​24 to 48 Hours
​In most situations, you will find yourself admitted to the hospital to miscarry or deliver your stillborn baby for a period of 24 to 48 hours. This is an average and can vary — especially if your baby spends time in the NICU or Emergency Department. Ideally, you will be given a few days to plan your baby's final arrangements; unfortunately, this is often not reality.

We know this is very overwhelming and you do not want to be thinking about end of life plans for your baby; however, these decisions cannot be readdressed later. It is vital that you take time now to make final arrangements so that you do not have regrets. Consider asking a close family member or friend help you through this process — someone who can follow through with the details of the arrangements after you have reached a decision.

​CARE OPTIONS

​Cremation
Cremation allows you to keep your baby’s ashes with you and allows for flexibility in the future. You can choose at a later date to scatter or bury your baby’s ashes in a meaningful place. Almost all funeral homes will cremate a baby at a deeply discounted rate or for free. They will not advertise this. If you have previously dealt with a funeral home that you are comfortable working with again, call them first. If not, ask your nurse for a list of nearby funeral homes. Don’t be discouraged about what you hear from a funeral home. When one doesn’t offer what you need, move on to the next.

​To lessen any cost, consider using the bear from your Rachel’s Gift box as an urn. The funeral home can easily cut your bear along its back, place the bag or vial of cremains inside, and stitch it back up. This can also be done with a special stuffed animal you purchased or received as a gift for your baby. There are also sweet, affordable urns from Heaven’s Gain, Artful Ashes, and others. If there is some associated cost you cannot afford, financial assistance is available. Scroll down to Financial Assistance for a list of organizations dedicated to assisting with the cost of cremation, funeral, and burial.
​

♥  Heaven's Gain​​  
heavensgain.org ​
Personalized urns and baby caskets for any gestation, including 1st trimester.

​♥  Artful Ashes  
artfulashes.com
Beautiful handmade glass art memorials.
​
♥  ​Art From Ashes  
​artfromashes.com
Handcrafted glass remembrances.
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​Burial
Burial allows your baby to be laid to rest in a place special to you. This option is typically the most costly. Often, cemeteries will let you bury your baby in another family member’s plot or have a special section for infants where the cost is better than purchasing an individual plot. If burial is your desire, resources and financial assistance are available — especially if you are a military family. Talk to several funeral homes to see who will offer you the best pricing. Many funeral homes are very generous when it comes to infant burial, and places like Trappist Caskets offer infant and toddler caskets at no cost (excluding shipping.)
​

​​♥  ​Trappist Caskets​​​  
​trappistcaskets.com/caskets
Made by the Trappist monks of New Melleray Abbey (Peosta, Iowa) and local laypersons. Caskets are built from solid wood (no veneers) using fine woodworking methods. As an important ministry of the monks, caskets are offered at no cost to families who have lost a child. ​Toll-free: (888) 433-6934

♥  Military Families
To find out what resources and financial assistance are available to you, first contact your (or your spouse's) Commander or First Sergeant and then contact your Chaplain. 
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​Hospital Disposition
Hospital disposition is a free option and all it requires is for you to sign a form. However, a lot of parents who choose this option have regrets later. In most situations parents have no idea where their baby ended up, they don’t have a place to go visit their child, or they don’t have their baby’s ashes with them always. Laws vary by state as to what gestational ages can be offered this option, so ask your nurse for clarification. Always consider your hospital’s procedures carefully when choosing this option.
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​Chaplain Services
Your hospital has a Chaplain Services or Pastoral Care office staffed with caring individuals who are knowledgeable about end of life care. Even if you do not wish for faith services for your baby, consider requesting a chaplain or social worker come and talk with you to answer questions and discuss concerns about your options.
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​Burial Gowns
Your hospital should have a supply of burial gowns, wraps, and Bridget's Cradles supplied by Rachel's Gift for you to choose something dignified and beautiful for your son or daughter to be sent off in. If your hospital does not have burial garments available, please email us at rachelsgift@icloud.com and we will make arrangements to get something to you.

​FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Cremation, Funeral, and Burial Costs
The organizations listed below are dedicated to financially assisting with final arrangement costs for babies and young children. Visit them online for requirements and to apply for assistance.

♥  ​Angel Names Association 
angelnames.org
SEOLE program provides assistance with autopsy, funeral, burial, and cremation expenses for stillborn babies at least 20 gestational weeks old.

♥  ​Born Into Heaven Foundation
bornintoheaven.org
Assists with funeral cost for stillborn babies in the state of Alabama.

♥  ​Children's Burial Assistance
childrensburial.org
Provides assistance to families for the burial of a minor child, aged 1 to 17 years. Assistance can be used towards the open and close of grave fees and cremation services.

