ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO (KSDK) — A Missouri photo shoot is giving women across the country a ray of hope.

Photographer Alexandra Bolen gave birth to a healthy daughter named Haven this past spring. During her pregnancy she joined an online moms group where she often read about mothers who never had the chance to meet their babies.

In the online group, Bolen heard many people using the term ‘Rainbow Baby.’ When a mother is able to give birth after first suffering a miscarriage or stillborn birth, her newborn is often referred to as a “Rainbow Baby.” The term is derived from the qualities of a rainbow that brightens the sky following a storm.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States every year.  About the same number of babies die every year during the first year of life.