The viral video of a mother sharing her pain was shared by many. picture kissing her tiny baby’s lifeless body has shared new images of her ‘rainbow baby’ born a year later to give hope to other parents.
Justine Zampogna from Perth is a positive birth companion. In 2018, she shared her heartbreaking loss via Instagram.
The mother of a rainbow boy is now revealing how she became pregnant a year ago after she lost Gigi. She was due on the same date as his sister, if she would have survived.
A baby who is born after miscarriage or pregnancy loss (or stillbirth) to a family is called a “rainbow baby”.
Justine Zampogna from Perth is a positive birth companion. In 2018, she shared a picture of her baby girl Gigi who had a brain defect. Jagger was born in her emotional homebirth (pictured) one year later.
In 2018, the world was captivated by this touching image: Justine kissing Gigi. Gigi was stillborn when she was 16 weeks old.
Justine (now six-year-old Chase) looks after Jagger. She recalled how she allowed herself to have a happy pregnancy despite the trauma and that Jagger was delivered with the exact same team as her homebirth.
Justine’s touching post went viral, inspiring parents around the globe to feel comforted by an empathic community and encouraging them to talk about their losses.
Justine said, “For as long I can recall I have kept a diary and wrote all my emotions down.” “Insta for me, however, was never a place to really explore the world. It’s just a way I could share my family’s amazing beach experiences.
“But, the moment that I faced with the decision to have my baby girl terminated I posted my emotions in a Facebook post. It was overwhelming the support I received from other grieving moms.
“My words had an actual purpose now and I was aware that many women are suffering in silence from this kind of loss.
Justine has two sons, Chase (6 years old) and Jagger (2 years). Following Gigi’s stillbirth, Justine admitted to being unsure if she’d ever have another baby.
‘My first journal entry – “my new norm” – was the day I gave birth to Gigi. I received more than a thousand messages from women around the world telling me my words had helped them and that they were healing.
“I believe there’s something very powerful about reading the feelings of someone else. It’s an externalisation that allows you to know you’re not alone.
“Every message that I received, I wept. These women were so kind and open to sharing their pregnancy losses with me, I felt so fortunate.
Ty kissing terminated baby Gigi, who was diagnosed with anencephaly, a major neural tube defect, at 14 weeks
Justine, Ty and Chase with Jagger and Jagger as they were young. Jagger was born the date Justine estimated Gigi would have given birth if Justine hadn’t completed her pregnancy.
“But, the best part about it all was that these women helped me as much as they were helping me.
“The more messages that I received, the more I felt the need to share them, the more I wanted a place for women to be able to speak up.
Justine was unsure about trying again after having Gigi. But Ty, her 32-year-old husband, soon decided that they would have another child.
Justine said, “I knew deep down that being a mother was such an honor.” “But, my loss only intensified it to me.
Jagger’s 2019 birth was celebrated by the entire family. Justine discusses how she celebrated her pregnancy following the loss of Gigi.
Two-time mother of two shared stunning photos from her birth as Chase, her son welcomed Jagger into her lives.
“I was terrified that the longer I waited, it would get harder.” After a while, my body was healing and we were ready to go again.
Justine found out she was pregnant once more in December 2018. She was shocked by her new baby’s due dates.
She stated, “As soon I saw these positive pink lines I celebrated them,”
‘I swiftly switched my Flo application to “pregnant”, to find out when the precious baby of ours was due. And – it’s unbelievable – that exact day I had Gigi. It was obvious that she was near.
Justine’s 2019 labor with Jagger was comforted by Ty and Chase in 2019. Justine shared how her community and family supported her after Gigi’s death.
Chase and Ty look on while Justine breastfeeds Jagger, in this picture that was taken in 2019, after Jagger’s birth.
Jagger and his family in the early days of Jagger’s life. Justine claimed that she was flooded with messages from other women experiencing similar situations after her public disclosure of Gigi’s passing.
Justine was pregnant with her third child. She was familiar with morning sickness, but there was something new about this experience.
She said, “With Chase, my oldest, I absolutely loved the pregnancy,”
“I felt so fortunate that I was growing my life and we were beginning our family. Although I felt anxious about the moment he was safe in my arms, it wasn’t as intense as post-loss anxiety.
“This was different. The heartbreak and loss of pregnancy were something we’d experienced.
“So I felt anxious and had mixed emotions.
“To be totally honest, having a baby after losing a parent is difficult. It is so much different, and it’s not going to be the same again.
“A loss increases motherhood, and how beautiful and precious every part is.
“It exposes you on a deeper level to heartache, where it is only natural to feel sadness, fear, pain and regret when having your next child.
“I believe that the most important thing is to recognize it’s normal to feel differently – this is just normal.
Justine said that it was hard to become pregnant again after having lost her baby. She also admitted she had experienced anxiety. Photographed with Chase and Jagger as her youngest child was born.
“Some days were full of pure joy and gratitude, where I felt so connected to my bubba that it was unbelievable how much I was learning.
“And many other days were spent missing Gigi so deeply, days of guilt, days of fear and days of worry, wishing away the time to be there in that moment when my baby is finally safe in my arms.
I continued to honor every single emotion. Allowing myself to feel each emotion, I then let go of it…sometimes over and over again every day.
“But, most importantly, I allowed myself to love the rainbow baby I was growing.”
Justine chose to give Jagger a homebirth, just like she planned for Gigi. She used the same support team of midwives.
Justine claimed Chase talks to Gigi still. Justine also said that the family has framed the image of Justine kissing their stillborn child.
Justine opens up about her experience with grief and pregnancy in her book Birth Book, which is designed to support and empower mothers to experience positive births through their own methods and trust in their own instincts
She said, “During my birth I drew so many strength from my pregnancy losses journey, having the support of my oldest son and being so close at finally having my rainbow child in my arms,”
It was pure magic. It was a new realm where I felt connected to my baby, and my body. The more I explored it the stronger I felt.
“I wanted to maximize each surge and, as strange as it may sound, following my loss and the pain, I truly wanted to experience birth as all it is.
“It was in this moment that I knew I needed to make my interactive book, “Birth Book”, and distribute it to all pregnant women around the globe.
The Birth Book was created to empower and support mothers in having positive birth experiences through their own techniques and their trust in their instincts.