Pregnancy after miscarriage is something unparalleled in both its joy and its anxiety. Many rainbow baby parents celebrate the joy of a successful pregnancy after a previous loss, seeing their baby as a bright spot after the storm. Hence the term rainbow baby, which refers to a child born after a miscarriage or stillbirth.
In honor of babies born after miscarriage, stillbirth, or other neonatal death and their angel siblings, the United States celebrates Rainbow Baby Day each year on August 22nd.
This special day is a time to appreciate everything you’ve gone through and honor the precious gift that arrived after the storm.
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What is Rainbow Baby Day?
In 2018, a website called “What the Fertility” launched the first-ever National Rainbow Baby Day. Since then, it has become an annual holiday among the infertility community.
This is a day to celebrate the birth of your rainbow baby and commemorate the journey you experienced to have them.
It’s a moment for sharing stories about your previous pregnancies and infant losses, finding out you were expecting, and bringing your beautiful little one into the world.
When is National Rainbow Baby Week 2023?
While the official National Rainbow Baby Day will happen on August 22, celebrations will happen throughout the parenting community in the days leading up to it.
Be sure to check with your favorite mommy blogs, parenting websites, and social media accounts for the best information on everything there is to know about Rainbow Baby Day!
How Can You Celebrate National Rainbow Baby Day?
So, you’ve brought your sweet rainbow baby into the world, and you’re ready to celebrate during your first National Rainbow Baby Week of 2023 – what do you do first?
Figuring out how you want to honor your rainbow baby journey is a personal experience. It’s essential to choose an option that feels right to you and your family.
If you’re at a loss for ideas, the Undefining Motherhood team has a few favorite options for celebrating that you might enjoy.
(1) Share Your Story
One of the most joyous ways to honor your little one during National Rainbow Baby Week is to simply share the story of their conception and birth.
Think back to when you were struggling to get pregnant or mourning the loss of a child… did you find comfort from shared experiences? Did you spend time pouring over blogs and social media posts from other people who’d been through the journey and come out on the other side?
Why not be that person for someone else?
Using the #NationalRainbowBabyDay hashtag, other hopeful parents can find your story online and find comfort and hope from your success.
During Rainbow Baby Day 2019, many participating parents also used their social media platforms to share rainbow-related images in the days leading up to the holiday…why not consider the same thing this year?
Here are some images we’ve created that would look great on your Instagram feed! Tag us @undefiningmotherhood!
(2) Honor the Little Ones You’ve Lost
It would be difficult to celebrate a rainbow baby without also giving thought to the precious babies you’ve lost along the way.
Whether you choose to create a miscarriage memorial or simply spend some quiet time of reflection, it can be therapeutic to honor your sweet angel babies during National Rainbow Baby Week.
If you’re looking for some ideas, consider the following:
- Plant some flowers or a tree
- Perform a balloon release
- Write about them, i.e., random thoughts, poems, or letters
- Hold a naming ceremony
(3) Make a Donation to an Pregnancy Loss Charity
It’s hard to overcome experiences like infertility and pregnancy loss.
Even when we aren’t in those situations anymore, we wonder and worry about the people who are. We want to help.
After my infertility struggle, I continually found myself thinking about all of people still struggling to achieve their fertility dreams. I decided to find ways of supporting those individuals who were still in the thick of the process.
In addition to joining support forums, I chose to make some donations to reputable infertility charities.
If this idea appeals to you, it can be an excellent way to participate in Rainbow Baby Day.
As you reflect on your infertility journey, providing monetary assistance to anyone still struggling to conceive can bring a sense of peace and joy to your heart. It is uplifting to feel that your donation could help someone else finally become a parent.
Consider donating to organizations that help families experiencing pregnancy loss, either by supporting them through the hard times, or by offering grants to help with fertility treatments. Here are a few we love.
- First Candle provides bereavement support to families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.
- Tommy’s funds research to support scientific inquiry into pregnancy and infant loss. They also provide free online resources for families experiencing loss.
- Baby Quest Foundation help prospective parents cover the expensive costs of infertility treatments through various grant programs.
(4) Shop with a Company Supporting Pregnancy Loss Nonprofits
Whether you donate to one of these charities directly or shop at a retail store that partners with them, you can make an extraordinary difference in families’ lives. Here are a few we love.
- Love to Dream is partnering with First Candle to sell their rainbow Swaddle Up, one of our favorite sleep sacks. For every purchase of this limited-time product, First Candle will receive $5.
- Lalo makes baby gear and play products, and they’ve partnered with Baby Quest to fund a grant for fertility treatments
Gift Ideas for Rainbow Baby Day
Are you looking to give someone who’s preparing to celebrate their first National Rainbow Baby Day in 2022 a gift? Would you like to treat yourself to something special in honor of your own rainbow baby?
Lucky for you, there are tons of beautiful rainbow baby gifts that might be exactly what you’re looking for!
(1) Rainbow Baby Jewelry
Lots of beautiful jewelry options have been created to commemorate the joy that comes with welcoming a rainbow baby into the world.
From necklaces to bracelets, any of these options would be the perfect choice as a gift during Rainbow Baby Week.
(2) Rainbow Baby Coffee Mug
I may not have mastered this whole parenting thing yet, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that caffeine and raising kids go hand-in-hand!
This adorable rainbow “Mama” coffee mug would make an ideal treat during Rainbow Baby Day! Not only is it too cute for words, but it also functions to keep the coffee in hand where it should be!
(3) Rainbow Baby Onesie
Hey, there can’t be a Rainbow Baby Day celebration without a rainbow baby, right?
Why not opt to gift your precious little one with a sweet rainbow baby onesie?
This gift will actually work for a double National Rainbow Baby Week celebration as it would also make the perfect photo-op for your celebratory social media post if you’re into sharing in that way.
Celebrating the Holiday You Didn’t Know Your Heart Needed
During a storm, whether it’s real or metaphorical, there is an eerie sense of uncertainty and gloom. We feel on edge in our surroundings, and we hope and pray for the moment that the unease will come to an end.
When the clouds open up, and the sun begins to break through, the time will have come for a refreshing sigh of relief.
That is what National Rainbow Baby Day is all about – taking the time to appreciate the challenges you’ve walked through and adoring the results that met you on the other side.
Whether you choose to buy a cute baby onesie, or share your story on Facebook, take a moment to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Your miraculous rainbow baby is a sight to behold. Set aside the time to honor them and the journey you’ve gone through together.
Have you celebrated National Rainbow Baby Day?
More Rainbow Baby Articles
- What is a rainbow baby and what it’s like to have one
- Rainbow baby quotes
- Rainbow baby gifts
- Hannah’s letter to her dear rainbow baby
- Rainbow baby announcements
- Rainbow baby showers
