It may seem inappropriate to have to think of paperwork at a time like this but registering your baby if he or she is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy is a legal requirement.
Why is registration important
If you are able to think of the registration process as simply a way of confirming officially that you are your baby's parent, then it may make the task easier. By registering your baby, his/her existence is officially acknowledged and set in writing for records to show in years to come.
When a baby is stillborn the doctor or midwife who was at the birth or examined the body will issue a Medical Certificate of Stillbirth. This certificate has to be taken to the nearest office of the Registrar for Births, Marriages and Deaths within six weeks (21 days in Scotland and five days in Northern Ireland ). A stillbirth cannot be registered more than three months after it happened. Once you've registered the stillbirth you will be given a certificate for burial or cremation.
Your local registrar
You can find your local registrar's office by searching for it on your local county council's website. Most registrars work on an appointment basis. Although the system will one day be improved so that registration can be done both online and by telephone, this addition has yet to be adopted.
The rules for registration are slightly different for England and Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland and it's always worth contacting your nearest registrar and double checking the requirements. Here is a broad description of what registration entails.
Who can register the stillbirth
If your baby was delivered away from your home district, the information for the registration can be given to the registrar in your home district and sent onto the registrar for the district where your baby was delivered. There may be a delay of a day or two in issuing the document for burial or cremation.
If you and your partner are not married and the father wants his surname to be entered on the register, then both parents can go and sign the stillbirth register together. If the father is unable to go but still wants his name in the register, then he can sign of form of declaration (available from the registrar) acknowledging his paternity.
If the parents are married but neither feels able to register the stillbirth, then you can contact the registrar for advice. It may be that a professional caring for you, an occupant of the house where the stillbirth occurred, or indeed a family member is qualified to register the baby in your place. Registration can sometimes be carried out at the hospital where the baby was delivered, before the mother leaves.
It is helpful to come with all the required information as this will reduce the time and stress involved.
Information the registrar needs
- Medical Certificate of Stillbirth, as issued by the hospital, which will include the baby's cause of death.
- The date at place of delivery (and in Scotland, the time).
- The baby's full name and sex.
- The parents' full names, occupations (if any), usual address(es), place of birth and date of marriage (if married, in Scotland the registrar may require your marriage certificate).
The registrar will enter the baby's first name on the stillbirth register and give you a certificate for burial, but not a birth certificate.
You can have a certificate of the registration free of charge if you ask for one but there is generally a fee for obtaining a copy of the certificate of stillbirth. |
