Why Rainbow Babies Are So Special

Rainbows have always been a symbol of peace, hope and positivity. We look for rainbows after a storm - when the rain stops and the sun breaks through the clouds and shines bright light down on the earth. “Rainbow babies” are those who are conceived after a loss – these babies are so special because they represent a bright light of hope and joy that can help families recover from a challenging time in their lives.

Whether you’ve experienced a loss yourself, or you’ve stood by a mother/daughter/sister/friend and supported her on this difficult journey, it’s important to recognize that families are not alone in this process. According to Mayo Clinic, approximately 10-20% of known pregnancies result in a loss. It is normal to grieve and go through a variety of emotions when making the decision to try again. We’re honored to have cultivated such a supportive, loving community of women who are willing to share their real, raw, emotional stories in an effort to help one another.

In honor of the women who’ve experienced a loss, and all of the rainbow babies who represent healing and love, we’d like to celebrate you by sharing some real stories (and adorable photos!) from the Glow community!

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“Our rainbow baby girl after two miscarriages 😍🌈” - Glow App user, Holly

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“In 2017, I had a little boy at 24 weeks, his name was Brysen. He was one pound seven ounces. I had a 40% placental abruption and was bleeding out, and the doctors were forced to deliver him by emergency c-section. I had three blood transfusions, two platelet transfusions. He fought three long and very hard days before losing his battle. The only time I got to hold my first baby boy, was the moment he took his last breath in my arms. His breathing was so labored, it almost seemed as though he waited to get into my arms. I held him for about twenty seconds before my beautiful little man took his last breath, almost as a sigh of relief. In March of 2019, I delivered my beautiful rainbow baby. He is the light of our life, and I am so happy I got my beautiful rainbow, even after the hellacious storm.” - Glow App user, Laney

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“Our sweet William James. We struggled with unexplained infertility for six years. After every treatment I finally gave up and just wanted to focus on traveling and just being with my husband. Three months later, In July of 2018, we found out we were expecting our rainbow. He was born 3/13/19 🌈” - Glow App user, Megan

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“This is Fox! We had one loss at twelve weeks and a few months later got pregnant with him…and here he is now at age two eating rainbow sprinkles😂” - Glow App user, Ashley

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“Your app helped me get pregnant with my rainbow baby. She’s our greatest blessing AND we are due with our second baby girl in August! Thank you so much!” - Glow App user, Kimberly

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“This is my Sweet Lyla Grace. Being pregnant for the first time ever I miscarried one week after my birthday. I was shattered. I’d never hold that baby in my belly or arms, but I’ve always held them in my heart. I was truly blessed to fall pregnant two months later with my rainbow baby. I remember feeling half on cloud 9 and half so scared my whole pregnancy that something would happen. No matter what I tried I was too scared to be happy. If I could tell myself back then everything happens for a reason I would. My beautiful daughter was born and she is the best thing that’s ever happened to us. She just turned one last week and now I’m six and half months pregnant with her sister! She will always be my saving grace and my rainbow after the storm.” - Glow app user, Becca

A huge thank you from the Glow team to everyone in our community for sharing your beautiful, inspiring stories!

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and the Questions to Ask Yourself

September is PCOS Awareness Month, and at Glow we take that seriously. More than a couple of Glow team members have PCOS, and since it affects over 5 million women in the US alone, you probably know more than just a few women with PCOS, too.

But what is PCOS?

PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, it’s a condition that can affect a woman’s periods, weight, hormones, fertility, appearance and heart. There is no cure, and no known cause, so dealing with PCOS can seem like a constant uphill battle.

To get some insight into this puzzling condition, we asked the Glow Community about their experiences.

In a poll with 1,515 participants, Glow Community members told us when in their lives they were diagnosed with PCOS.

The majority of those who participated in the survey (39%) said they were diagnosed with PCOS in their twenties. Another 25% of participants said that they haven’t been officially diagnosed yet, but suspect they may be showing symptoms.

One of the most troubling things about PCOS is the fact that it often goes undiagnosed, sometimes for multiple years. One Glow Community member wrote, “I went undiagnosed for 15 years! 😩 just found out a couple weeks ago. I knew it! But for years the doctors just brushed it off like nothing.”

One of our very own Glow Fertility Coaches went through a similar situation; “My periods disappeared when I was 18, they just stopped happening. When they did periodically reappear, I was left crumpled on the floor in agony. My gynecologist at the time brushed it off, saying that cramps were normal and to let it work itself out. At 28, my husband and I were ready to start our family, but were having no success. I went to another gynecologist and she diagnosed me with PCOS. It took me 10 years to be officially diagnosed.”

