Welcoming any baby is probably the single most emotional experience of the human condition. But welcoming a Rainbow Baby? That adds a layer of emotion that might take you by surprise.
After the ʟᴏss of a child, life becomes an amalgam of fear and anticipation, often blanketed with the certainty that you’ll simply never be lucky enough to be a parent. It often feels just that desperate. I know because I’ve felt the pain of ʟᴏss, and also the joy of finally holding the baby I never thought I’d have.
That’s the experience one couple, Hunter and Hope Madden, had when they recently celebrated the birth of their daughter after prolonged fertility struggles and several miscarriages. The Maddens’ birth photos are making waves on the internet for the sheer depth of their emotional intensity — just try not to tear up while looking at these beautiful portraits.
Baby Evelyn was born on March 11 and is the couple’s rainbow baby — a child born to a couple after the ʟᴏss of a pregnancy. In the Madden family’s case, the new parents (who had undergone several rounds of fertility treatments in their attempts to conceive) previously suffered two early-term miscarriages and one later-term ʟᴏss when a sonogram of their son, Owen, revealed that he had no heartbeat.
Hunter said that they worried a lot during each doctor’s visit, but they gradually became more optimistic when they learned that the pregnancy making it to term. The joy and relief of finally meeting their baby girl, born healthy. That is a great happiness for this couple.
Their rainbow baby’s beautiful birth was photographed by Rogers, but more moving than the birth itself was Hunter’s emotional reaction to holding his daughter for the first time. “This is a story about a mom and a dad who went through ʟᴏss and persistence to get their baby,” Rogers captioned the stunning photo of Hunter holding his daughter on her Facebook page. “That tattoo on his chest was done after their first miscarriage, and now his daughter lies her sweet head against it. Both of them a reminder of triumph.”
Rogers shared the feelings she had during this emotional birth with POPSUGAR: “I knew [the couple] would be overcome with joy and relief the minute their baby girl was in their arms. I was anticipating it. They were very connected during the birth. Dad was very affectionate towards his wife. I loved every minute I spent with them. To be in the presence of such a supportive partner and strong woman (her labor lasted 40 hours!) was such an honor. I admit that I got choked up a few times as they expressed their feelings about finally having their rainbow baby. This work is so fulfilling.”
