Planning a Funeral for a Newborn Child: A Guide for Parents
No parent expects to bury their newborn child. Unfortunately, every year babies arrive still-born or die shortly after birth. Suddenly, parents have to face the prospect of planning a funeral instead of celebrating a birth. This can be incredibly difficult. Below is a guide which will help you to plan a funeral for your baby.
Choosing a funeral director
A funeral director will help you to make the necessary arrangements so your child can be cremated or buried. Many funeral services offer reduced costs when arranging funeral services for children and will often only charge for essential services. Some funeral directors are specialist in child funerals. The hospital in which your newborn child died should be able to provide you with details of funeral services which are skilled in arranging funerals for babies.
Deciding on a coffin
Funeral services offer a range of coffins which are specially designed for babies. Standard children's coffins are typically made of wood and painted white. The white colour is designed to reflect the innocence of the dead child. However, it is also possible to have coffins made of alternative materials. For example, if you would like an eco-funeral, you could opt for a cardboard or bamboo coffin which is extremely biodegradable. Many parents also choose to have their children's coffins painted in bright colours or special designs which help to celebrate the babies brief life.
Making a guest list
Working out who to invite to a babies funeral can be extremely difficult. When an adult dies, they typically have a well-established network of colleagues, friends and other people they know who can decide if they would like to attend the funeral or not. However, because a baby will have no social links to the outside world, it can be difficult for other people who are close to you to know if they should attend to offer support or not. For this reason, it is always best to make a guest list of people you want to be there. Send out invites stating that the funeral will be a private event for family and close friends. You may also wish to put this information in the local newspaper when you publish the death notice. Doing this will help to ensure that only people you want to be there are present.
If you would like further advice and information, you should contact a funeral director today.