You may now be wondering, ‘Do I have PCOS? Maybe my periods aren’t as normal as I thought? Is that going to cause extra roadblocks to getting pregnant? How do so many women handle this condition?’

If you think you might be experiencing some PCOS symptoms, ask yourself these questions, then talk to your doctor!

How the Glow Community Spends Mother’s Day

Motherhood is special, and it’s fitting that a whole holiday exists to honor moms everywhere. That said, for some women, Mother’s Day isn’t the easiest holiday to get through. For people who struggle with infertility, or have lost their mother recently, this Sunday in May can sting.

In a Glow Community poll, we asked users who were trying to conceive how they planned to spend Mother’s Day. Over a thousand women responded, with the majority reporting that they planned to spend the day “Celebrating others.” Even so, “Ignore it” and “Cry” were the next most popular answers. Let’s just say, it can be emotionally draining to see what seems like all of your friends smiling and enjoying their large, fertile families during this particular spring weekend.

Step moms can also go through an emotional roller coaster on Mother’s Day. Some Glow users expressed feeling unappreciated by their step children, even if they’ve been loving them for a decade or more.

If you’re one of our users who chose “Ignore it,” or “Cry,” Glow is here to tell you that those are both totally acceptable responses. Be in tune with your mind and body; it’s fine to sit with these emotions. Also, if you sense you may feel sad this mother’s day, stay off the internet! Unplugging from social media and spending time doing something you love is a much more constructive approach to the the holiday. And always remember that Glow is here for you! You’ll be surprised at how many women in the Glow Community could be feeling the same things as you this weekend.

We’re collaborating with NIH!

Science and data lovers, this one’s for you.

This morning, we announced our new collaboration with the National Institute of Health. If you’ve already read the announcement and the technical speak went over your head, don’t be embarrassed! Here’s the breakdown:

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What does all that fancy medical language mean?

In a nutshell, two researchers from the National Institute of Health created a model to figure out how to predict a couple’s likelihood of conceiving, but they only had study-specific data – not real world numbers. Since we at Glow collect real-world data on the exact topics the researchers were investigating  (menstrual cycle length, intercourse patterns, etc.), and because we have humongous quantities of that data, we’ve agreed to share our anonymized data with NIH to help  improve their model!

But that’s my data!

Not to worry, friends. The data we’re sharing with NIH is completely anonymized, which means it can never be traced back to you. 

Okay, cool. So what does this model being improved have to do with me?

It means that YOUR data will advance research and help families for years to come! Every time you log cramps, mood swings, period flow or sexy time in the Glow app, you’re helping more and more future couples get pregnant, or at least understand their chances. You’re basically superheroes. 👍💁💜

Want to learn more? Check out our official press release here.

5 Things Data Can Teach You About Infertility

When we talk about infertility, we often hear individual stories and experiences — it can be hard to grasp what’s happening at a population level. But it’s not impossible! Millions of women across the country use mobile apps to track their fertility, and this data can be anonymized and analyzed to advance our understanding of the condition.

In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, we dove into the data contributed by our Community of 8M+ women to see what we could learn about infertility. The results surprised us! Here’s what we saw:

1. Infertility rates differ by state.

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Washington DC, Florida, and Hawaii see the highest rates of infertility, according to Glow data. And the most fertile population on the Glow app hails from Vermont — must be something about that Ben & Jerry’s :)

See what other super interesting facts we learned, here!

Watch Pregnancy Reveals from the Glow Community!

There’s nothing quite like “the big moment” of telling your loved ones you’re PREGNANT!

Glow knows. So we asked you, our fantabulous inspiring Glow Community members, to send us original footage of your very own pregnancy reveals!

You delivered, and we were able to make this beautiful video because of it: 

Take a watch and upvote if you it makes you smile! Thanks for the tiny miracles you create every day, and the joy you bring to our lives :)

Announcing the 🔻Eve. Ambassador Program🔻

Guys, starting today, Eve has an Ambassador Program. GET PUMPED 💪

Basically this is your chance to build the period positive + sex positive + body positive world you wish to see, and get ah-mazing & FREE Eve swag while doing it.

Read more about the program here and join our *brand new* Eve Ambassadors group to stay in the loop!

Here’s how to find it:

First, click the search icon on the upper right of Eve Community.

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Then, type in “Ambassador”, select “Groups” and then click the “Join!” button next to the Eve Ambassadors group!

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As an Evette, you know that sex and periods are NOT something to be ashamed of. Our bodies deserve love! And we need to lead the way in spreading that love to all the ladies.

Check out the Eve Ambassador community group and this post for next steps :)