A Story of Rain After the Storm: Honoring Rainbow Babies | Kayla Hunter Photography | D’iberville, Mississippi.
I’ll never forget the first time I photographed a mama carrying her rainbow baby. She walked into my studio with her hand resting gently on her belly, her eyes filled with a mix of joy and grief. When she whispered softly, “This is our rainbow. We’ve been waiting for this moment,” something inside me shifted.
In that instant, I realized these sessions weren’t just about photographs—they were about legacy. They were about honoring the baby who came before, celebrating the miracle growing now, and creating tangible proof of love and resilience. From that day forward, I understood just how sacred rainbow baby sessions truly are.
The Power of Capturing the Rainbow
As a newborn and maternity photographer on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, I see firsthand how deeply meaningful these photographs are.
I think back to that very first rainbow session often—how her hands cradled her belly with reverence, how her smile carried the weight of loss and the beauty of hope. Since then, I’ve watched fathers tear up holding their rainbow baby swaddled in soft, symbolic wraps. I’ve seen mamas bring tokens of remembrance into their newborn sessions—an ultrasound photo, a small blanket, a delicate rainbow-colored wrap—to honor the little one they lost while celebrating the one they now hold earthside.
These images become heirlooms, telling a story of survival, resilience, and boundless love.
On this National Rainbow Baby Day, I celebrate that first mama who changed the way I saw my work, and every rainbow family who has walked through loss and found their light again. Your story matters. Your baby matters. And your rainbow deserves to be remembered in the most beautiful way.
