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Marking your loss

After a miscarriage, you may want to find some special way of remembering your baby and marking the loss of his or her brief life.

On this page we tell you about

Certificates

Sadly, there is no official registration of babies lost before 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, certification for these losses is available in England and in Scotland.

In England, anyone over 16 who has had a pregnancy or baby loss since 1 September 2018 and lives in England now and was doing so at the time of their loss, can apply for a formal certification of their loss at  www.gov.uk/request-baby-loss-certificate.   We are hoping that the scheme is extended to people with losses at any time as soon as possible.

In Scotland, you can apply to record your loss in a special Memorial Book and to receive a certificate of loss.

We very much hope that Wales and Northern Ireland will follow.

In the meantime, some hospitals will give you a certificate in memory of your baby. If they don’t offer it, you can ask:

We can provide information and guidance for hospitals wanting to provide a certificate, which you can find here.

We are pleased to also be able to provide a selection of memorial certificates from the Miscarriage Association.

Available from our online shop, the certificates will arrive blank for you to be able to personalise with whatever details you wish.

Online memorial spaces

Our Stars of remembrance section offers a special place to mark the brief lives of babies who died before they were born, with messages attached to stars in the night sky. We are now adding stars to the Stars of remembrance Sky 4, but you can still visit those in Sky 1, Sky 2 and Sky 3.

Our former memorial spaces have been archived and can be accessed below:

Days that Matter offers a space to post your thoughts and feelings, together with an image and perhaps a pledge or action.

Ceremonies and services

You may want to hold some kind of ceremony or memorial service. This might be in your place of worship, in another place that’s special to you or at home.  It could be just for close friends and family or just you and your partner.   

Erin and her partner created a special place in their garden for their miscarried baby.

Some hospitals organise annual services of remembrance for babies who have died in pregnancy, at birth or later.  The hospital chaplain will be able to tell you.

Services are sometimes organised by Miscarriage Association local groups, especially during Babyloss Awareness Week, October 9-15.  You’ll find details of several charities’ events here.

Candles lit to mark the loss of babies in pregnancy

There are Christian remembrance services that take place in a number of cathedrals across the UK throughout the year.  And you can find Christian prayers and liturgies on the Saltwater and Honey website.

If you are looking for Jewish prayers or ceremonies, you can find some here and here, or search for ‘miscarriage’ on the ritualwell website.

You can find suggestions about Muslim prayers and practice, as well as support, from the Children of Jannah website.  And here is a Muslim perspective on supporting someone after pregnancy loss.

You might also find comfort in the Japanese Jizo concept, described here.

A memory box

Memory box, Hull & East Yorkshire Women and Children’s Hospital

Some hospitals and organisations offer a memory box, perhaps with a certificate, scan photo or other items, like the one shown here.

If you are not offered one, you might like to do an internet search for ‘miscarriage memory boxes’, where you’ll see those available either free or for purchase.

Other suggestions

Here are some ideas from others who have found them helpful:

I sowed Viola Heartsease seeds all on their own in a pot and when they flowered, they were so small and perfect – a fitting reminder of my losses.

I ran the London Marathon for the Miscarriage Association. I felt it would be a fitting way to honour my baby, whilst helping a charity which had a special significance for me.

Miscarriage Association supporter wearing a running vest covered in stars in memory of babies lost early.Chris’ running vest includes hundreds of tiny stars, each one added in memory of many other people’s babies lost in pregnancy – just as his wife Nicky’s skirt did the year before.

Or not marking your loss

Don’t feel that you have to do something to mark your loss.  You may feel it will make things worse or it may just not feel right for you.  There are no right or wrong ways to deal with pregnancy loss.