LDC Baby Funerals under 24 weeks

1-4-2022

If a baby is born without signs of life after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy it is referred to as a stillborn. By law, a stillborn baby must be registered (in the UK) within 42 days of being born. At any time less than 24 completed weeks the baby is referred to as a miscarriage or foetal loss, which does not require it to be registered by law, but a medical certificate is issued to declare what has happened.

We wanted to help people who had suffered such a loss and were struggling financially to provide a funeral for their child, so we decided to make available funding for a limited amount of cremations and burials to help them provide their baby with a proper funeral service.

We have initially provided the Trust with enough money to facilitate 12 simple* burials or cremations. These would take place at Islington Cemetery/Crematorium, 278 High Road, London N2 9AG and be carried out by our company. A simple service provides a coffin, chapel time and either a burial or a cremation. The burials are carried out in the area of your chosen religious denomination and your baby is placed in a grave with four other babies. You can purchase a separate grave if you wish, but we have found that many families like to feel their baby is not alone. It is of course a totally personal choice.

Parents may leave a small grave marker and will be provided with details of the location so they may visit at anytime in the future. In the case of cremations, there will only be a tiny amount of ash, but we ensure that it is collected and returned to you for scattering or keeping. As for who is chosen to receive the funding, we operate in good faith and if we are approached directly we will help in any way we can.

If you have lost a child up to 24 weeks and are struggling to fund a respectful and meaningful funeral for your baby, please contact us and we will direct you to someone who will take your details and offer you the most attentive support. If you are able to fund a funeral but feel the need for support and advice, we can still help. Please call us and we will talk you through your options. It is never easy to be focused and organised when bearing the burden of loss, and our aim is to make that process as simple and stress-free for you as we can.

We believe there should be no legal separation where birth is concerned. It is a huge and often life changing event, and from conception or beyond, each person will deal with the emotions differently. We offer our services to those who, like ourselves, feel that the opportunity to say goodbye in an individual and meaningful way should be available to everyone regardless of means.

We would emphasise that some parents/mothers have no wish for a funeral for their lost baby and allow the hospital to take care of everything. Proceeding in this way is also wholly supported by us and we understand the need to be sensitive to the wishes of everyone.

We hope to be able to fund more next year, but for now, we have provided funding for 12.

UPDATE: 27-05-2023

We have noticed a very slow uptake of our service where funerals for mis-carried babies up to 24 weeks are concerned. We think perhaps awareness of our service may be the reason. Please if you have read the above post our page on your facebook/Insta page to make people aware of our service so that we can continue to help those having to endure this traumatic time in their lives.

Update 18th January 2024

We are continuing to offer a free service to anyone experiencing difficulty in accessing help to give their lost child a meaningful funeral service. Our resources are small but we endeavour to help anyone in any way we can.

Update June 2025

Regrettably, due to current resource limitations and funeral commitments we are temporarily unable to accept any further referrals for pre 24 week losses. We hope to resume this service soon.

UPDATE July 2025

Introducing a one off payment for Baby Funerals Under 24 Weeks

We understand how important it is to provide compassionate care during such a difficult time. Due to the high demand for our complimentary service, we find ourselves needing to introduce a modest fee of £250. This will allow us to continue providing an attended cremation service (subject to our other funeral commitments) held at 9:30 in the morning at Islington Crematorium while ensuring the highest standards of care for all families.

Best wishes 

Paul and Ann and Dan