What Is a Rainbow Baby: Rainbow Baby Meaning

Rainbow baby is a miracle that happens to couples that has suffered a child loss at some point of their life.

You must have seen beautiful baby pictures on Instagram or Pinterest or any other social media that the baby is draped in rainbow color T-shirts/clothes and even the mother is expressing her gratitude by welcoming the rainbow baby by wearing rainbow type of clothes and other memorabilia.

But we never really understood what they were talking about. What exactly is a “rainbow baby”?

Let’s read more about it and why do we call it as a rainbow baby.

 A rainbow baby is a name coined for a healthy baby born after losing a baby due to miscarriage, infant loss, stillbirth, or neonatal death.

The name “rainbow baby” comes from the idea of a rainbow appearing in the sky after a storm, or after a dark and turbulent time. The term has gained popularity on blogs and social media in recent years, and has come to symbolize hope and healing.

For those who have experienced the loss of a baby, the birth of a rainbow baby is a time of immense joy, reflection, healing, and mixed emotions.

Rainbow babies are often described as ‘miracle’ babies due to the powerful impact they can have on helping parents heal after a loss. However, rainbow pregnancies can bring strong feelings of anxiety, guilt, and even fear.

Conflicting emotions of honoring a baby who has died while celebrating one that’s healthy — and grieving a loss while celebrating new life — often accompany a rainbow birth.

The exact number of rainbow babies born every year isn’t known, largely because miscarriages are often under or unreported

If you’re expecting a rainbow baby, here are some of the things you may experience.

That same spirit has encouraged me to enjoy my current pregnancy more than before. Morning sickness and heartburn can't take away my gratitude for the chance to carry a healthy baby. Elizabeth Lorde-Rollins, M.D., MSc, Obstetrics and Gynecology, CareMount Medical says this is normal. "For parents who have experienced the loss of a child, whether that loss occurs before or after birth, the life adjustments associated with pregnancy are accompanied with an acute sense of gratitude even when they are uncomfortable," she tells us. "And although most of us have the great fortune of being wanted babies, parents tend to have a special, and in many cases incredibly sharp, sense of being blessed when they are expecting and then giving birth to a baby that follows loss."

But Dr. Kulp-Makarov cautions, "The birth and newborn stage of a rainbow baby are different for parents who have suffered a loss. They can expect a rush of strong and complicated emotions. Parents may swing between this amazing awe at their new baby and strong fear that something may happen and they may lose this new baby too."