What Is Meant By A Sunshine Baby?

Image: Shutterstock

The feeling of losing a baby cannot be described in words. Only the parents who go through the ordeal can understand the grief and pain. One way that parents try to deal with their losses is by naming and categorizing what they are feeling. People have come up with different terms to help parents describe what kind of losses they have been through. These terms include ‘rainbow baby’, and ‘angel baby.’ Another addition to this list is the lesser known ‘sunshine baby’, which refers to a baby who is born before a pregnancy loss.

In This Article

What Is Meant By The Term Sunshine Baby?

Image: Shutterstock

The term sunshine baby refers to babies who are born before a loss, including stillborns, miscarriages, or any loss in the early stages of infancy. To put in simpler terms, a sunshine baby is a baby that a parent had before they had any idea about any kind of losses, troubles to conceive, or the knowledge that once pregnant, the pregnancy can turn into a loss.

The Meaning And Significance Of A Sunshine Baby

Image: Shutterstock

The term sunshine baby came into existence probably because the parents who have experienced a loss may see the children born before the loss in a different light now. The term sunshine is very optimistic in nature. It might also refer to the calm before the storm, meaning the peace and joy you experienced in your life before you were hit with a tragedy.

Though it is quite natural and common for parents to feel guilty about the fact that their sunshine baby is with them but their unborn or lost child is not, for most parents, a sunshine baby stands as a ray of hope.

As a parent, you can look at your sunshine baby to get reminded of what your baby has done and look forward to it happening again. Parents who are going through loss and are grieving, a sunshine baby is like a beacon of hope to them.

What Is The Difference Between A Sunshine Baby And A Rainbow Baby?

Image: Shutterstock

The term ‘rainbow baby’ is more well known than ‘sunshine baby.’ However, these terms are rather opposite in nature. While a rainbow baby refers to a baby who is born after any kind of pregnancy loss, sunshine babies are the ones who are born before such tragedies. The timing of the birth of the babies is what differentiates a rainbow baby from a sunshine baby.

How You Might Feel About Your Sunshine Baby?

Image: Shutterstock

It is only natural that you will feel a myriad of emotions about your sunshine baby. Since the baby comes before any loss, the feelings can get complicated where positive feelings might get mixed up with remorse and guilt.

Guilt is one of the most common feelings that you might feel as a parent when you are dealing with a loss and have your sunshine baby with you. You might feel that since you have one child with you, it might not be okay for you to complain. However, you should know that it is absolutely okay to feel shattered after losing a baby even when you have your sunshine baby with you. Having one child and loving them cannot take away the pain you feel for the one you lost. Therefore, it is okay to embrace the feeling of sadness and grief and gradually work through it.

Other Terms Similar To Sunshine Baby

Image: Shutterstock

Since there is no rulebook to deal with grief, parents who go through loss come up with different ways to help them cope. One such way is to name your feelings to have a better understanding of what exactly is going on inside your mind. There are various terms that refer to different kinds of pregnancy losses and the babies associated with those. Some of the most commonly referred to terms are mentioned below.

1. Rainbow Baby

As already said, rainbow babies refer to the babies who are born to parents who have already gone through pregnancy losses. The losses might include miscarriages, having stillborns, or losing the baby during the early stages of pregnancy.

2. Angel Baby

This term refers to a baby who is lost during, after or before the pregnancy.

3. Born Sleeping

This term is used to refer to stillborn babies.

4. Sunrise Baby

Sunrise baby refers to the twin who survives when another one is lost during the pregnancy or after the birth.

5 Guardian Angel Or Sunset Baby

This term refers to the twin who is lost during a pregnancy.

6. Pot Of Gold Babies

This one refers to any child who is born after a rainbow baby.

While dealing with the loss of a child is extremely difficult and excruciating, your sunshine baby might help you in the process. Besides accepting your feelings of grief and other emotions, you should spend as much time as possible with your sunshine baby as that child is a living reminder of what you have and what joys children can bring you. Do you have anything you would want to share about your sunshine baby? Let us know in the comments below!