A Rainbow Baby- What it is and why it is More Special

If you have conceived after a tragic or traumatizing pregnancy loss previously, you are expecting a rainbow baby this time. For parents who give birth again after a painful past experience, a rainbow baby is a great blessing.

In this article, we will discuss the rainbow baby meaning and why it is so special.

What does the term ‘Rainbow Baby’ mean?

So what exactly is a rainbow baby?

Babies born after a tragic pregnancy experience are rainbow babies. These experiences include miscarriages, giving birth to stillborns, infant losses or neonatal death.

However, how did the “rainbow baby” term come into existence? The symbolism of a rainbow actually stems out of the fact that rainbows appear after a period of darkness and storm. Specifically, rainbows decorate the sky after stormy days. Similarly, the birth of a healthy and active child after a great loss is like a rainbow for parents.

This term became famous from social media. The platform gave parents a voice to share their grief and the difficult pregnancy they had been through. Today, many can relate to this pregnancy type and give testimony of hope and healing for other parents there.

For parents who painful conception experiences previously, the bright pink indicator on the pregnancy test is a transformation of their life. There is no doubt that babies bring a joy unlike any other in life. They fill the entire home and the lives of their families with hope, joy, brightness and miracles.

A Rainbow Baby Pregnancy

The aspect of having your arms fill with a bundle of joy again is an overwhelming one. Yet, there are some challenges that all mothers need to be aware of a in a rainbow baby pregnancy. The entire nine months can bring untold and unimagined difficulties.

Let us discuss some of those below:

Emotional Challenges

When women are expecting a rainbow baby, and even the fathers, the entire journey can be a roller-coaster one emotionally. Coupled with the good emotions, you will also face uncertainty, fear, and anxiety whether all will go well this time. There will always be the doubt of whether there is more heartache waiting and other such conflicting emotions.

From feeling excited for the new baby to mourning for the loss of the previous one, you will be at war inside. You will feel a lot of joy and hope at one point while facing fear and anxiety the other times. It is also possible to face all these together when you have a rainbow baby in your womb.

This challenge stems from the fact that a large part of you might still be sad due to your first newborn’s death. In fact, this is not just a theory but medical research gives evidence too. Both parents might never be able to overcome the grief of a pregnancy loss, even after having other rainbow babies.

Because of the presence of this major grief, your rainbow pregnancy might feature days of deep sadness. You may find yourself sad even in moments when you are happy and getting ready for the new child.

Every milestone you gain in your trimesters might bring many of difficult memories of the previous ones. Such is the trauma of past losses that even meeting newborns of others can cause painful emotions.

The Guilt Factor

Parents expecting a rainbow baby also often feel guilty when they are celebrating the advent of another baby. Parents often battle with their thoughts. A voice inside makes them feel as if they are dishonoring their lost child by celebrating the coming one.

Many parents might not feel guilty but may have to fight against excessive fear of another stillbirth, neonatal death or miscarriage. Such an emotional battle during a rainbow pregnancy is not uncommon and certainly not invalid.

Rather than letting your past trauma overcome you, the key is to build your willpower. You must have faith, courage and trust in nature for blessing your womb again.

Find Support- It can help you Overcome your Emotional Challenges

During a rainbow pregnancy, some women can find it hard to cope with their emotional challenges. In fact, not just the mother, but even fathers can feel just as emotionally fraught. Thus, you must seek support and preferably a midwife or doctor who is aware of your past medical history.

Reaching out for support helps, you overcome your emotional struggles. The experts who are well aware of your previous loss will better understand your fears. In case of a rainbow pregnancy, parents must never be afraid from asking for extra help.

Thanks to social media and its far outreach, a rainbow baby is a familiar concept now. This is why medical experts now strive to offer utmost support in cases of rainbow pregnancies. Hence, if you are due for your checkups and scans, let the ultrasound techs and other support members know of your condition.

They will be extra gentle fears and do their best to put you at ease. It is also a great idea to look for training programs in your area about rainbow pregnancies.

Many hospitals and medical teams are now conducting special training sessions. In these, they guide parents expecting a rainbow baby throughout the course of their pregnancy. They also lend extra help to offer a pain free and easy birthing process.

Final Thoughts

“Rainbow baby” is a symbolic term, which refers to the baby parents deliver after a painful and unsuccessful pregnancy experience. The use of rainbow is symbolic because it shows the end of a stormy, dark phase of life.

For parents, one of the saddest experiences of life is losing an infant soon after birth. It can happen in the form of a miscarriage or giving birth to a stillborn. After the suffering, giving birth again and delivering an active, healthy baby is just like experiencing a rainbow in their married life.