What Is a Rainbow Baby?

Celebrate new life with a new baby

Like the old notion that a rainbow brings promise and good fortune, a rainbow baby is a baby born after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or death of a newborn. It is a new birth after a couple experiences the trauma of losing a baby.

Miscarriages account for the demise of 10-25% of confirmed pregnancies. To be labeled a miscarriage, the fetus dies before the 20th week of pregnancy. A death in utero after 20 weeks gestation is called a stillbirth. Most miscarriages occur between 7 and 12 weeks of pregnancy, in the first trimester. Stillbirth occurs in 1% of all pregnancies. This number exceeds the number of deaths due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by ten times. The causes of stillbirths and miscarriages are varied.

When should you try to get pregnant again?

Most women (but this depends on your individual medical circumstances) get pregnant again and go on to have healthy babies after experiencing a miscarriage, as evidenced further by all the rainbow babies you see on social media sites. Still, it takes a certain amount of strength and healing to try to get pregnant again and go through all the emotions and milestones you previously went through, living in the reality and grief of such a loss. Some doctors advise trying again within three months of a miscarriage or stillbirth. However, while this number may be biologically and physically attainable, a couple should pay close attention to their mental status and make sure they are ready to take on the challenge of another pregnancy so soon after their loss.

Once you and your partner have properly grieved your pregnancy loss and you are both ready and committed to trying again, you can go on to enjoy a new pregnancy. Your rainbow baby will be a glorious celebration of life, and although s/he will never replace the baby you lost, s/he will become a beloved and beautiful addition to your family.