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Funerals are expensive, but there are certain ways you can save money without being cheap. Feel free to read this article before you go.

The Real Dangers Of Attending A Funeral While Pregnant

Whether you are superstitious or not, many believe there are dangers in attending a funeral while pregnant. Stress, traditions, and social implications of being pregnant during a funeral might be enough to make the mother-to-be stay at home.

Women who experience high stress at funerals should not attend a funeral while pregnant in order to avoid compromising their future child. Stress-related factors aside, women who are of Jewish, Iroquois, and some Christian backgrounds should avoid funerals due to social and religious implications.

Although it’s debated whether staying at home is preferable to going to the funeral , here are some real (and maybe not as real) reasons as to why a pregnant person may want to stay at home.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and you should consult with your personal physician on any medical concerns you may have concerning your health before attending a funeral. This article is not to be taken as medical advice.

Let’s start off with some real medical reasons not to go and then speak about some reasons you may not have even considered yet!

pregnant visit funeral

The Stress of Attending Funerals

It is no surprise that stress is not good for the body. So, if it’s not good for you, it certainly isn’t good for your baby.

Stress changes the chemicals released in your body and brain and can have other physical ramifications on your wellbeing. When a person is stressed, a hormone called cortisol is released in the body. While cortisol may be beneficial to baby’s organ growth and development in small quantities, a pregnant woman should avoid long-term stress at all costs.

When a person is under stress, they may not sleep as well. If you are debating whether or not to go to a funeral while pregnant and are losing sleep over it, it’s time to make a decision ASAP.

Without enough sleep, a person’s immune system can become compromised, further compromising their child. Lack of sleep can lead to complications during pregnancy such as hypertension and gestational diabetes.

A little stress is normal during every pregnancy. High rates of stress, however, are associated with a number of health risks. Stress during pregnancy has been associated with lower birth rates and higher risk for early delivery.

pregnant visit funeral

Mothers who are stressed during their pregnancy have higher rates of depression after giving birth. During pregnancy, a mother who is overly stressed might lose their appetite and experience headaches, both of which may lead to long term health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

If you are a person who gets very anxious or stressed at a funeral, then it is probably a good idea to stay at home if you are pregnant. You do not want to put you or your future baby at risk.

Titan Caskets

If you must attend a funeral, it is wise to practice some stress-reducing tactics in order to make the experience as stress-free as possible.

Practice deep breathing, stretch, and take a warm bath in the days before the funeral . You can also use aromatherapy oils to calm your nerves . Make sure to choose essential oils that are safe for pregnancy, such as lavender, chamomile, and ylang-ylang.

pregnant visit funeral

Shop for this essential oil on Amazon.

pregnant visit funeral

Ylang-ylang oil comes from a tropical tree and is used to relieve pain and inflammation. Be sure to consult your doctor for more information.

pregnant visit funeral

If you do not want to stay home for the funeral but are worried about the stressful impacts attending one may have, be sure to consult your doctor. Your doctor should be able to determine if the stress of attending a funeral is manageable for you and your child.

The Stress of planning a funeral

If you find yourself in the most unfortunate situation of having to actually plan a funeral while already pregnant, then you should really consider all your options.

The most obvious option is to delegate the task to someone else, preferably a close family member. If you find that you are having too many disagreements and it’s adding to the stress of the situation, then you will benefit from reading my article on solving these types of issues with family .

Should you take your kids to a funeral?

You may already have some beautiful children and if that’s the case should you take them to the funeral if you do choose to attend?

In some cases attending a funeral as a child is beneficial, but not always. If this is a topic which is adding to your stress then please read the two articles below where I have gone into a lot more detail about two important questions:

  • How To Explain A Funeral To A Child Who Is Attending One?
  • What Age Is It Appropriate For A Child To Attend A Funeral?

Affordable caskets from Titan Caskets

How to pay for a funeral if money is tight?

Another source of stress if you have to plan a funeral while pregnant is definitely the funds to pay for it. Assuming that the deceased did not factor this into their final preparations, you may need to seek out financial help.

