Funeral for a Stillborn Child

A stillborn child can be a devastating experience to the Mother, A stillbirth is when a baby who has died in the womb is delivered after 24 or 26 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the country you are in.

Placental insufficiency is the reason why most babies die in the womb. If the placenta isn’t working properly, oxygen and nutrients can’t reach the baby efficiently. Sometimes other defects may cause a baby to be stillborn.

A baby stillborn after 26 weeks of pregnancy, or even after this time will have to be either buried or cremated by law.

A Stillborn Child is Regarded as Medical Waste

In South Africa, a foetus born before 26 weeks of pregnancy is looked upon as medical waste. This means it is simply disposed of in a medical waste bag and incinerated along with the other medical waste materials.

Medical staff may even refuse to issue a birth or death certificate, and then parents have to sometimes resort to pleading with medical staff to sign the death certificate so that they can give their pre-26 weeks foetus a decent burial.

Most hospitals, although not all, will offer to arrange a funeral for you. For some parents it may be a relief to let the hospital make all the arrangements, but for others, they want to have a private ceremony from a reputable funeral home that will be more personal.

Certainly having a funeral or memorial service for a stillborn baby will help parents and families say goodbye and bring closure to this particular chapter in their lives.

A Reputable Funeral Home can Spare You More Grief

Sadly, both the birth and death will also have to be registered, and this can be difficult, as it can be overwhelming trying to attend to administrative tasks at a time when you can’t think rationally.

It is wise to be in touch with your medical practitioner as it won’t be possible for a funeral home to do a burial or cremation without a death certificate, notification of death and cremation schedule B.

As with any funeral, choosing a good funeral director makes perfect sense as you want someone who is sensitive and caring at such a traumatic time.

Catering for Child Deaths

Before you settle on just any funeral director, do your research carefully so that you are 100% satisfied with the arrangements in place. Choose a funeral director who has babies and children close to their hearts and who feel for the parents of a stillborn child.

There are even some funeral homes that go the extra mile and make sure they have special nursery rooms that cater for infant and young children deaths. These rooms allow one to bathe and dress the baby and even take some photographs if you wish.

The best funeral directors make it easy for parents – providing them with an online form so that they can fill in their preferences for a funeral for a stillborn baby from the quietness and comfort of their home.

This will enable the funeral director to respond quickly to the request in terms of whether you prefer burial or cremation and where you would like the service to be held.

DON’T Allow Your Stillborn child to be Part of Medical Waste

Grieving parents must take a stand with their stillborn infant. Don’t allow the hospital to make the decision on what should happen to your tiny son or daughter. Go ahead and organise a decent funeral that will put your mind at ease.

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All info was correct at time of publishing