What is a rainbow baby?

Aug. 22 is National Rainbow Baby Day.

It’s a treasured day of observance for many families across the country who honor small lives that were lost and celebrate cherished parenthood.

Rainbow babies are children born after a parent’s previous miscarriage, still birth or death in infancy.

“It is called a rainbow baby because it is like a rainbow after a storm: something beautiful after something scary and dark,” reproductive endocrinologist Jennifer Kulp-Makarov, told Parents magazine. “It is an extremely emotional and devastating experience to lose a pregnancy [or baby]. To create a life or bring a baby into the world after such a loss is amazing like a miracle for these parents.”

The term “rainbow baby” refers to the myriad of emotions parents feel while mourning a lost child and hoping for the healthy birth of another.

“Parents who have a rainbow baby may have conflicting emotions: great joy for this new baby, fear of losing this baby who is here, and in some cases there can be guilt feelings,” parenting coach Leigh Anne O’Connor said in an interview with the motherhood-centric site Romper.

Dr. Kulp-Makarov said the emotional volatility of rainbow parents is generally greater than that of parents who have not previously suffered a loss.

“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,” she said.

One mother of a rainbow baby explained the unique perspective she and her partner have that keeps them motivated and optimistic while raising their daughter.

“Whenever things get hard -- feeding challenges, sleeping challenges, mild illnesses -- we always make it a point to step back and remember that things could be so much worse,” Prak Pandiyan told Parents.

In a blog post titled 5 Ways to Support a Family Expecting a Rainbow Baby, Huffington Post contributer Jennifer Canvasser advises loved ones to wholly acknowledge lost babies and to send rainbow-colored trinkets to expecting parents as a way to remember their lost child while also celebrating the new baby on the way.

Read more at Romper and Parents.

Cox Media Group