I’ve explored different ways to do this in two separate articles I’ve already researched, which you can find below:

  • 11 Nonprofit Organizations That Help With Funeral Expenses
  • Real Help With Funeral Costs For Low-Income Families

I recently looked into getting a loan and I’ve actually had a good experience with Supermoney.com . For me, it was a car loan but I spoke to them about a dedicated funeral expenses loan, which is one of the services they offer and was quite impressed. To see if you could qualify, check out my link here .

Superstitions Surrounding Funerals

Superstitions surrounding funerals go back many hundreds of years, so much so to the point that no one knows where the superstition originated. There are many which apply directly to pregnant women.

Many cultures have different takes on the matter. Some say when pregnant women are around death, their baby will be stillborn. Others advise that spirits seeking revenge will try to take the baby away from the mother. There is a worry that recently departed souls will attach themselves to the mother, and cause harm to the baby.

While superstitions are not proven to be true, depending on your culture it may be wise to stay at home based on your families’ beliefs.

Even if you do not think anything bad will happen, if your family wants you to stay home and you decide to go, the extra stress and pressure may cause harm to you and your child.

Unsure if your culture has any beliefs advising pregnant women not to attend funerals? Read onto the next section to find out more.

Culture Traditions Surrounding Pregnancy and Funerals

Many cultures across the globe carry strong beliefs that pregnant women should not attend funerals or be in close proximity to death. Those who hold these traditions believe that death is a bad omen for the baby to come.

In Jewish culture , the concept of the Evil Eye is the source of much fear and superstition. The Evil Eye is responsible for a number of bad luck omens, such as a pregnant woman attending a funeral.

The Evil Eye will look for those who are happy and cause them to have bad luck. As pregnant women are traditionally very happy, they are easy targets for the Evil Eye. It is said that the Evil Eye will cast bad luck onto the mother, and the mother will have a miscarriage.

While there is no law that prohibits women from attending a funeral, the superstition has roots that go a long way back in Jewish history. The exact source of the belief is a mystery, but there are a few guesses as to why this belief began.

One suggested theory states that there are negative spiritual energy and forces around funerals. This is why some people wash their hands after attending a funeral, in order to fend away bad spirits and energy and to cleanse themselves.

A pregnant woman is seen as more vulnerable than others and will have a more difficult time fending off negative spirits. The woman will be more affected by their negative energy, and the baby will be impacted.

In Iroquois culture, there are rules regarding what a pregnant woman should and should not do. In regard to attending funerals, it is said a pregnant woman will have a miscarriage or stillbirth if she chooses to go.

The belief is rooted in the idea that the unborn baby will connect with the spirit of the deceased and will choose to go back to the spirit world to accompany the deceased.

Those who practice Christianity also hold beliefs regarding pregnant women and funerals. Especially for those in the African American Christian culture, pregnant women can attend funerals but cannot view the deceased. It is believed that if the woman looks upon the dead, the spirit of the deceased will put a curse on the child. The curse will cause a baby that appears dead and lifeless for the duration of its life.

Others who may not buy into this belief hold the idea that sad activities during pregnancy will inundate the baby with sad and negative energy. People do not want to give their baby a sad start before they have the chance to step into the world.

Perhaps this is purely a case of a self-fulfilling prophecy or an unconscious attitude the parents take to the child, who knows.

Practical Issues

There are a few practical issues that could keep a woman from going to a funeral. Regardless of whether the person believes it is good or not to attend while pregnant, the mother to be may not be physically able to go.

Bed rest is prescribed for some mothers, requiring those expecting babies to stay in bed for large portions of the day. Bed rest is necessary for conditions such as growth problems in the baby, high blood pressure, vaginal bleeding, and other issues.

It is debatable whether or not bed rest is necessary or even helpful to pregnant mothers, as moderate exercise is healthy and recommended for pregnant women. However, those who are prescribed bed rest should not overexert themselves physically or emotionally, making a funeral an unwise occasion to attend.

Women in the late stages of pregnancy may have trouble with mobility, feel sick, or have trouble sitting in one place for an extended amount of time. If this is the case, it is wise not to attend a funeral. If you do not feel a strong obligation to attend the funeral, the physical discomfort of attending is worth staying at home. 

