iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — One mother honored her late son, whom she lost in a miscarriage, when her son was born a month ago.
Brittany Sleeper told ABC News that she and her husband of four years, Matthew, learned a lot about themselves when they lost their son, Noah, at 16 weeks in November 2015.
“Since it was in my second trimester and I had made the Facebook announcement and everyone knew I was pregnant it’s like, ‘What do I do now? How am I supposed to tell my Facebook world that I’m not pregnant anymore?’ This baby was acknowledged already.”
It inspired Sleeper, 26, to search online, which is how she found a community of women who had suffered pregnancy or infant loss. It’s where she learned of the term “rainbow baby” — a baby born after a loss.
The Santa Cruz, California, woman then posted a photo of herself holding Noah, detailing what she and her family had been through.
“I feel like every pregnancy deserves to be remembered whether it [ended] at 4 weeks or 12 weeks,” Sleeper explained. “It’s really taught us a lot, especially about having compassion for other people and to appreciate our kids more.”
The loss also inspired Sleeper when she got pregnant with her third child, Nathan, whom she welcomed last month.
“When I did get pregnant again, I really carried on with the rainbow theme. I really wanted that to be a part of my life and that pregnancy because therefore the other baby is recognized,” she said.
Sleeper had a rainbow-themed baby shower and even decided to tap birth photographer and doula Paige Driscoll to create a rainbow-themed photo shoot in her delivery room last month.
The mother purchased a rainbow ink pad from Target and told Driscoll to instruct the nurse that when documenting Nathan’s footprints, to use the rainbow ink instead and capture it on a white canvas.
Sleeper said her experience has made her more grateful for her family. It also reminded her and her husband “how special it is to have a kid. It’s delicate and it’s not guaranteed to you.”
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