mommies Podcast is a ministry of Hope Mommies, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to bring bereaved families comfort, encouragement, and relational support as they continue to walk this side of eternity without their beloved son or daughter. The music used is Sparrow Song, courtesy of Katie Cobbs and Flourish Creative.

Rachel Lohman, author of Miscarried Hope, guides listeners through the events of Holy Week, drawing parallels between a grieving mother’s emotions and the emotions experienced by Jesus’ disciples. She explains how the stages of expectation, shock, despair, grief, and hope mirror the disciples’ journey with Jesus from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday–through the excitement of His arrival, the agony of His death, the silence of Saturday, and the joy of His resurrection.

Rachel shares her personal experiences with motherhood and miscarriage, how grief has deepened her dependence on Jesus, and the heart behind Hope Again Collective, a handmade jewelry line that helps women share their stories of loss. Rachel also discusses the significance of embracing the silence of Saturday, the permission to freely use the word “death” rather than soft alternatives, and the unshakable hope found in Christ’s resurrection. This episode is an invitation to grieve with hope, embrace the truth of the resurrection, and trust that death is not the final word.

Rachel Lohman is the author of Miscarried Hope: Journeying with Jesus through Pregnancy and Infant Loss and the founder of Hope Again Collective, a handmade jewelry line that shares the stories of loss moms and has donated over $13,000 in practical grief resources to women going through miscarriage or stillbirth. She holds a Master's in Theology and Ministry and is a mother to three living children and one in Heaven. Rachel and her husband Mark currently pastor a bilingual church in Southern California.

Links:

Hope Again Collective

Miscarried Hope Book

Hope Mommies Website

Connect with us on Facebook

Connect with us on Instagram

Sponsor an episode of the HM Podcast

The Hope Mommies Podcast is a ministry of Hope Mommies, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to bring bereaved families comfort, encouragement, and relational support as they continue to walk this side of eternity without their beloved son or daughter. The music used is Sparrow Song, courtesy of Katie Cobbs and Flourish Creative.

Friendship after the loss of a baby can feel complicated. In this episode, Kristin Hernandez and Jennie Parks discuss how grief can reshape relationships—deepening some while straining others. They reflect on how their expectations of friendship changed after loss, things they would have done differently, the emotional labor of maintaining connections, and the struggle of navigating grief together. Kristin and Jennie share about the gift of friendship with other Hope Moms who “get it”, as well as the value of friendship with women with different stories. Together we explore the importance of friendship, while fixing our eyes on Jesus–our true source of worth and the friend who never leaves or forsakes.

Links:

Episode 4 - Grace for Hurtful Words

Hope Mommies Website

Connect with us on Facebook

Connect with us on Instagram

Sponsorship

This episode of the Hope Mommies Podcast is sponsored by Grammie and Pops in loving memory of Eisley Hope Klein Hutchinson. They share, “In honor of your tenth birthday Eisley Hope. Our lives are forever changed because of the privilege of knowing and loving you baby girl.” If you’d like to sponsor an episode in honor of your Hope Baby, or on behalf of a Hope Mom you know, visit hopemommies.org or click the link below.

Sponsor an episode of the HM Podcast

The Hope Mommies Podcast is a ministry of Hope Mommies, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to bring bereaved families comfort, encouragement, and relational support as they continue to walk this side of eternity without their beloved son or daughter. The music used is Sparrow Song, courtesy of Katie Cobbs and Flourish Creative.