If the hospital offers to arrange your baby’s funeral, there may not be as many choices as you would have if you make your own arrangements.
Hospital funeral ceremonies for babies are usually led by one of the hospital chaplains. Most hospitals hold a shared funeral ceremony at regular intervals for all the babies who have died within a certain period of time. Some hospitals might be able to organise an individual ceremony for your baby if that is what you prefer.
Shared funeral ceremonies are usually non-denominational and suitable for those of faith and of no faith as well. Parents, and anyone else they want to invite, are usually welcome to attend. The ceremony may be held in a hospital chapel, crematorium or cemetery chapel. You could ask the hospital chaplain if it is possible to include a poem, a reading, or music that has meaning for you. You might also like to take some flowers with you. The hospital can arrange a funeral for your baby even if you don’t feel able to attend.
If the hospital offers you an individual funeral, you can choose a hospital chaplain or another religious leader to lead the ceremony. If there is no religious leader of your own faith, the hospital might be able to recommend someone. You might instead choose a non-religious leader.
Some hospitals offer both burials and cremations. In areas where the cost of graves is very high, hospitals may offer only cremation, or burial in a shared grave.