Social Implications

Even if you do not hold any of the beliefs of cultures who look down upon pregnant women attending funerals, you may feel pressure from friends or family who do not believe you should attend. Acting against the wishes of your community may put extra stress on your body, adversely affecting your pregnancy.

If you are feeling anxious or depressed during your pregnancy and do not want to socialize with others, avoiding a funeral where many people will be hugging, touching, and talking to each other is in your best interest. Many people will want to chat about something happy, so being pregnant at a funeral may bring about unwanted attention and social interaction.

The belief that pregnant women should not attend funerals is one birthed out of a mixture of superstition and religion. While there is no evidence that a woman and her child will face misfortune when attending a funeral, it is advised to ensure your pregnancy is low stress.

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clock This article was published more than  8 years ago

I was pregnant at a funeral — and superstitious. Did I mention superstitious?

I wasn’t supposed to be at the cemetery.

Jewish tradition dictates that pregnant women should not go graveside for a funeral. It’s not an outright law—you won’t see it written down anywhere—but it’s customary. It is considered bad luck. Very bad luck. Even if it’s the funeral of a loved one. Even if it’s the funeral of your father-in-law.

I was always a superstitious person. I never opened an umbrella indoors. I wore a red string around my wrist to ward off the evil eye. And I didn’t have a baby shower for my first child. We didn’t even set up his nursery until after he was born.

These superstitions comfort me, they make me feel like I have control over a chaotic world. And for the most part, they’re harmless. Easy to follow. That is, until my father-in-law died.

My husband and his father were close. They spoke often. Doug relied on his father for advice, or sometimes just to have someone who would listen. My father-in-law loved and valued his family. My fondest memory: him, pulling me onto the dance floor at a family party to tell me how happy he and my mother-in-law were that I was a part of their family.

No one ever wants to go graveside at a Jewish funeral. More so than the part in the funeral home where condolences are offered and eulogies are read, going to the cemetery is where you truly pay your last respects. Where you actually bury your loved one. At a Jewish funeral, you watch the coffin slowly descend into the ground, and then, as a sign of respect, help fill the grave with dirt. Mourners take turns removing a shovel from a huge mound, dropping piles of earth on top of the coffin.

I couldn’t see skipping that part. I wanted to show respect for my father-in-law’s memory. I wanted to help bury him. I would shovel dirt onto his coffin, along with the rest of the family. I would be there to hold my husband’s hand.

Also, I didn’t want anyone to know that I was five weeks pregnant. Superstition dictates you don’t tell anyone about a pregnancy until you’ve passed the 12 week mark. Surely, if I skipped going graveside, people would talk. A staple of shiva—the week-long mourning period where friends and family come to the home of the bereaved—is gossip.

I found out that I was pregnant days before my father-in-law died. Fifteen months earlier, he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. What I didn’t know at the time, but learned quickly enough, was that brain cancer is not really a diagnosis. It’s a death sentence.

With our first child, we didn’t tell anyone that I was pregnant until I’d passed the 12 week mark, out of superstition. But now, that seemed silly. We didn’t know if my father-in-law would still be alive by the 12 week mark.

Doug and I gathered around the hospital bed a few days after taking an at-home pregnancy test. We’d told his mother our news after taking the test, and she’d relayed it to my father-in-law. When we arrived, he couldn’t really keep his eyes open because of the pain. My mother-in-law asked her husband: Do you remember what I told you? His father’s eyes remained shut, but then, for the briefest of moments, he opened his eyes and whispered: New baby.

It was the last thing he said to us.

Two days later, he died. Jewish funerals happen quickly—my father-in-law died on a Monday and was buried on Tuesday.

“You could go back to the house to set up for shiva,” my mother suggested. “Someone has to do it, and as the daughter-in-law, it would make sense that you’d go.”

“Or you could just forget about some silly superstition and honor your father-in-law.”

Doug and I consulted the rabbi.  “That’s just a bubbameister ,” he told us. “An old wives’ tale. Nothing bad is going to happen to you if you go to the cemetery.”

I decided to go. After all, it was just a silly superstition. Nothing bad was going to happen to me.

But then something did.

