Gift Idea for Mom Who Lost a Baby

It is said that Daisy seeds are sown only by the souls of stillborn babies as a consolation to their parents for leaving them so early. You could give her a pot of live daisies to show her that her baby is still looking over her.

Do you guys have any pictures of the baby? There is a place online that will touch up/enhance pictures for free...they will touch up photos/bring life/hope into the pictures (coloring of the baby, etc...) They also (I believe) create progressed pictures of what the baby would look like at different ages/stages of life. I'm not sure if those were from the same place or from a different place, but they do an amazing job...maybe you'd might want to look into that. If you want the exact info. let me know. ~S.

Everyone has such great ideas. My brother had a stillborn baby at 40 weeks. I had a Christmas ornament made for them. It is hard, with my brother & sister-in-law, to know if I should talk about my niece and buy things for her or to not talk about her. My brother talks about her but my sister-in- law doesn't want to, she would rather focus on her other children and happier times. It is hard to know what to do and how much is too much or not enough.
Good luck.

Those are lots of great, thoughtful ideas. And I would add that if the baby was named, using his/her name is a wonderful idea. I have a friend who lost her son in similar circumstances, and I know how much it means to her anyone someone refers to him by name. I think it makes her feel like he was a real person, not just to her but to other people as well. Anything you choose to do will be a thoughtful, meaningful gesture that will doubtless mean a lot to her.

Register a star for her baby. It is a really cool thing to do, just google "national star registry".

For our first sons first birthday we planted a tree, so we can watch it grow as he grows too!
It might be a fun way to honor your friends baby too; would be a place to go where his mommy and daddy could go to remember him and think of him and watch it grow.
How about some sort of charm/ angel/ birthstones etc.
how about a stepping stone - with an angel or his name on it.
It's so sad to hear of babies passing on; I couldn't even imagine how I would deal with a situation like that. God must've had another plan for him. and God Bless your friends.

i was in a similar situation not that long ago and i had a star dedicated to my friends lost son. there are few sites that do it but i used www.dedicateastar.com

The thing that I lvoe the most that I got after my daughter died was a keepsake box from Things Remembered. It's in the baby section. I engraved her name on it and her birthday and death day. Since its a stillbirth you could engrave the one date. I put the hospital braclets, a lock of hair, the birth and death announcements... little things like that. Remebering their baby will be the best thing you could ever do. Because thinking that everyone else has forgotten your child is the worst. Every now and then when someone else me I wonder what she'd look like or she'd e so big now. It reminds me that she is still so loved by not just me, but others and that I am loved too.

I would definitely do something on what would have been the baby's first birthday. There is no doubt that it will be in the front of your relative's mind and heart and she will appreciate you acknowledging her child. I would write a heartfelt card using the baby's name (if he or she was named) and talking about how you are thinking of the baby and missing him or her being part of your family. I would consider giving a donation to a child-related charity in your relative or the baby's name. Or maybe send flowers to remind her for a few days that her little one is remembered by you. I think the most important thing is letting your relative know that she is not the only one who is missing this child and that you are remembering her at this hard time of year.

B.

Dear E.,
How sweet of you to think of your friend during this time. I had a son that was born still at 32 1/2 wks. It was something that changed me for the rest of my life. When it was his first birthday in heaven, I had a sister who sent me flowers, and a good friend who got me this adorable print of a little mischievous boy angel playing with a frog out in the woods. She said it just reminded her of my son, because if there was ever to be a mischievous little boy up there in heaven, it would be my husband and my son. My husband got our son's footprints tattooed on the inside of his lower arm and I got his name tattooed on my leg. I am not sure how your friend is doing, but one thing that I did receive after my son's passing was the book Mommy, Please Don't Cry,Author, Linda DeYmaz ~ Illustrator, Sabrina Smith from a good friend of mine. If she is still having a hard time, it might be a thought. Also there is a place called Faith's Lodge: http://www.faithslodge.org/Founders.asp which you can get bricks to memorialize the baby's life.
I hope this helps and again, it is great for your friend that she has you, I know that it helps to have someone be there with you and saying that this happened and was real and was your child.
J.
mom of Cole Wishart, born an angel 1/24/02

I was going to say plant something as well. Or, our friends lost their baby last year at 2mo from SIDS. I got them one things but some of my other friends chipped in to get a star in his name. You get a picture of it & it of course tells you where it is located. If you are interested in more info, I can get it for you, just email me.

P.

I also like the idea of planting something, flowers, or a donation. You could also consider buying or creating a memory box as a pretty place for the parents to store any keepsakes of their baby.

First of all, nothing says "we love you" like the kindness of a visit, a handwritten card, and a meal. Perhaps you could take a simple meal to her and let her know ahead of time that you'll be doing it on that day. It's not going to be an easy day for her, and so having a planned visit with you will be something to look forward to. Also, one less "task" would mean that she could focus on taking care of herself.

I am a big supporter of donating to organizations in memory of people. Generally these funds go to endowment or a special program of your choosing. Does your friend like music? You might donate to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra or the Minnesota Orchestra. Does she like flowers and nature? The MN Arboreteum is a wonderful place for donations. How about a health cause? They all have organizations and endowments. How about pets? The Humane Society can ALWAYS use the money. Your friend's place of worship would be a fine place too for a donation. Be sure to donate in the name of her child, and provide her name and address. They will send an acknowledgement of your gift to her.

You are a kind and loving friend. Anniversaries are very, very hard, and we only get through them with the love of the people around us!

I'm big on planting things in honor of someone. It means so much to watch it grow and nurture it in honor of someone else. To honor a baby, I'd give her a plant like a Peony, or an Astillbe plant or tree, or a Baby's Breath plant for her garden.(If she has a garden.) Those are parennials and will come back year after year. They are pretty hardy plants so that as long as they get water, they usually don't die. They are both flowering, beautiful and soft looking, just like a baby. I had an ectopic pregnancy and if someone had thought of that for a gift, I would have made room in my garden for it in a heart beat.

You could get her a little charm or pendant or something that she can put on a necklace, with the baby's birthstone on it.