Marking your loss
After a miscarriage, you may want to find a way to remember your baby. For some, this can feel important and comforting. For others, it may not feel right, or not right yet. There is no right or wrong way to remember your baby or how you feel.
Some people choose to mark their loss in a personal or symbolic way. This might include certificates, memorial spaces, ceremonies, memory boxes, or other ideas that feel meaningful to them.
Certificates
Although there are campaigns to change this, there is currently no official registration of babies lost before 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, certification for these losses is available in England and in Scotland, with certificates expected to be introduced in Northern Ireland in June 2026. We very much hope that Wales will follow.
In England, anyone over 16 who has had a pregnancy or baby loss, 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.
In Scotland, you can apply to record your loss in a special Memorial Book and to receive a certificate of loss.
In the meantime, some hospitals will give you a certificate in memory of your baby. If they don’t offer it, you can ask a nurse or midwife, the hospital chaplain or a bereavement officer.
We are pleased to also be able to provide a selection of memorial certificates from the Miscarriage UK shop.
Ceremonies and services
You may want to hold a ceremony or memorial service to remember your baby. This might be in a place of worship, somewhere that feels special to you, or at home. It could be with close friends and family, or just you and your partner.
Erin and her partner created a special place in their garden for their 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 UK local support groups, especially during Babyloss Awareness Week, October 9-15. You’ll find details of several charities’ events here.
There are Christian remembrance services that take place in a number of cathedrals across the UK throughout the year.
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.
A memory box
Some hospitals and organisations offer a memory box, with a certificate, scan photo or other items.
If you are not offered one, there are charities and organisations that can help.
Fundraise or Make a Donation
After a miscarriage, some people need space to sit quietly with their grief, while others find comfort in doing something that gives their feelings a sense of purpose. There’s no right or wrong way to respond, whatever feels meaningful to you is valid.
For those who want to channel their energy into supporting others, Miscarriage UK offers a variety of fundraising opportunities throughout the year. Whether you take part in an event, run a challenge, or make a donation in memory of your baby, every act of support helps others and honours your experience in a way that feels personal to you.
You can find out more and get involved here:
“I ran the London Marathon for Miscarriage UK. I felt it would be a fitting way to honour my baby, whilst helping a charity which had a special significance for me.”
Other suggestions
Here are some ideas from others who have found them helpful:
- Make an entry for your baby in the hospital’s book of remembrance. The hospital chaplain will be able to arrange this.
- Plant flowers, a shrub or tree in your garden or in a local garden of remembrance.
“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.”
- Light a candle on anniversaries and other special days, such as your due date or during the Wave of Light on Babyloss Awareness Day, 15 October.
- Buy something special in memory of your baby, such as a keepsake available in our online shop.
Not marking your loss
You don’t need to do anything to mark your loss. Some people find it helps, others don’t, and either way is completely valid. There is no right or wrong way to experience pregnancy loss, and your feelings are yours alone.