♥  ​FlutterBy IzzyJane Foundation
flutterbyizzyjanefoundation.org
Assists with funeral costs for stillborn babies age 24 gestational weeks or more.

♥  ​Our Children's Blessing
ourchildrensblessing.com
Assists with cremation/burial, funeral, and medical bills for the loss of a baby age 20 or more gestational weeks and infants up to 1 year old. First preference will go to residents of the Texas Panhandle area. Other applications will be considered if financial assistance is available.

​♥  Raising BLUE
facebook.com/RaisingBLUE04142012
Assists with funeral costs for stillborn babies. For assistance, call (859) 814-6190 or reach out via Facebook.

​♥  Rhett Sullivan Foundation
rhettsullivan.org
Assists with funeral, burial, monument, and counseling costs for the loss of a baby age 20 weeks gestation up to 2 years old. Rhett Sullivan Foundation is based in Texas and will focus on providing service to those in Texas first. They are able to provide funding to other locations upon review by their Board of Directors.

​♥  Skyler's Gift Foundation
skylersgift.org
Assists with funeral and burial or crematory costs for babies born at or after 22 gestational weeks and then passed away in the NICU. You must apply online within 14 days of your baby's passing.
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​♥  The Luca John Foundation
lucajohnfoundation.com
Assists with funeral costs for stillborn babies or infants age 12 months and younger.

♥  ​The TEARS Foundation
​thetearsfoundation.org/chapters
Assists with financial expenses associated with cremation, funeral, and burial.
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​Medical Costs
The organizations listed below are dedicated to relieving the burden of medical bills associated with pregnancy and infant loss.
​
♥  ​​​Alaina's Gift
alainasgiftinc.com
Assists with either the full or partial amount of medical bills associated with a pregnancy or infant loss. To request an application, complete and submit the form on their contact page.

♥  ​​​Hayden's Helping Hands
​haydenshelpinghands.com
Assists parents in all 50 US states with medical expenses after the birth of a stillborn baby (20 or more weeks gestation.) All qualifications must be met for approval.

♥  ​Our Children's Blessing
ourchildrensblessing.com
Assists with medical bills associated with the loss of a baby age 20 or more gestational weeks and infants up to 1 year old. First preference will go to residents of the Texas Panhandle area. Other applications will be considered if financial assistance is available.
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​​Additional Costs

♥  ​Angel Names Association 
angelnames.org
GRASP program provides funding for uninsured and underinsured families pursuing counseling services to work through the grief of stillbirth.

​♥  ​​​NICU Helping Hands
nicuhelpinghands.org
The hospitalization of a baby in the NICU can leave a family financially unprepared. If you are a current NICU family experiencing financial difficulty, NICU Helping Hands may be able to assist you with grocery and gas expenses through their gift card program.

​CERTIFICATES & VITAL RECORDS

Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth / Certificate of Stillbirth
​Certificates can be requested after you have been discharged and your hospital/physician has filed the necessary paperwork. At your request, your State Office of Vital Records can issue you a "Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth" or "Certificate of Stillbirth" to record and memorialize the birth of your stillborn child. Because laws vary by state, so do the certificates available to you. Some states offer certificates for babies less than 20 gestational weeks old. Visit state websites linked below for details and forms.

♥  ​Alabama
alabamapublichealth.gov/vitalrecords
Available: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (20+ weeks gestation)

♥  ​Florida
floridahealth.gov/certificates
Available: Certificate of Nonviable Birth (10-19 weeks gestation), Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (20+ weeks gestation), or Fetal Death Certificate (20+ weeks gestation)

♥  ​Georgia
​dph.georgia.gov/about-vital-records
Available: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (CBRS) or a Death Certificate, either in lieu of the CBRS or in addition to it. 

♥  ​Ohio
ohio.gov
Available: Certified Fetal Death Record, Stillbirth Certificate
​
♥  ​Oklahoma
ok.gov
Available: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (12+ weeks gestation)

♥  ​Pennsylvania
health.pa.gov
Available: Fetal Death Certificate (16+ weeks gestation), Stillborn Birth Certificate (noncertified commemorative document)

♥  ​Texas
dshs.texas.gov
Available: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (20+ weeks gestation)

♥  ​Utah
vitalrecords.utah.gov/records/early-term-stillbirth
​vitalrecords.utah.gov/records/stillbirths-fetal-deaths
Available: Certificate of Early Term Stillbirth (16-19 weeks gestation), Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (20+ weeks gestation)

♥  ​Virginia
vdh.virginia.gov
Available: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (20+ weeks gestation)

FIND SUPPORT & RESOURCES  FOR YOUR RECOVERY