What is Project Finding Your Rainbow?
The project involves the rainbow skirt in the picture going from one loss mom to the next. You can take pictures with the skirt and then the pictures and stories are shared on the blog and on social media. I wore the skirt in my maternity pictures with my rainbow baby.
The purpose of this is to document how women who have dealt with pregnancy/infant loss go on to find their rainbow. This could mean having another baby, deciding not to have any more children, choosing to focus on your health, shifting your focus to fostering or adoption, getting involved with a volunteer organization, or any other way that you have dealt with the loss of your pregnancy/child.
We often hear the term “rainbow baby”, which refers to having a baby after having a loss. Many women do go on to have other children, but there are many who decide not to or who have other ways of dealing/coping with the loss.
Why did you start this project?
I started this because I lost my daughter, Jasmine, in 2018. She was stillborn at 32 weeks. You can read My Loss Story: Jasmine Grace. I have had three losses total and feel like pregnancy and infant loss do not get talked about enough. Not everyone has the support they deserve or feel that they can talk about their losses and their children. I want to change that and give people a chance to share their stories and talk about loss, while also raising awareness.
Do I have to live in the U.S.?
Not at all! We have had participants from Canada, Australia, Peru and the UK. I would be happy to talk to you about participating, no matter where you are located.
Does it cost anything to participate?
All it costs is the price of shipping to the next person in line. The shipping to you is paid.
Do I have to hire a photographer?
You can choose to hire a photographer or use a friend or family member to take pictures. There have been participants that do it both ways and they all look amazing!
Do I have to be pregnant?
Not at all! There are all different kinds of women that participate. Some that have their rainbow baby already, some that are currently pregnant, some that don’t yet have their rainbow. The only qualification to participate is that you have had a pregnancy, infant, or child loss.
How many people have participated so far?
There have been 324 stories published so far as of November 2023.
How do I participate?
Fill out the form below (or the form here if it does not show up below) if you are interested and we can talk about the date you want to participate. I ask that people start writing and send me their story before the skirt is mailed out due to some participants not following through.
A few former participants share what it was like to participate on an episode of the Finding Hope After Loss podcast.
Here are links to some of the people who have already participated:
Jillian
If you are interested in participating, please use the contact form below.
After a year spent travelling, adventuring and settling into life as newlyweds, my husband Tom…
Madison Pico is a mother of two living children who has also experienced three pregnancy…
My name is Mary-Susan, and this is why I wear the rainbow skirt. When people…
My journey to motherhood started like many others, full of excitement and the assumption that it would just work out. Within three months of trying, we were pregnant. We were overjoyed. But that joy didn’t last long. Around five weeks, I miscarried. We were heartbroken, but we tried to stay hopeful. Then, the very next month, I was pregnant again. It felt like a miracle, like maybe the first loss had just been a terrible fluke. But at six weeks, we lost that pregnancy too. That was the moment I realized this wasn’t random. I went to the doctor looking for answers, but I kept hearing the same thing. Everything looks normal. Sometimes this just happens. Just keep trying. I never accepted that, because deep down it never felt right. Loss changes you. There is no way around it. When you lose a pregnancy, you don’t just lose a moment in time. You lose the dreams you had already started building. You imagine birthdays that will never happen, tiny hands you never got to hold, and a future that suddenly disappears. The grief is hard to explain unless you have lived through it. It is the grief that keeps…
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Losing a baby is heart wrenching wound and it never heals
I cannot thank you enough for this. Being the grandma of 4 babies who were lost, it is wonderful to see their momma's story here. What a wonderful way for these women to share their stories. Thank you from the bottom of my healing heart.
Thank you for the kind words! This project means so much to me. Having lost my daughter in 2018, it was one of the worst things that could have happened to me. Talking about her is all I have now and I love sharing her story, even though it's hard. I am glad to give other women the chance to do this as well.
This really blew up my mind. So beautiful and inspiring! I have never seen something like this. Hope you find more moms who need this ray of happiness and hope. Congratulations for this great initiative!
Thank you so much for the kind words!