Fern Creek KY Rainbow Baby Maternity Photographer | Leslie’s Story | www.jlritt.com

Leslie is the fourth in our series of Rainbow Baby Maternity Photography Sessions. We’ll be sharing her heartbreaking history with infant loss and how she became a rainbow mommy. If you missed the first post with all of the Rainbow Mommies, you can catch it here.

Leslie Writes:
We are having a Boy! Brooks is due June 17th 2017! Couldn’t be more excited for his arrival! My doctor stated he is already weighing heavier than a normal size baby (which doesn’t surprise us one bit since his sister weighed in at 9lbs 10oz). What can I say? We birth big babies!

After being married for 2-1/2 years and trying for 2 years, we knew something wasn’t right! After multiple surgeries between my husband and I, we found out we had a 5% chance of having a baby on our own. We finally decided to do IVF. Which is a very heavy burden emotionally, physically, and very costly. We then became pregnant with our first child, Savi! I still felt that our family was not complete and went through the process again. It felt different this time around…and I blamed myself. Sometimes I don’t think they put into consideration of doing IVF and having a toddler. When I found out after waiting patiently for 10 days again…which to me is the worst part of it…they told us we were pregnant again. Words couldn’t describe the happiness we felt after all the negativity I had this time around! I then had come back for another blood test and my doctor called me over the phone that I had miscarried. To go through everything and to be told your pregnant, then tell your closest family and friends you’re pregnant, and then to hear such devastating news. I can’t describe the emptiness you feel. Then to see others you are close to stating they’re pregnant, it’s a very mixed emotion to be so happy for them and be so sad inside. It hit my husband worse than it did me at first, so I set my feelings aside and tried hard to be there for him. I then ran my first ever Mini Marathon for my rainbow baby and some of my friends’ rainbow babies! I tried to focus on something positive instead of drowning in my own sorrow! Not that I didn’t have bad days. My unborn child was to be born in October 2016. God had a plan for me, but I just didn’t know it yet. In October of 2016, the same month of my child should be born, I was pregnant with my Rainbow Baby Brooks through IVF! I know one day my child in heaven and I will reunite and I will get to hold them in my arms.

When you grow up people talk about ways of preventing getting pregnant. They don’t really talk about how hard it can be to get pregnant and how often people have miscarriages. I feel this event will help all women with different stories show and help others who have had a difficult time and shows them they are not alone.

I feel alot of people don’t talk about it and are unaware. They also don’t know how to approach people that have had a miscarriage. Some just don’t even know what a rainbow baby is! I go through still to this day (and it has been over a year now) that I did something wrong or should have done something different. I then just try to lift it up to God, knowing He already knows my story and is still writing it. Leaving it in all His hands. It’s made me different in an aspect of letting go knowing I’m not in control. I feel through this it has made my marriage stronger as well as leaning on my husband and him leaning on me.

I feel if someone has not gone through this situation they really don’t know what to say. If they have gone through it then it has been very comforting to talk to someone who has gone through the same emotions. Just being there and listening is what a person needs more than anything! If I could give any advice to a momma that is going through what I’ve went through, it would be to stay strong, have faith, and to talk about it! If you keep it all in it’s just not good for the soul!

I want to pray for everyone that they find that completeness that makes your family whole. Each of us have a story to tell but its what you do next that will define you and keep you going. May peace be in your heart, mind, and soul.

If you’re looking for a Fern Creek KY Rainbow Baby Maternity Photographer, please get in touch via the contact form or send an email to Hello@jlritt.com. You can also book online here.

More about the photographer:

Jennifer Rittenberry Photography has been photographing clients throughout the greater Louisville area since 2010. She is a published artist in Beauty & Lifestyle Mommy Magazine and Newborn Photographer Magazine as well as named 2016 Parent’s Choice Award winner for her portraiture. In 2013, she focused her client base to Newborn and Maternity as she created a niche for herself after mentoring with three of the nation’s leading photographers in these industries. She has spent countless hours on continuing her education and sharpening her skills each year with the sole purpose of creating beautiful artwork for her clients to share with their families and preserve as precious heirlooms for generations to come. Located in Central Kentucky, her residential studio is in the heart of Mount Washington; only minutes outside of Louisville. Jennifer Rittenberry Photography session fees can be found on the website but detailed pricing and availability may be requested by email using the contact form.

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We have MOVED! New studio opens on May 1, 2017 and will be located at 1200 North Bardstown Road – Suite E, Mount Washington, KY 40047. Get in touch at (502) 523-2180!