Twenty-eight weeks into my pregnancy, my water broke prematurely and I was admitted to the hospital in pre-term labor. I was terrified—I had no idea what would happen to the baby I was carrying. I was lonely—I missed my almost 2-year-old son and my husband, who was home taking care of him. I stayed in the hospital for three weeks on bed rest, forced to lay still in an uncomfortable hospital bed, unable to even sit up straight for fear of bringing on full labor.

I thought a lot about my father-in-law while I was there. This baby I was carrying, the one destined to carry his name—would he die, too? Was I being punished for angering the gods of superstition? For holding my own wants and needs over what generations of Jewish women had done in the past?

I went into labor in the middle of the night, 31 weeks into my pregnancy. The mood was somber. I didn’t know if I was giving birth to a live child or a dead one. Even if he was alive, I didn’t know how long he would live. If he did live, I didn’t know what problems he would have. Blindness, deafness, brain damage. I’d been told to prepare for any or all of those scenarios. I hadn’t.

After my c-section, my baby didn’t cry at first. “This is it,” I thought. “I knew this would happen.” But then he did cry, and my doctor had to give me valium just to calm me down.

I woke up in recovery and my husband had already visited our baby boy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where he was doing much better than expected for a 31 week old. He wasn’t blind. He wasn’t deaf. He didn’t suffer brain damage. After a 33 day stay, he was healthy enough to come home.

We were lucky. I know that now. But back then, I didn’t. And I thought that I was being punished for failing to follow superstition. But I now see that although something bad happened to me, something good happened as well. My son is now 4 years old. A healthy child. A happy child.

I don’t believe in superstitions quite as much as I used to. The way I see it, you don’t have to follow them, or you could follow them to make yourself feel better. To convince yourself that you’re protected from some force beyond your control.

I had no control over whether my father-in-law would live or would die. Nor my son. Life unfolds despite us, and no amount of keeping umbrellas closed while indoors is going to change that.

Still, I wear my red string around my wrist just in case.

Janowitz is a writer whose fifth novel “The Dinner Party” will be published by St. Martin’s next year. You can find her at BrendaJanowitz.com or on Twitter @brendaJanowitz .

Join On Parenting on Facebook for more essays, news and advice. You can sign up here for our e-newsletter and can find us at washingtonpost.com/onparenting .

You might also be interested in:

Baby names: Should it matter if they indicate race?

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pregnant visit funeral

pregnant visit funeral

Can You Go to a Funeral When Pregnant? Complete Answer

With so many different superstitions and beliefs regarding funerals, it can be challenging to keep track of them. So, many people wonder if it’s okay to attend a funeral when pregnant. Let’s look at the superstitions and religious beliefs regarding pregnant people and funerals. 

You can go to a funeral when pregnant as long as you are not overly stressed or your religious beliefs don’t prevent you from going. Every situation is unique, so check with your doctor to ensure you can have a safe experience. 

Let’s go into the details about attending a funeral when pregnant and look at the options to discover what might be best for you. 

Table of Contents

Why Would Pregnant People Want To Avoid Funerals?

Pregnant people may want to avoid funerals due to religious beliefs, superstitions, stress, and other medical reasons. Thankfully, many of these reasons can be avoided or worked around if someone special to you has passed.

So, let’s take a closer look at the reasons both past and present for pregnant people to avoid funerals. Some of these reasons are still valid, while some have been disproven or even forgotten. 

Religious Beliefs

Quite a few religions believe that pregnant people should avoid funerals or any interaction with a dead body for various reasons. 

These limitations aren’t surprising, considering that most religions focus on what they believe happens after death. So, many religious teachings warn about being near a dead body, especially when pregnant, as this combines new life and death. 

One example of religion with strong beliefs regarding pregnant people attending funerals is Judaism. In Jewish culture, many people believe many negative energies are tied to death, while pregnancy represents positivity and new life. These don’t mesh well together, and in some cases, people may believe that attending a funeral while pregnant could attract the evil eye. 

The evil eye in Jewish culture brings harm or bad luck to an individual. Judaism says that being pregnant and going to a funeral or even just being near a dead body can draw the attention of the evil eye. So, attending the funeral may bring harm or misfortune to the mother or the child. So, they tend to avoid it. 

