A rainbow baby is a baby born after parents have previously experienced the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or other natural causes.

A newborn photography session for a rainbow baby is usually filled with lots of emotion – it’s a reminder of the sadness of the previous loss, an honouring of the memory of the lost baby, but ultimately a celebration of the life of this new baby.

Newborn photographers usually incorporate rainbow colours into their setups to indicate that this is a rainbow baby. They do this through props, headbands, wraps, or other creative additions to their setup.

Some of our Newborn Retreat Students kindly shared these beautiful inspirational images with us.

Although incorporating rainbow colours is the most common way of marking rainbow babies, sometimes the lost baby (or babies) are honoured in different ways, like this touching tribute to lost twin brothers.

Regardless of how you choose to make this special for the parents, be sure to handle this session with the utmost sensitivity. And know that these photos will always hold an extra special place in the parents’ hearts.