Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Support Group
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is any sudden and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant aged one month to one year. SIDS is responsible for roughly 50 deaths per 100,000 births in the US.
For those of you went on to have another child after SIDS. Need creative ways to announce pregnancy to mom and other family members. Scared of others reactions so soon after our loss. Not to mention my mood swings have been so horrible. From crying to laughing to anger to overwhelming joy. My moods switch very frequently so Im completely fearful of neg response. I cant hide it forever. I love all my children equally Im afraid someone will think Im just trying to replace my baby I lost when that is not the case at all. Im so happy to be pregnant again after being thru so much this yr. It is a blessing. Im not wanting anyone to end up hurting either their or my feelings and my pregnancy. That would be my last straw. Please help! Have one older child living child. What responses did you get with your rainbow baby and How did you annouce your rainbow pregnancy to other family members?
My mom was the only person whose opinion I really cared about. I found out I was pregnant the week before Thanksgiving (like now! :) and I handed her the positive test and shouted, "Happy Thanksgiving!"
We involved our older son a LOT less with the rainbow pregnancy. It as an awful pregnancy and I was hospitalized through most of it. It was touch and go a few times so we didn't want him to get excited and then have to tell him that it wasn't going to happen. Most people didn't understand his unenthusiasm when she got her, but to a 4 year old who was there when his brother died and saw the aftermath, a new baby equals death. Four months after her birth he's just now getting used to the idea that she's not going to die. For him, it wasn't a matter of "if" but "when."
Most of my friends were not supportive. I got pregnant three months after the loss of my son and they dropped off one by one over the course of the next couple of months. Only 2 or 3 really stood by. The rest, even those that were incredibly helpful during the funeral and the days following his death, went their separate ways because they thought I was being irresponsible.
Other ladies on here though have had MUCH more positive experiences with their rainbows. There have been lots of celebrations and happiness with them and I like to live vicariously through that. :-)
Everyone has been absolutely thrilled for us. Some people have made comments that hurt, but they were well intentioned. An elderly friend mentioned that we had a second chance to do things right. I know she was thinking of things that she would have done differently raising her own children, but I still had a hard time snapping back that I didn't do anything wrong with Charlotte and that my "first chance" was stolen from me. Sometimes people just don't think, but they do care.
I have to warn you, like the other ladies have said you will get someone who makes a stupid comment either about your pregnancy or about your new baby, because they didn't think before they openend their mouths. I had one lady from work say to me "Congrats on the new baby, now there's nothing wrong with this one is there, he's healthy right" I just nodded and said "yes"..when I really wanted to say "Okay you idiot, there was nothing wrong with Ari, she was as healthy as a horse and big for her age" But you will learn to take things with a grain of salt. Congrats on your rainbow baby honey!!