Every delivery is dramatic and intense, but when a “rainbow baby” is born, it’s much more so. That’s because these unique kids (a “rainbow baby” is a phrase for a baby born after a miscarriage or loss) are living proof that there is reason to hope and that dreams do come true. So when birth photographer Laura Fifield had the opportunity to photograph one couple’s rainbow birth, she had a feeling the photos would be unforgettable … and she was right. Fifield’s subjects, a couple named Lila and Tim, were thrilled when Lila found out she was pregnant with their third child.
Lila began to experience significant discomfort a week or two later, indicating that she was suffering from a tubal pregnancy. Lila’s tube brole despite being under medical monitoring, and she was taken into emergency.
“I was heartbroken and my husband was terrified at the thought that he had almost lost his wife and mother to his children,” Lila wrote on Fifield’s blog. “Through tear-filled eyes, I cried out to God asking ‘why?’ I was scared and confused.”
McDermid says she was “both delighted and frightened” to attempt to conceive again after her recuperation. When she became pregnant again in May 2016, her worry was still strong. Lila and Tim miraculously welcomed a daughter, Audrey Joy, into the world a year later (perfect name choice!). Fifield was there to record every moment when they did.
“I gained an amazing appreciation of the delicacy of both pregnancy and my own life,” Lila wrote on her blog.
Any break in the action during labor is a welcome opportunity to collect yourself and gather your strength. Lila looks like she’s focusing all her energy on the task at hand.
Sometimes a squeeze from your partner’s hand is just the thing you need to get you through the rough spots (okay, sometimes an epidural helps too!).
There’s no question that bringing a baby into this world is a challenging process! For so many moms, this image of Lila gripping the bed rails will bring back painful — but beautiful — memories.
You’ve reached the last stretch when you’re hanging on to your legs! Lila appears composed, resolute, and most importantly… prepared.
This lovely photo of Lila overcome with emotion as she welcomes her new daughter into the world will bring a tear to every mother’s eye, especially because this “rainbow baby” was born almost precisely one year after her mother’s miscarriage.
“One year after experiencing our loss there I was holding the most precious gift of all, our fearfully and wonderfully made 11-day old rainbow baby, Audrey Joy,” the mom wrote.
Such an absolutely exquisite moment and that adorable little face sneaking a first peek at her mom’s face is just too much!
“It was a huge relief and a full-circle moment,” she says of holding Audrey for the first time. “It was healing and relieving to finally hold her and have her be here and healthy. I feel like all the way up until the moment I had that fear.”
We can’t stand how adorable that lovely tiny head wrapped in newborn fuzz is. There are simply no words to express how lovely this new face is!
What Tim and Lila discovered at the end of the rainbow was even more valuable than gold: the lovely Audrey Joy.
“It’s just wonderful that we’re able to share our story because it is one of hope and of healing,” she says. “It’s really amazing now that we can share our story and say, ‘Yes, you can have a loss and still carry a pregnancy to term and have a healthy baby. You are not broken and it’s not impossible.”
