After a miscarriage you may be looking for ways to honour your baby and to remember your pregnancy. We have gathered together some ideas below...
Plant a tree or rose
If you are moving around a lot or renting talk to your plant centre about what would be a good plant to keep in a pot. If you have your baby's remains, you may want to bury it beneath the plant. You could invite your close family to attend the planting.
Buy or make a Christmas ornament to represent your baby so that they can always be a part of your Christmas day. e.g a star
Frame a quote, for example, “I may have only held you in my womb for a moment but I will hold you in my heart forever." Or if you have named your baby you could frame their name and date of birth or due date.
Frame the constellations of the night sky the night that your baby died or the night of your baby's due date.
Buy birthstone jewellery to remember your baby by or jewellery in the shape of a heart or star. You could have a bead added to your pandora or charm bracelet, if you have one, to represent your baby
I wear a silver heart ring everyday that represents my baby. I was going to get a ring with what would have been my baby's birthstone - but the birthstone was diamond (April 13th)…. I might still get a small diamond one day but I like the heart. - Corrine
HeartFelt photography session. If you have had a later term miscarriage or stillbirth you may qualify to receive a free HeartFelt photography session.
Get a tattoo representing your baby
Request a handmade fabric heart. Andrea from Huggable Hearts donates handmade fabric hearts that are made to the weight of your baby (if you don't know the weight of your baby she will base the weight on the gestation that the baby reached).
Make your own ipu taonga (click here for instructions). Or contact Farewell Cocoons to order a hand-adorned basket to use as a precious vessel/ipu taonga to bury your baby in.
Have a plaque made for your baby. The wonderful Glover Memorials provide plaques to New Zealand families who have lost babies for no charge. Email info@glovermemorials.co.nz with the name you have given your baby and the date that you lost your baby, also include your name and address so that the plaque can be posted to you.
These keepsake ideas were collected by Miscarriage Matters NZ members from personal experience, support groups and other websites including www.huggablehearts.co.nz