Brooke Campbell, from Brisbane, has welcomed her ‘rainbow’ baby Aspen
A 27-year-old mother who tragically suffered a stillbirth has welcomed her ‘rainbow’ baby daughter.
Brooke Campbell, from Brisbane, gave birth to her little girl Aspen Amira on the evening of July 28, weighing 2.9kg.
Her exciting baby announcement comes exactly one year after her unborn son Darcy no longer had a heartbeat in the womb after she suffered a severe haemorrhage at 36 weeks.
The cause of her boy’s death was a haemorrhage caused by a placental abruption – which occurs when the placenta separates from the uterus.
But 11 months on, the young family has been filled with emotions after their newborn daughter helped them overcome their grief.
‘We are so overjoyed and thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our beautiful baby rainbow girl,’ the mother-of-three told Daily Mail Australia.
Little girl Aspen Amira (pictured) was born on the evening of July 28, weighing 2.9kg
Lasy year, Mrs Campbell shared a heartbreaking photograph of herself, cradling her stillborn son Darcy in hospital on August 28 after she suffered a severe haemorrhage at 36 weeks
‘I got to watch her delivery in a mirror so that was something I wanted to do which was so special watching her come into the world.
‘I felt the biggest pressure off my shoulders, all the anxiety, worry and nerves left the room as soon as she was out and crying.
‘She was so tiny and I just felt pure love, like Darcy had sent us a gift. I had mixed emotions as she looked similar to Darcy did but I was just so overjoyed that she was here safely and well.
‘I couldn’t stop staring at her or kissing her in utter disbelief… she was safely here and alive.
‘The feeling of a rainbow baby after a loss is something so special and it really has helped my heart heal from losing Darcy.’
The mother and her husband Elliot, 35, discovered they were expecting another baby just weeks before Christmas last year.
‘I was scared Elliot and I would not want to try again if we held off for too long so I defiantly found sooner rather than later that the pregnancy helped me grieve Darcy’s loss,’ she said.
‘It’s certainly not an easy road and anxiety hits all new levels as you always think of a repeat to happen and you’re terrified of losing a baby again but we took one day at a time and stayed positive by telling ourselves that everything is going to be okay.
‘It is hard to do at first but eventually it became a routine and helped trick our minds.’
Family love! Mrs Campbell cradling her newborn daughter Aspen, alongside her two-year-old son Noah and her husband Elliot
The 35-year-old father lovingly holding his daughter Aspen – while their son kissed his sister
Last year, the family organised an intimate photoshoot just weeks before Mrs Campbell (pictured pregnant with son Darcy) suffered a tragic stillbirth
Her pregnancy was just three months after the distraught family lost their unborn baby boy Darcy – and having to explain to their toddler son Noah about his death.
‘Since his tragic death we have had to do those special milestones without him like Fathers and Mothers Day, Christmas and Easter,’ she said.
‘It has been a really tough journey to get through the past 10 months without him. As his first birthday approaches in a month, it makes it bittersweet knowing his sister will be with us for that special and sad day.
‘We have all had rough days and lots of reminders about Darcy especially with Noah. He asked me out of the blue the other day in his room “Mummy, where did Darcy go?” and “What happened?”
‘My eyes filled with tears because it was so unexpected. I told him “Darcy is in heaven because he died darling but he will always be your brother and mummy’s tummy was sore so that’s why he died”.
‘It is impossible to explain to him the exact cause of death as he wouldn’t understand but he kissed my tummy and said “you okay mummy”.’
The 27-year-old mother embracing her third pregnancy to baby daughter Aspen
Little Noah with his baby sister Aspen
Despite the miraculous birth of her newborn daughter Aspen, Mrs Campbell said she and her husband Elliot, 35, are still struggling with grief.
‘We will never be the same after losing our little boy,’ she explained.
‘But I know having Noah certainly has made us get up and continue with life for him and enjoy and appreciate him even more.
‘If it wasn’t for him, we would be still moping around the house and in general but he is still here and needs us so we just have to keep the show going for him.
‘If we were sad or crying then he picked up on it and cried as well so it just wasn’t good for us to walk around crying all day.
‘I honestly thought getting pregnant again so soon was terrifying but has really helped us over those difficult milestones and this year with the grieving process as I feel Darcy helped send his little sister as a gift to cheer us up.
‘He has been watching over her and keeping her safe. We have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, literally every feeling you can possibly imagine.’
In the lead up to Aspen’s birth, the family couldn’t help but fear for the worst.
‘I had a lot of nerves especially anxiety leading up to her birth, I was getting impatient – but excited when she finally arrived,’ Mrs Campbell said.
‘Elliot was becoming increasingly more scared and worried but we all took one day at a time together leading up to that 36 week mark when Darcy passed away.
‘It was a really hard and anxious day until we delivered her. We were scared that it would happen again and obviously the flashbacks of Darcy’s delivery was constantly running through my mind every day.’
Following a whirlwind journey, the couple – who also have a two-and-a-half-year-old son named Noah – welcomed a healthy, beautiful girl on July 28.
After a whirlwind journey, the couple welcomed a healthy, beautiful girl on July 28
By sharing their story again nearly one year on, Mrs Campbell (pictured with her toddler son Noah) wanted other parents to draw hope from their experiences
By sharing their story again nearly one year on, Mrs Campbell wanted other parents to draw hope from their experiences.
‘Bringing awareness to stillbirths helps me keep Darcy’s memory alive,’ she said.
‘I want to give people hope that after the worst time imaginable in your life, if you lose a baby when you least expect it, after that terrible storm, there is a glimmer of hope that a rainbow will appear.
I just want other mothers to know there is a rainbow at the end of a storm
‘As heartbroken and shattered as you feel in that moment of losing your precious baby and you feel like you just want to end it all, just slowly take one day at a time.
‘Cry when you need to and talk about it in your own time. It does very slowly get better but you will never be the same, so expect that.
‘You may have flashbacks like me and it hurts. I certainly found the best way for me to grieve was to get pregnant again as soon as I was given the green light because I just so longed for another baby to hold in my arms.
‘It’s going to be tough but I just want other mothers to know there is a rainbow at the end of a storm.’
In honour of little Darcy’s first birthday on August 28, Mrs Campbell’s sister Cara Williams will be trekking the 96km Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea.
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