Petition: Birth certificates for babies stillborn after 16 weeks

[throwingpebbles]

A friend has just shared this petition. I was really moved by her story and those of others who were commenting.
They are asking for babies born sleeping after 16 weeks to have birth certificates. Many mothers commenting have said that they wish their baby could have had a birth certificate

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/177460

I can't sign sorry. My DD was stillborn at 36 weeks, having to register her stillbirth was horrific (not helped by us being left in the waiting room whilst a family with newborn arrived). But she was registered because her birth was viable. The limit is 24 weeks because that's the current age of viability. Reducing the age for stillbirth certificates opens a can of worms over then reducing the abortion limit.
Labouring a baby of any gestation knowing you won't hear their cry is awful, of course you want recognition your baby existed. But take that recognition from handprints, from photos, from your memories, keep your baby's memory alive in your family. A piece of paper won't improve upon that x

I think there's a greater need to be sensitive in use of language when the question is 'how to support those who have undergone a late pregnancy loss' rather than 'will you sign a petition to redefine miscarriage and stillbirth and, as that may affect legal viability, accept any consequent changes to time limits for terminations'

From memory there are certificates that can be printed off and given to babies who were born sleeping before the 24th week mark. They don't carry a legal weighting, but they acknowledge how loved and valued the little one is.

Obviously this is going to attract people who have lost their babies around the 16 week mark. It's not much to ask for some fucking compassion. I was only referring to the one post that had no point but to be cruel about a phrase used.

I lost my baby at 23 weeks but I'm afraid I can't sign this.

Hospitals will write a certificate which looks very similar to a birth certificate but carries no legal weight and obviously doesn't require parents to go through the admin that registering a birth requires.

For starters, parents have to pay £50 to register their baby, even when it is a stillbirth.

I refer to my loss as a still birth and am not going to argue semantics over it, but birth certificates asks more questions than it answers and could easily fan the flames of the abortion limit debate

I never post on anything but had to on this. I lost my son at 23 weeks 6 days but he had stopped growing properly and 15 weeks. When I gave birth to him he looked like a baby in every way, yes tiny and Unable to survive being that small but deffo a baby not just a 'miscarrige' I'm totally for this I was devastated I didn't get a birth or death certificate it's like he was.never here! I've signed and hope loads of others do even if it is 20 weeks Its better than 24!

I never post on anything but had to on this. I lost my son at 23 weeks 6 days but he had stopped growing properly and 15 weeks. When I gave birth to him he looked like a baby in every way, yes tiny and Unable to survive being that small but deffo a baby not just a 'miscarrige' I'm totally for this I was devastated I didn't get a birth or death certificate it's like he was.never here! I've signed and hope loads of others do even if it is 20 weeks Its better than 24!

I never post on anything but had to on this. I lost my son at 23 weeks 6 days but he had stopped growing properly and 15 weeks. When I gave birth to him he looked like a baby in every way, yes tiny and Unable to survive being that small but deffo a baby not just a 'miscarrige' I'm totally for this I was devastated I didn't get a birth or death certificate it's like he was.never here! I've signed and hope loads of others do even if it is 20 weeks Its better than 24!