As we approach the end of National Rainbow Week, we take the time to remember all the babies born before their time or born still. A rainbow baby is baby born after a miscarriage or loss. It is called a rainbow baby because it is something beautiful after a something that is dark and scary.
At WomanCare Centers and the Center for Birth at DePaul Medical Center, the nurses and staff are highly trained and capable of providing respectful care to mother and baby. They are fountains of knowledge and a pillar of support for families in times of need.
Any baby that has passed after roughly 12 weeks gestation is delivered at the hospital. At DePaul Medical center, a memorial service is preformed twice a year in which each baby that was born too soon or born still is recognized. Ashes are spread with prayer and flowers are then planted according to the season. DePaul is part of a national Share organization and holds a monthly support group. Also available, is a private Share Facebook group that allows grieving families with a social support that is often needed in the most trying of times. Additionally, at Christmas time there is a beautiful memorial tree, in which ornaments brought by the families are hung with the name and the date of the angels that have passed. There are ornaments that date back to the 1970s!
Memorial boxes and mementos are available to families and pictures are obtained. Through donations the staff at DePaul has access to cameras and beautiful handmade outfits to take pictures of the babies and families.
Another great organization and resource is a national organization named Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. This free service providers volunteers that are able to come and take professional photographs of babies with their families. This organization aims to offer each family dealing with death the healing power of remembrance. This organization is available worldwide and is volunteer-based.
For more information about Share organization go to http://nationalshare.org/
For more DePaul specific information please contact Nancy Goldman at 757 889 5300
For more information or to volunteer with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep go to https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/
Losses are difficult for everyone involved. As providers we do our best to guide families through this difficult time. We want you to know that we remember you and your baby and that we grieve with you.
Lorena Seitz, CNM
