Headstones for Stillborn Babies – Remembering Your Baby

Losing a baby to stillbirth is an unimaginable and devastating experience. Even though they may never have had the chance to live, you are still losing a child that you were ready to welcome into the world. Dealing with the grief is incredibly difficult, but taking the time to decide on how you wish to memorialise your baby can be an important part of the healing process.

Finding the right way to commemorate your child is deeply personal. There are a lot of different ways that you can remember your baby after saying goodbye and the choice of memorial will depend on each family. Memorial headstones are common as they are a thoughtful and tangible reminder of your baby’s life and have the potential for complete personalisation. There is no right way to design a memorial headstone – whatever is best for you is the right decision. 

The law requires babies that are delivered stillborn after 24 weeks or that only lived for a short time to be cremated or buried, but you can still choose a memorial or headstone to memorialise a baby lost to a miscarriage earlier than this. 

Choosing the right style of headstone

At Memorials of Distinction, we have a range of headstones for stillborn babies in a range of unique styles that are appropriate for commemorating the loss of such a young life. These headstones are specially designed for babies or young children and come in all shapes and sizes, from colourful teddy bears to stone cribs. A gravestone featuring a sleeping child resting on a crescent moon would be particularly fitting tribute to a baby born sleeping.

You may decide to choose a memorial headstone in a more traditional style. These provide a blank canvas that you can add etchings, photo plaques and inscriptions to and can be made in a variety of materials and finishes for a completely bespoke memorial. Whatever style of headstone you choose, you can add a sandblasted or etched design or image that represents your baby’s life for further personalisation. Suitable options could include a teddy bear or a butterfly, but you may have a unique memory from your pregnancy that you wish to share on the headstone. Including an image can be a good way to convey something that is difficult to put into words. 

Another common style of grave is a kerbed memorial. These cover the full grave and can be filled with colourful chippings or bright flowers, making them another good option for commemorating a young life.

What do you put on a headstone for a stillborn baby?

Once you’ve settled on a design for the headstone, it’s time to consider the inscription that will appear on the memorial. Choosing the right wording for your child’s headstone can be a difficult process. Remember, there is no right format – you may want a few short words or you may prefer a lengthier inscription – it is entirely up to personal preference. If you have decided on a name for your baby, you can include this in the inscription. Many parents also include the date the stillbirth occurred, either as a freestanding date or as part of a sentence, such as “born and died on” or “born into eternal life on”. 

Headstone quotes for stillborn baby

You may want to add a brief inscription quote under these details or as an opening line. Here are some ideas you could choose for your stillborn baby’s memorial.

• Our little angel, our arms will forever ache to hold you
• Born sleeping
• We hold you in our hearts until we can hold you in heaven
• I will sleep in peace until you come to me
• Sleep our little one, sleep
• Born in heaven
• So small, so sweet, so soon
• Snug as a bug in a rug

Poems for a stillborn baby’s headstone

You may want to immortalise your child’s memory with a short piece of poetry. This could be a poem that is meaningful to you or an extract from a poem that you plan to read at the funeral or memorial service. You may even wish to write your own poem to find the perfect words to describe your baby. Here are some examples to inspire and guide you:

• “Those we have held in our arms for a little while, we hold in our hearts forever.”
  – The Prophet, Khalil Gibran

• “And rosy twilight, soft and mild, brings gente slumber to my child.”
  – The Mother and Her Child, Abigail Stanley Hanna

• “I know you’re in a happy place, and in God’s loving care. I dream each night I’m rocking you in Heaven’s rocking chair.”
  – Heaven’s Rocking Chair, Ron Trammer

• “There is a unique pain that comes from preparing a place in your heart for a child that never comes.”
  – David Platt

• “You’re so wonderful to think of, but so hard to be without.”
  – Always Within; Grieving the Loss of Your Infant, Melissa L. Eshleman

We are here to help

Take your time when choosing a headstone. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any advice or information to assist you through this difficult process.