Starting a family isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem. For many people, this journey comes with ups and downs, disappointments, and in some cases, loss.
When pregnancy loss touches a family, it can make the wins feel that much more monumental and worth celebrating. A rainbow baby is a baby that arrives after a pregnancy loss. Whether that’s a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death.
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Personalized Gifts
Unique Gifts
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Jump ahead to these sections:
- Personalized Rainbow Baby Gift Ideas
- Unique Rainbow Baby Gift Ideas
- DIY Rainbow Baby Gift Ideas
- Rainbow Baby Gift Box Ideas
Celebrating the arrival of a rainbow baby is about embracing life despite the heartbreak, grief, and sadness that comes after pregnancy loss. Such a celebration deserves an extra special gift.
Not sure what to get your friend or family member as a rainbow baby gift? We have a round-up of ideas for the perfect rainbow baby gift.
Personalized Rainbow Baby Gift Ideas
A personalized gift comes straight from the heart. It shows your loved one that no matter what they’ve been through, you’re there for them, and that you took the time to get a gift that reflects that.
Here are a few personalized rainbow baby gift ideas:
1. Personalized book
If the baby is already born, or the parents have picked out a name, they would love a personalized baby book.
These books tell a story with the special rainbow baby as the main character. If you know the parents well, you could even tie in some of the story of the loss before them, and how they came to be.
How cool is it for the baby to have a story with them as the main character that they can read again and again? You can easily get a personalized book on websites like Wonderbly and I See Me.
2. Personalized painting
It would mean so much to the parents (and the baby when they’re old enough) to see a personalized piece of art dedicated to the rainbow baby.
You can commission an artist that you already know, one you find locally, or one you find online to create a personalized artwork dedicated to the new rainbow baby.
If they’re already born, this could be a portrait of them or a portrait of any maternity photos you have access to. You can add their name to the painting, and of course, even make it rainbow-themed.
Try to find an artist whose style goes with the parent’s taste, if that’s important to them. It doesn’t have to be a painting either. There are incredible pieces of digital art that people create. Those are usually a bit more affordable and easier to access and transport.
Unique Rainbow Baby Gift Ideas
Want to get a gift that’s as unique as your loved one? Unique gifts can be funny, rare, and hard to find, or something that reflects them as a person.
Here’s our roundup of unique gifts for a rainbow baby:
3. Garden supply kit
Set the parents and the rainbow baby up for a super meaningful activity with a gift that keeps on giving. They might not be gardening any time soon, but you can give them a garden supply kit to do so when they’re ready.
You can make it an edible garden to represent the constant circle of life and give them nourishment for years to come, an herbal garden with protective plants that might offer grounding and medicinal benefits, a flower garden that brings beauty and light to their space, or all of the above!
Some things you might put in this kit are:
- Seeds
- Pots and planters
- Gardening and plant identification books
- Gardening tools for kids
This is a pretty hands-on present (literally), so make sure it’s something that the parents would be up for, or at least make it work for their lifestyle and home.
Another, easier way to do this is by giving the family seedlings or succulent gardens that don’t take quite as much work. The garden can also have space for a memorial dedicated to the baby that they lost.
4. Affirmation deck
Affirmations are words and phrases that you can say to yourself as a way of grounding yourself and remembering what’s important to you.
An affirmation deck is a set of cards that has specific affirmations on it with pictures to go with it. These affirmations may be geared towards the parents, or you can get a deck with messages for the rainbow baby.
Some simple affirmations you might find on a baby deck are:
- “I am loved.”
- “I am strong.”
- “My voice matters.”
This deck can even be full of uplifting quotes about babies!
Affirmations can help calm parents and babies, and fill them with encouragement and support. You can find affirmation decks that are made by small business artists on websites like Etsy. You may even want to make your own deck.
DIY Rainbow Baby Gift Ideas
Do you have a crafty side? Sometimes the spark of creativity needed to personalize a gift can make it feel extra special. Give these rainbow baby parents a do-it-yourself gift made just for them.
5. Baby blankie
Baby blankets are one of the few pieces of childhood memorabilia that people tend to hold on to. You might even still have yours!
These blankets allow you to pour your love into something special that will comfort and ground the baby for years to come.
This can be a simple blanket or a quilt with different images, the baby’s name, or messages stitched together. These are pretty simple to make, even for a novice sewer.
These kinds of blankets probably aren’t great for swaddling, but they’re an awesome decorative piece, or they can be more functional as the baby gets older.
6. DIY coupon book
Getting the most simple things done can feel impossible after having a baby (or when you’re pregnant).
You can make the parents a nifty little coupon book so that they can reach out to you when they need an extra hand. Put together a notebook with different tasks and favors they can choose from. You may also want to include how long you have to do these things.
Just what are these coupons for? We’ve got some ideas:
- Walk the dog
- Pick up groceries
- Make a home-cooked meal
- Babysit
- A foot massage
- Pick up kids from school
You get the idea! Make sure these are things you’d actually be willing to do or take care of for them.
Rainbow Baby Gift Box Ideas
You might be overwhelmed with gift ideas and unsure which direction to go. Making your loved one a themed rainbow baby gift box lets you compile all sorts of goodies that will fill up their heart and soul.
These are some gift boxes you can give them:
7. Postpartum care
Baby gifts don’t have to just be for the baby. The parent who gives birth to the rainbow baby would greatly appreciate a set of goodies for when they’re postpartum.
There are so many things people overlook or don’t realize they might want after they have a baby. A postpartum care box is full of gifts that will help them feel nourished and cared for, so they can care for their new baby.
Here are some things you can put on a postpartum care box:
Feel free to add whatever you’d like to this box to help the parent get whatever they need as they move through the postpartum period.
8. Remembrance box
A remembrance box shows the parents that you’re not only celebrating the life of their rainbow baby but honoring the baby they lost.
You can fill this remembrance box with miscarriage keepsakes and knick-knacks that commemorate the special life that was lost.
What exactly do you put in a remembrance box?
Here are some ideas:
- A piece of jewelry with the baby’s birthstone
- A hand-painted memorial stone
- A memorial blanket
- Naming a star after the baby
There are so many heartfelt gifts you can put in this box. No matter what you include, it’s sure to mean a lot.
Picking a Rainbow Baby Gift
There can be a lot of fear around gifts for a rainbow baby, out of concern about losing the baby. Some people may not want to get a gift before they’ve had the baby.
If you’re unsure whether or not your loved one is comfortable with a gift, just ask them! Doing this can help you get a gauge on what kind of gift they might want, too. It may feel triggering to get baby clothes, for example, but a home-cooked meal could be right within their comfort zone.
Whatever you get them, let it come from the heart and be something that would actually benefit them. This list is just a starting point. There are so many incredible gifts you can give the parents and baby to let them know you’re thinking about them.