Similar to Judaism, Christianity has rules regarding pregnancy and attending funerals. Many Christians of various sects believe that a pregnant person viewing a dead body will cause the child to be stillborn or look dead at birth. That means that the child may be born with pale skin or other features that the deceased carry. 

Another, more intense, example of the belief that pregnant people should avoid funerals comes from the Iroquois culture. Some Iroquois believe that unborn children exposed to a dead body will want to return to the spirit world with the deceased. The Iroquois believe that the unborn child will return to the spirit world, causing a miscarriage or stillbirth. 

Superstitions about Death

There are many superstitions regarding the deceased. Whether they originate in fear, religion, or misinformation, superstitions about pregnancy and funerals are still found all over even today. 

The religions we talked about above are just a few that teach the dangers of combining death and new life. With Judaism and Christianity both being prevalent religions, it’s not surprising that some of their teachings have been passed down as superstitions, sometimes even by those who aren’t part of those religions. 

As we know, religion isn’t the only place that superstitions come from. Sometimes they’re passed down through theories or misunderstandings regarding science. As we learn more about dead bodies and the lack of danger they pose, it seems almost silly now to avoid them in an attempt to protect our health. 

While there’s still room for superstitions in our society, it’s essential to move past them once we receive new information. So, pregnant people avoiding funerals for superstitious reasons is a somewhat outdated reason to avoid saying goodbye to a loved one.

The Stress of a Funeral May Cause Complications in Pregnancy

Stress is one medical reason that pregnant people may want to avoid a funeral. Stress is a familiar feeling, especially during pregnancy. The actual danger of stress to pregnant people is present at high levels. So, attending or planning a funeral may not be the best for the health of a pregnant person. 

Stressful life events can significantly impact your pregnancy and the overall health of you and your baby. When we think of these events, our mind tends to go to the loss of a job or even divorce, but death is another example of an adverse life event that can cause stress. 

Attending a funeral is often a sad and mournful experience, but it can also be very stressful. Not only is planning a funeral tough but attending and coming to terms with a loss can be very difficult for anyone to process. So, expectant mothers who foresee a lot of stress coming from going to a funeral may want to skip it and stay home for the sake of their health. 

There are many ways that stress can cause issues with pregnancy. First, it’s worth noting that there’s no scientific evidence that stress alone can cause a miscarriage. However, it’s still important to consider other things that stress can do to your physical and mental health, especially during pregnancy. 

Stress can lead to difficulties with eating and sleeping, and it can even cause high blood pressure. Each of these issues poses a risk to a healthy parent and baby. So, if you think that any of these symptoms may become an issue because of the funeral or while you’re mourning, then you may need to reconsider attending the funeral. 

Medical Reasons

There’s a lot that we have only learned recently about death. A common misconception passed down through generations is that you can contract diseases and illnesses through contact with a dead body. Because of this belief, pregnant people often avoided funerals to avoid being exposed to the dead body of their loved ones. 

There’s currently no scientific evidence supporting the idea that dead bodies are dangerous to us. The somewhat outdated belief that dead bodies could transfer airborne diseases to people around them was called the Miasma Theory . However, this theory existed long before it had a name. 

The idea that dead bodies could bring illness upon those around them dates back to ancient Greek and Roman medicine. Under this theory, people believed that people “stained” by death were ritually unclean, which prevented them from entering temples and performing religious rites. Only after ritual cleansing could people resume their normal religious activities. 

Miasma wasn’t just a result of being close to a deceased person, though. According to the Ancient Mediterraneans, birth, bloodshed (such as a menstrual period), and murder also caused Miasma. 

Combining pregnancy and death doubled your impurity, which pulled you farther away from the protection of the gods. As a result, people suspected that you were more likely to suffer an illness if you were pregnant and attended a funeral. 

Until more recent years, so much was left unanswered about airborne illnesses and death. It led to a lot of fear and mystery surrounding death and disease. So, theories that people could catch infections from the deceased ran wild due to lack of research. 

Because of the lack of research and overall mystery surrounding death and disease, people passed down the idea that pregnant people shouldn’t attend a funeral. This idea kept mother and baby as safe as possible from any airborne diseases back then. Of course, nowadays, we know better. 

