Many women have the intense desire to be mothers but struggle with having the pregnancy work on their timeline.
After finally getting pregnant there is so much joy, fear, and anticipation flooding every cell in the body.
And each of those hopeful responses are immediately replaced with pain, grief, and anger for the thousands of women who suffer from a miscarriage – but all that changed for one happy group of glowing women.
Ashley Sargent is a photographer from Alabama who has had a colorful career capturing the joyful moments of rainbow babies among other inspiring photos.
A rainbow baby is the term coined for the children that are born healthy after the mother loses a baby due to miscarriage.
Oftentimes after a storm, there is a rainbow reminding us that the turbulent times are over and now we get to enjoy the beautiful peace that comes after.
Moms love to have rainbow-themed pictures taken of their rainbow babies, and the trend is only growing.
After taking dozens of such shoots, Sargent had the idea to gather all the clients who had taken rainbow baby pictures in the past and create one beautiful landscape of moms who had been on the journey of losing a child before they were blessed with another, she tells Yahoo Lifestyle.
Sargent wants to bring awareness to “how common it is for people to have a miscarriage.”
She tells Yahoo Lifestyle:
“When people think of a rainbow baby, it’s taboo. People don’t talk about miscarriage or the loss of a child.”
The first rainbow photo, Sargent reminisced, was of a baby laying on a blanket with flowers over top in the shape of a rainbow.
Now, her vision was much bigger, wanting to see “dozens upon dozens of mothers coming together, all as one, dressed in colors of the rainbow along with their miracle child,” according to her Facebook post.
The post adds:
“I wanted mothers and children of every age. In my mind, this idea was going to be a vision of hope.”
And that is exactly what she did.
The photoshop with all the rainbow babies and their moms couldn’t have been more beautiful – or successful as the Facebook post has gone viral.
Countless mothers thanked Sargent for the hopeful depictin, and the awareness that it brings.
Positive affirmation has poured in, giving validation to Sargent’s goal “to show that you’re not alone” and you can “overcome the challenge you are facing”, according to her post.
One mom commented:
“It turned out beautiful!!! Beyond the most amazing thing I have ever been apart of!! Thank you for following your heart and letting us be apart of this. It was so inspirational, emotional, and raw. I won’t ever forget it and I hope so many mommas see this and have so much peace and hope.”
In the future, Sargent plans on posting each mother’s individualized journey leading up to their rainbow baby.
Miscarriage is more common than you may think with as many as 1 in 4 women experiencing it, as Mommy Underground has previously reported.
Attention to this tough time for mothers and unified celebration of the blessings that come after are vital to a community.
Don’t shy away from giving thanks for all the rainbow babies out there, and take a moment to soak in all the joy captured by Sargent’s photoshoot.
Please let us know in the comments section if you have a rainbow baby experience you would like to share.