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Ashlee Schmidt

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Hebrews 6:19

"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul."

Grief doesn't need to be fixed. It needs to be car

Grief doesn't need to be fixed. It needs to be carried alongside.

This Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we're reminded that one of the most meaningful ways we can love a grieving mom is simply to stay.

To make room for her grief.
To remember her baby.
To speak her baby's name.
To remind her of what is true when she can't remember for herself.
And to keep pointing her toward Jesus.

“I want her to have people who make room for her grief instead of trying to make it go away, who are willing to walk alongside her without rushing her toward being okay, who remind her what's true when she's having trouble remembering for herself, who speak her baby's name when no one else does, and who keep pointing her toward Jesus, our only true and lasting hope.”

Ultimately, He's the One who holds us all. And sometimes, in His great kindness, He uses the hands of the people beside us to help hold us up.

🤍 Read the full post https://hopemommies.org/hold-up-her-arms

When a family learns their baby has a life-limitin

When a family learns their baby has a life-limiting diagnosis or experiences the loss of a child, compassionate care can make all the difference.

In this episode, Jennie sits down with Ryley Chestnut, a wife, homeschooling mom, StillBirthday-certified birth and bereavement doula, and fellow Hope Mom. After her daughter, Jaycee Grace, was diagnosed with anencephaly and died in 2016, Ryley felt God calling her to walk alongside other families facing pregnancy and infant loss. Today, she serves as the operations director for Labor of Hope while continuing to care for families through birth and bereavement support.

Together, Jennie and Ryley talk about Jaycee's story, the practical and compassionate care grieving families need, what it looks like to serve as a bereavement doula, and the many ways the body of Christ can faithfully love families in the midst of heartbreak.

Whether you are grieving yourself or want to better care for someone who is, we pray this conversation offers practical encouragement, compassionate insight, and a deeper confidence in the hope we have in Christ.

Episode 78: Compassion in the Hardest Moments
From Grieving Mom to Bereavement Doula with Ryley Chestnut

🎙 Now streaming wherever you listen to podcasts and at hopemommies.org/podcast

What if Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

What if Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month was about more than awareness? What if it was about noticing?

In Exodus 17, Moses grew weary. His hands became too heavy to hold up on his own, so Aaron and Hur came alongside him. They gave him a place to sit, stood beside him, and held up his hands until the battle was over.

Moses still had to stand in the battle.
They couldn't fight it for him.
They couldn't make him less tired.

They simply refused to let him carry it alone.

Grief can be like that.

When a baby dies, no one can carry a Hope Mom's grief for her. No one can fully know the particular child she misses or the future she imagined. But that doesn't mean she was ever meant to walk through her grief alone.

Sometimes loving a grieving mom looks like saying her baby's name.

Remembering the birthday.

Sending the text you've been thinking about sending.

Sitting beside her when you don't know what to say.

Praying when she doesn't have the words.

And, perhaps most importantly, still being there after October is over.

Because she is still her baby's mom in November.
At Christmas.
On Mother's Day.
And on an ordinary Tuesday when something unexpectedly reminds her of the life she thought she'd be living.

This Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, may we become people who notice when someone's arms are growing tired—and are willing to come alongside them and help hold them up.

“So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” — Exodus 17:12

Read the full post here: https://hopemommies.org/hold-up-her-arms

Registration is open for the 2027 Hope Mommies Ret

Registration is open for the 2027 Hope Mommies Retreat, happening February 26–28!

This year, we’ll gather around the words of Psalm 23: “He Restores My Soul.” Together, we’ll make space for the reality of grief while looking toward the Good Shepherd who meets us in the valley, walks with us, and faithfully restores weary souls.

✨ Early Bird Registration: $395 through September 30
✨ Regular Registration: $445 beginning October 1
✨ Payment plans are available

Whether you come with friends or arrive not knowing a single person, there is a place for you here.

Early Bird registration ends September 30!
https://hopemommies.org/2027-retreat

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