What Is a Sunshine Baby?

Losing a pregnancy can have profound physical and emotional impacts. While everyone processes grief differently, some parents choose to name and categorize their experiences as a way of coping. The pregnancy loss community has come up with various ways to describe the unique types of tragedies they've experienced, including familiar terms like "rainbow baby" or "angel baby." One lesser known, but meaningful term is "sunshine baby," which describes a baby born before a pregnancy loss.

Ahead, learn more about the term sunshine baby, including its meaning and significance, along with ways to cope with experiencing a pregnancy loss.

What Is the Significance of the Phrase Sunshine Baby?

Sunshine itself is a symbol of optimism and vitality. It may represent the calm before the storm—i.e., the peace a parent experienced in their life that was disrupted by the pain of loss.

Although it's common to feel guilt over the fact that your sunshine baby is here with you and the pregnancy you lost is not, sunshine babies represent hope for parents, and serve as a reminder that successful pregnancy is possible.

"A term like sunshine baby is often used as a beacon of hope," says Kiana Shelton, licensed clinical social worker and women's health expert with Mindpath Health. "The term can be a reminder of joy and of what one's body has done, as well as serving hope of what could happen again."

What's the Difference Between a Sunshine Baby and a Rainbow Baby?

Most people are more familiar with the term rainbow baby, which refer to babies who were born after any kind of pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancies, blighted ovums, molar pregnancies, and infant losses. On the other hand, sunshine babies refer to babies born before a pregnancy loss.

Miscarriage is the most common type of pregnancy loss, and the risk increases significantly after age 35. Most miscarriages occur during the first trimester of pregnancy. A miscarriage can happen to anyone, regardless of whether or not you've been pregnant before, and in most cases, there's nothing one could have done to prevent a miscarriage from occurring—though there are some factors that increase the risk of pregnancy loss, like age.

On the flipside, the odds of getting pregnant after a miscarriage—and thus conceiving a rainbow baby—are encouraging. According to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), 85% of pregnant people who have experienced one loss will go on to conceive. However, birthing people should seek advice from a health care provider to assess their personal risk level, based on age and other medical factors.

How You Might Feel About Your Sunshine Baby

It's typical to have many different feelings about your sunshine baby, some of which may seem complicated. "People may have a range of emotions about their sunshine babies, including hope, guilt, resentment, and disappointment that they don't have a sibling yet," says Maria Costantini-Ferrando, MD, PhD, clinical director and reproductive endocrinologist with Reproductive Medicine Associates. You may experience all of the above at once as well. That's normal too.

Guilt is one of the most difficult feelings that may arise. It's common to feel guilty about how sad you feel about your loss, given the fact that you already have a healthy child. You may feel that you don't have a right to complain right now, says Dr. Costantini-Ferrando. But it's really OK. "Wishing for another child does not take away from or minimize the joy of already having one, it simply adds to it," she assures.

Tips From Experts to Cope With Pregnancy Loss

Coping with pregnancy or infant loss can be intense, and it may feel that there isn't a path forward. But rest assured: there are things you can do to get through this challenging time, and please remember that you aren't alone. Here are some tips from experts on coping with pregnancy loss:

Accept your feelings.

There's no right or wrong way to feel when it comes to loss. "Remind yourself that you are a human being and you are entitled to experience whatever emotion you have," Dr. Costantini-Ferrando says. "It is important to engage in self-care, be kind to yourself, [be] patient and forgiving, and ride the wave of emotions." Many people try to avoid the uncomfortable feelings, such as guilt or sadness, but acknowledging them is the best way to let them go, Dr. Costantini-Ferrando adds.

Talk about what your vision of pregnancy was.

It can be therapeutic to share what you had hoped for in your pregnancy. "When I work with clients, we often uncover that there were visions about what pregnancy or life as a parent would be like that were never said out loud," says Shelton. While it's true that sharing these feelings can be painful, it can also be helpful to share, as a way to release and normalize them.

Remind yourself that grief isn't linear.

Many people think that grief is linear: that you feel bad and then you gradually feel better. But it doesn't often work that way. You'll have good days and bad days, and you should expect some bumps in the road, says Dr. Costantini-Ferrando. You may also find that not everyone understands what your particular grieving process looks like. "Know that people may unintentionally say hurtful things and/or give unsolicited advice," Dr. Costantini-Ferrando remarks. "Try not to let that get to you."

Seek professional support.

You don't have to go through this alone. Seek out a therapist or counselor who specializes in grieving after pregnancy loss. You can access therapists with different specialties by searching websites like Psychology Today or The American Psychological Association. "There is nothing wrong with getting a mental health tune up," Shelton advises. "Taking time to have a safe space to process thoughts may allow you the opportunity to move through emotions and struggles at a faster pace."

Set aside special time with your sunshine baby.

Lastly, don't forget to set aside time to be with your sunshine baby. It can be healing to celebrate life together and embrace the child who is here with you, Dr. Costantini-Ferrando suggests. You can include your lost baby in these activities. "Incorporate memorializing the loss of their sibling in creative ways like building a garden, creating a piece of art, or writing a story," Dr. Costantini-Ferrando recommends, noting that these shared activities can be therapeutic and a reminder of hope.