We now know that many diseases don’t remain in the body after someone dies. That means that people, pregnant or not, aren’t putting themselves at risk of a disease or infection by being at a funeral or near their deceased loved ones. 

Despite science touting the lack of risk for disease, some outdated information and beliefs have survived. 

Woman in mourning clothes standing above headstone

Why Would a Pregnant Person Attend a Funeral?

A pregnant person might attend a funeral to say goodbye to their loved one, support others during a difficult time, or get support from others to help with grief. Attending a funeral can help bring peace during a time of loss. 

With all of the superstitions and religious warnings about attending a funeral while pregnant, you may be wondering why they’d still choose to go. Whether you’re just curious or are pregnant and wondering what you should do, there are many reasons to attend a funeral despite the taboo. So, let’s break down some reasons why pregnant people may still choose to go to a funeral despite the taboo nature. 

To Say Goodbye

A funeral is a unique opportunity to say goodbye to our loved ones who have passed away. Missing that opportunity may not be best for us in the long run. While grief may not play as significant a role in funerals as we like to think, we tend to remember them as positive , healing experiences. 

Creating positive memories around a time of grief and stress is vital for all of us, and pregnant people are no exception. If you’ve lost a loved one and are pregnant, it may be best to consider attending the funeral despite the taboo attitude toward it. A funeral is the last chance to say goodbye to our loved ones and see them at peace one last time. 

Creating a positive final memory of your loved one can do wonders for your emotions and ability to move forward. Having a positive experience may help with your overall stress and health during the pregnancy. So, attending the funeral may be worth it. 

To Be There for Others

Another valid reason for attending a funeral despite being pregnant is to be there for others who may be struggling with the loss. If you’re not avoiding the funeral for religious reasons or to avoid being overly stressed, then you may want to consider attending to be there for those who may need your support. 

There’s nothing wrong with attending a funeral to support a loved one who may need it, and this is a common reason for attending funerals as not everyone in attendance will be close to the deceased. Pregnancy can be difficult, especially when a lot of stress is involved, but being there for the ones we love is an integral part of life.

So, if you can attend the funeral without putting yourself or the baby at risk, then there’s no harm in being there for a loved one in their time of need. Sometimes all you need to do to help is physically be there. If there’s no health or spiritual risk involved, then there’s nothing wrong with being there for someone else who’s struggling. 

Get Support From Others

A funeral is a day to grieve and remember the deceased. While it can be stressful, it’s also an excellent time for families to get together and support each other during a difficult time. Sometimes what helps us the most is being around our family and allowing them to help us through the grief. 

As we discussed above, it’s essential to be there for our loved ones when they’re going through the grief of losing someone close to them. It’s the same in reverse, too. Sometimes we need to allow friends and family to support us and be there for us during a challenging time. A funeral is the perfect gathering to connect with loved ones and reminisce with them. 

If there are no religious or health reasons holding you back from a funeral, then consider the benefit of being around those you love while trying to process your grief. If you believe that’ll help you be less stressed and cope more easily with the loss, then it’s worth considering. 

Final Thoughts

Going to a funeral while pregnant has been a divisive issue for a long time, but the more we find out about death, the less we see the risk. There have been many theories and superstitions about the risk of being near dead bodies, but we know it’s no longer a risk thanks to more scientific evidence. 

If you’re pregnant, carefully consider whether or not you want to attend a funeral before you make the decision. Remember, this isn’t something you’ll have another opportunity to experience. So, choose carefully and consider how you’ll feel in the future. 

  • ScienceDirect: Miasma Theory
  • World Health Organization: Risks Posed By Dead Bodies After Disasters
  • We Have Kids: Should Pregnant Women Attend Funerals? Superstition or Science?
  • March of Dimes: Stress and Pregnancy
  • Mayo Clinic: Early Miscarriage: Is Stress a Factor?
  • Taylor & Francis Online: Facilitating Grief: An Exploration Of The Function Of Funerals And Rituals In Relation To Grief Reactions

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Hi there! I'm Alex Noel and live in Indianapolis, Indiana. I started this website to share my experience. My goal is to provide Americans a more fulfilling goodbye.

