Experiencing the loss of your baby

Whether you have lost your baby through miscarriage, medical termination, stillbirth or neonatal death, this information goes through the practical steps you may need to take and helps you find available support.

Miscarriage and stillbirth

A loss in pregnancy is defined as a miscarriage or fetal loss when it happens before 24 weeks.

A stillbirth is when a baby is born with no signs of life after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Find out more about stillbirth on the NHS website.

Registering your baby’s stillbirth

You must register a stillbirth within 42 days, unless a coroner is investigating.

You need to register the stillbirth in the district where it happened. This might be different to the area you live in. If this was in the borough of Camden, find out how to register a stillbirth with us.

Getting a baby loss certificate

If your pregnancy ends before 24 weeks, you can get a baby loss certificate in memory of your baby.

You do not have to get one, but it’s available to you if you want one. There’s no time limit on requesting a certificate, you can do so no matter when your loss happened.

Find out how to request a baby loss certificate on GOV.UK.

Having a funeral

All stillborn babies must be buried or cremated. It’s your choice which one, including when and where it happens. You do not have to make any decisions until you feel able to.

If you have lost a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy, the hospital staff will explain the options to you. These depend on your situation and stage of pregnancy. Find out more on the Tommy’s website.

No matter what stage of pregnancy your baby was lost, it’s your choice whether to have a funeral ceremony and what that looks like.

Planning the funeral

There’s no legal time limit for the burial or cremation; you can do it when you feel ready.

If you need an urgent burial or cremation, for religious or other reasons, speak to the registrar. They can give you a certificate to do this. Find out more about same-day burial.

The hospital may have a bereavement support officer or bereavement midwife who can help you make arrangements. The hospital chaplain can offer you advice too.

There are also baby loss charities who can give you support and guidance for a funeral.

You can apply for financial support from the government to pay for a funeral.

Taking your baby home

If you want to take your baby home before the burial or cremation, your midwife can usually arrange this. When it’s time for the funeral, you can take your baby back to the hospital first or the funeral directors can come to your home.

If you do not want to be involved

If you do not want to be part of the burial or cremation of your baby, that’s okay – it’s your choice. You can ask the hospital to make arrangements for you, using their funeral director.

It might help to take some time to think before you make your decision. You can usually change your mind, but check with the hospital if there’s a deadline for doing so.

Emotional and practical support

No matter your circumstances, there’s emotional and practical support available after experiencing the loss of your baby.

At the hospital, you may meet a bereavement midwife. They’ll be your main point of contact there and they can help you with paperwork and any practical arrangements.

You can also speak to your GP and the community midwife.

Find out more about bereavement support available for you and your family.

Time off work

If you’ve experienced a stillbirth or the death of your baby, you can usually take:

If you’ve had a miscarriage or medical termination, speak to your employer about taking time off work. This might be compassionate, annual or unpaid leave.

Some employers have a pregnancy loss policy, which will explain the support they can give you. Speak to your employer to get information about this.