Mothers pose in a sea of colors to celebrate and remember rainbow babies, or babies born after miscarriage. The photo shoot from Ashley Sargent has spread widely across the internet. (Photo: Ashley Sargent Photography, LLC)
Photographer Ashley Sargent recently got a unique request for a newborn photo shoot. The client wanted photos that reflected her child was a rainbow baby, Sargent told USA TODAY.
A “rainbow baby” is a term used to reference children who are born after a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, like beauty at the end of a storm.
So Sargent got different colored flowers and arranged them around the baby to create a rainbow. When she shared the photo on her photography Facebook page, it resonated.
That photo shoot turned into more sessions of rainbow babies and mothers began to connect online, she said.
‘A vision of hope’
That’s when Sargent got the idea for a photo shoot.
“I wanted to see as many mothers as I could possibly handle all together – all standing as one, as a vision of hope – and to see all of them who have gone through those struggles and who have overcome,” she said.
“I felt like if you could see it, then you could say ‘I could do this too. I could be that person,'” she added.
Sargent is thankful she has not suffered a miscarriage, but struggled with infertility for four years before she and her husband welcomed their “miracle” son into the world.
She said that experience allows her to relate to the pain.
“I understand how it feels to feel lonely and to feel ashamed of yourself and to not want to talk about it when you are in your deepest and darkest time of your life. And you need to talk about it, but you just physically can’t,” she said.
And when she was in her darkest moment, she promised God she would be a voice and speak hope, she said. Photography has been that outlet.
Photographer Ashley Sargent talks to the women and instructs them for a photograph celebrating and remember rainbow babies. (Photo: Ashley Sargent Photography, LLC)
‘Even in your darkest times, you can overcome’
She put out a call to moms to be part of a group photo shoot. On a beautiful, sunny day in Fyffe, Alabama, more than 40 mamas came together to represent rainbow babies everywhere.
The photo shoot included a commemorative balloon release, which was captured on video, where she told the women:
“I wanted you to remember the children that you have lost because they mattered. They were a person and they meant something to this world, even if it was just to you, it meant something.”
At the photo shoot, each mom received a balloon for a commemorative release, a moment to remember the babies they have lost. (Photo: Ashley Sargent Photography, LLC)
Sargent hopes the photo sends an encouraging message and helps women feel like its OK to grieve and talk about pregnancy loss.
“We want to bring hope and we want to spread a glimpse of joy that even in your darkest times, you can overcome and you can get through it. Our biggest message is just ‘You are not alone.'”
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