National Rainbow Baby Day is August 22. While this may seem like a joyous occasion to those who haven’t experienced it, rainbow babies can bring complicated emotions for those who are expecting a rainbow baby or have given birth to a rainbow baby.
A rainbow baby is a healthy baby born after the loss of another child, either from miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, or infant death.The rainbow symbolizes the miracle after the dark storm of grief of losing a child. While of course most parents feel overjoyed when they are expecting a rainbow baby, it can bring up feelings of guilt and fear all over again.
If you are expecting a rainbow baby, waiting for a rainbow baby, or raising a rainbow baby, below is a list of organizations, resources, and helpful articles for whatever you may be feeling.
>> RELATED READ :: Remembering Pregnancy & Infant Loss <<
Rainbow Baby Organizations
Bereaved Parents of the USA: A volunteer-run group of parents whose children have died, BPUSA provides an outlet for grief and sharing, as well as celebrating the lives of their children.
International Stillbirth Alliance: A prevention group that connects families and medical professionals around the world to prevent newborn death and support affected families.
March of Dimes: Perhaps one of the best-known organizations for mothers and babies, March of Dimes is a leader in advocacy and education of not just parents-to-be but medical professionals as well. Their literature on infant loss and grief is robust. 
Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death (MEND): MEND is a Christian nonprofit organization that reaches out to families after the loss of a baby. It publishes a free magazine, holds commemorative ceremonies, and hosts support groups all over the country.
Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS): A community of support for pregnant mothers who have experienced loss, either through virtual groups or in-person events.
Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support: This group primarily seeks to support families who lose a baby during pregnancy, stillbirth, or in infancy. It also seeks to provide resources and education on the needs and rights of grieving parents and siblings.
Still Mothers: Still Mothers is a supportive space for women who have lost a child and do not go on to have a “rainbow child” after that loss.
Through the Heart: Pregnancy loss support and education for parents and those close to them. Through the Heart also gives away “comfort kits” to parents who have lost a child.
Tommy’s: This is the largest UK research center and charity focused on learning causes and prevention of pregnancy complications, miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, and neonatal death.
Unspoken Grief: A safe online venue to share the hard road of loss after miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal loss. You can share and read stories from others who have been impacted by this type of grief.
Articles, Blogs, & Other Resources
- Glow in the Woods: A blog for baby lost mothers and fathers.
- Grieving Dads: A site for grieving fathers that works to break the taboo around grieving loss. Book and workbook available.
- Gratefulness: Light a virtual candle in memory of your child.
- I Am Fruitful: A Christian group committed to supporting couples through infertility and loss. It has an adult coloring book (and other products) in their online shop, as well as an in-person support group in DFW, which meets at Gateway Church.
- Molly Bears: A company that creates weighted teddy bears in the same birth weight of the lost child for families coping with any form of neonatal loss.
- “Raising a Rainbow Baby to Remember Their Sibling in Heaven”
- Still Life with Circles: A blog written to talk about grief and art.
- Still Standing Magazine: An online magazine that shares stories from around the world about the aftermath of loss and the pain of infertility, including articles about how to help others.
- “Ways to celebrate National Rainbow Baby Day”
