Earlier this year, a close friend of mine passed away. This sweet woman was incredibly unique. Besides adoring vintage clothing, she always had extremely short hair. After her death, her son wanted to plan a funeral service with her unique style in mind. So, he immediately started working with the helpful staff at a respected funeral home in our hometown. After relaying his desires to the professional employees at the funeral home, my friend’s son decided to omit a viewing on the night before the funeral. Instead, he had the funeral home staff bring his mother’s body to the church two hours before the funeral service. He also gave anyone who wanted to speak at the funeral service an opportunity. On this blog, I hope you will discover the wonderful ways the staff at a funeral home can help you plan a unique funeral for a loved one.
A miscarriage is a very particular kind of tragedy, and there's no right or wrong way to process the aftermath. Some families might wish to simply assimilate their pain and move on, without any type of funeral service. Others will decide to acknowledge that they've lost a member of their family, even when they didn't get a chance to meet the newest member of their family, and will want to give the occasion the sense of ceremony they believe it needs. If a family member or close friend suffers the tragedy of a miscarriage, how can you help them to say a proper goodbye?
Immediately After the Miscarriage
A great deal of what happens after the miscarriage will depend on how far the pregnancy had advanced before the baby was lost. Each state has its own reporting requirements for fetal deaths, and it's generally only in an advanced miscarriage that there will be remains to be buried or cremated. This is a matter of personal preference. When the miscarriage occurred in a hospital, the staff can often respectfully deal with the remains. As harsh as it might sound, these remains are usually cremated onsite without ceremony. Parents can opt to receive the remains when they wish to hold a funeral for their unborn baby.
Talking to the Funeral Director
A funeral memorial service for an unborn baby is something that funeral directors must handle on an all too regular basis, so they will treat the matter with the sensitivity it deserves. Their expertise can be beneficial in these especially delicate circumstances, because while the parents have decided to hold a funeral, they may not know the most appropriate course of action. Cremation is certainly an option, as is burial. It can be prudent to discuss burial with the funeral director, as they may know of cemeteries that have a dedicated burial area for babies and children, which can be comforting for grieving families.
The Funeral Service
The funeral itself can be as traditional as desired, with any religious elements depending on the parents' own beliefs. It will likely be a smaller service than most funerals you've been to, with only family and close friends being invited. It's not as though anyone present had the opportunity to know the baby, and it's more about having an emotional investment in the pregnancy. There's no typical way to determine the proceedings at such a funeral, and it's more about marking the importance of the event with an appropriate ceremony.
The loss of a baby before its birth is a tragedy unlike any other. A funeral memorial service can help you process the tragedy.
Share4 January 2021
