THE RAINBOW CLINIC
Holding on to hope is hard work after your baby dies
"Pregnancy" and "pregnancy after loss" are two completely different worlds.
Instead of dreaming of the perfect nursery color, after a traumatic loss parents in a subsequent pregnancy – also known as a "rainbow pregnancy" – are more likely to wonder, "Should I even bother to set up a nursery in case this baby dies, too?"
The innocence is gone, and hope is a struggle at best.
Traditional providers may be excellent at caring for a family and baby in a "normal" pregnancy, but it takes a truly special provider to understand and accommodate the dramatic changes in experience and needs that come with pregnancy after a loss.
That’s where the Rainbow Clinic comes in.
The Rainbow Clinic is an OBGYN practice that provides specialized care for people who have lost a baby.
Unless you have experienced such a loss, it’s hard to imagine the psychological, social, and economic impact that a perinatal death can cause.
Standard prenatal care simply isn't adequate for a family who is expecting again after a previous stillbirth, neonatal loss, or traumatic miscarriage. The average OBGYN cannot accommodate all the needs a family has in getting through subsequent pregnancies. From more frequent ultrasounds to a focus on mental health, the Rainbow Clinic is a special place for loss parents to get the support they deserve during very stressful pregnancies.
"Having a stillbirth profoundly alters the reality in subsequent pregnancies."
–– Professor Alex Heazell,
creator of the Rainbow Clinic concept
So Much More Than Just a Clinic
Stillbirth and perinatal loss affects people of all backgrounds, ages, and socioeconomic status (though it affects women of color more than any other group) - but the one thing all stillbirth mothers have in common is that they are up to 5 times more likely to have another stillbirth.
Only half of all stillbirths in the US have a known cause. But the diagnostic piece is a very important step to avoid another tragedy. Doctors and other medical professionals at the Rainbow Clinic go above and beyond to help patients find answers regarding a previous stillbirth or neonatal loss.
The Rainbow Clinic will:
-
Help determine the cause of any previous stillbirth(s) or losses, even if no cause has been found before
-
Plan prenatal care in partnership with patients, offering the right amount of appointments, ultrasounds, and testing that make sense for each specific situation – not just what’s dictated by the usual protocols
-
Bring emotional support throughout the pregnancy from a well-trained and empathic staff who understands the co-existence of the hope and fear
-
Never question any expectant person’s need or request to have more appointments or monitoring for reassurance
It’s Proven to Work
The Rainbow Clinic concept was created by Dr. Alex Heazell in the UK in 2013, and the clinics there have reduced the stillbirth rate for their high-risk population of loss families by almost 90% - better than the national average (even in low risk pregnancies!).
PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy is excited to bring the very first Rainbow Clinic in the US to New York City. Each year, about 900 babies are stillborn in NYC alone. About two-thirds of those families will be pregnant again within a year from their loss, and they have no specialized care to turn to - until now.
The ultimate goal of PUSH is to improve prenatal care for all expectant
families, not just loss parents, but we need to start somewhere. Our aim is to make Rainbow Clinics available across the United States. We believe that the success of the Rainbow Clinic model will help to prove once and for all that stillbirth prevention is possible here, too. And before long, with the right care, we'll be able to slash the stillbirth rate nationwide by 20% or more.
The Rainbow Clinic is our first step.
Ready for a Rainbow?
Here's the next step for families, providers, and supporters:
PAL Providers
The training you need to deliver world-class pregnancy after loss care, created by PAL patients
to empower YOU.
The following US-based healthcare providers have worked closely with the PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy team to deliver best-in-class care to families who are pregnant again after a loss.
Don't forget to join our exclusive PUSH Rainbow Clinic PAL Peer Support Discussion Group on Facebook!
Providers, would you like to be added to this list? If you've completed our PAL Provider Training, you are eligible! Please contact us for more details.
Ari Rubin Rainbow Clinic
Los Angeles
CA
To register, please call the number listed on Dr. Rad's website or email manager@drsteverad.com. Dr. Rad is in private practice and delivers at Cedars-Sinai.
1060 OBGYN
New York
NY
To register, please email DrNg@pushpregnancy.org. 1060 OBGYN is a private practice and delivers at Lenox Hill.
