What should I do with my miscarried fetus?
After the miscarriage: what happens to your baby
When a baby dies before 24 weeks of pregnancy, there is no legal requirement to have a burial or cremation. Even so, most hospitals have sensitive disposal policies and your baby may be cremated or buried, perhaps along with the remains of other miscarried babies.
How long can you preserve miscarriage?
A miscarriage can last anywhere from hours to weeks. While a woman may have only light bleeding and cramping, another may bleed for several days. Usually, the physical process of a miscarriage happens gradually and resolves within 2 weeks.
What do you do with a miscarried fetus at home?
- If you miscarry at home you are very likely to pass the remains of your pregnancy into the toilet.
- An alternative option would be for the hospital to arrange a communal cremation.
- Some families decide that they want to honour their baby’s memory by arranging a burial or cremation.
Do you have to bury a miscarried baby?
The rules require that all fetal remains — whether the result of miscarriage, abortion, or stillbirth — receive burial or cremation.