For some women, the rainbow signifies something so much more important, more touching, more human than in the current twisted social context. For women who have miscarried or lost a baby to stillbirth, a rainbow baby means there is life after death — another opportunity to experience the joy and love and hope of motherhood after devastating grief. For six women, their photo shoot by Alex Bolen, owner of Shutter Darling Photography, LLC, posted on Facebook went viral. With brightly colored smoke filling the background, the women held their precious babies or cradled their pregnant bellies. The post read:

A rainbow is a promise of sunshine after rain, of calm after storms, of joy after sadness, of peace after pain, of love after loss. A rainbow baby is a baby born following loss. These mommas are just 6 out of the millions that experience pregnancy/infant loss every day. Some speak out. Some stay silent. Some have lost many. Some try for months or years. Some meet their sleeping angels. All loved and never forgotten.

According to the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Reports, there are approximately 1 million miscarriages per year in the U.S., with the majority of the losses prior to 20 weeks of gestation. In addition, there are around 24,000 stillborn babies in the United States. Some women grieve quietly, while others prefer to talk about their loss. For women who have a rainbow baby, the preciousness of life cannot be overstated and her new baby brings hope, healing and joy. 

As of Wednesday, the post received almost 20,000 shares and 25,000 likes.