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The Unwritten Rule of Pregnancy and Cemeteries

Jessie and her mom

“Jess,” he said, “I honor and respect you, and I am fine with whatever decision you make. Just so you are prepared, though, some people might expect you to not join us at the cemetery.”

I was shocked, and at first I had no idea what he meant. But I put the pieces together quickly; I was the only one in the room who was seven months pregnant. My father went on to explain that there is Jewish tradition of pregnant women not going to cemeteries.

As he said it, my sadness grew a little. After a chapel funeral, Jewish tradition includes a graveside service, in which the mourners symbolically begin the burial process by throwing handfuls of earth on the grave. The service is powerful and heartbreaking. I thought of it as part of my obligation to my mother and an important part of my grief process, and I couldn’t imagine not being there. My father’s comment made me ill at ease, though. Was there a real reason for me to skip it?

In Judaism, there are things that are written in the Torah, in the Talmud and in the Midrash. There are special texts and commentaries by famous rabbis that help frame our beliefs. Then there are customs that have been passed down in practice and by word of mouth from generation to generation. Many are interpreted to be based on superstitions. Some of them were ingrained in me from childhood: things like breaking a glass at a wedding or not naming a child for someone older who is alive.

Raising Jewish children in an interfaith marriage, I am hyper-aware of these unwritten practices. As the Jewish partner, I feel like I should somehow be able to explain each one, and simultaneously have an opinion about whether or not we should observe it. Often, I don’t realize how powerful they can be until they are upon us.

I was grateful to my father for bringing up the cemetery tradition, but I was distraught about what to do about it. I began to search for the meaning of this tradition wherever I could. I called my cousin in California, an observant Jewish woman who also lost her mother too early.  She said she was familiar with the tradition. Her understanding was that you shouldn’t go in case you confuse the angel of death. She didn’t weigh in on whether I should go to the cemetery, but encouraged me to go and read The Jewish Way in Death & Mourning . While I found Rabbi Lamm’s book very helpful, I couldn’t find mention of pregnant women and cemeteries.

Before the funeral, we had a family meeting with my parents’ rabbi. After the meeting, Eric and I requested a few minutes alone with him. I explained my concern about the tradition. He was kind and compassionate. He looked at his bookshelf, and couldn’t find any reference to the practice in any of his books. He went to the computer. Finally, on Aish.com, he found a short entry .

He explained to us that Aish is very traditional, so we should see it through that lens. The entry said two things. First, by the letter of Jewish law, a pregnant woman can go to the cemetery. Second, however, it explained that the custom is that pregnant women do not go to the cemetery. The rationale is to protect the embryo from “sinful or impure matters.”

“Basically,” the Rabbi told us, after reading the entry aloud, “it is fine for you to go. It is really up to you.”

Gravestone

After the synagogue service, I went to my parents’ house with two close friends. I picked up my mother’s dog, her fourth child, who could not even come to the synagogue, and we went for a walk in the woods behind her house. My observance of this custom was not based on rote rule following, but on two days of thought and an unplanned exploration into a corner of our tradition. And a month after my daughter—who is named for my mother—was born, the two of us went and had our own graveside service.

pregnant visit funeral

Jessie Boatright

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9 Appropriate Things To Wear To A Funeral When Pregnant

WhatToGetMy Instructional Article

  • One thing is certain in life, and that is death, something we have little control over.
  • We can try our best to put it off, but it can still come to anyone we know, even when you're pregnant.
  • Among all the thoughts you might go through, you'll also have to worry about what to wear to the funeral so as not to appear insensitive. While we might not be able to help you with your other worries, we can at least help you with this.

9 Appropriate Things To Wear To A Funeral When Pregnant

Funerals and pregnancies are the exact opposite of each other. While the former commemorates death, the latter brings forth new life. Wondering what to wear to a funeral when pregnant to avoid showing insensitivity is, therefore, a thoughtful and kind thing to do.

Attending a funeral requires being mindful of certain etiquettes, such as simple dressing. However, pregnancy brings several other things to consider. For instance, you’ll have to consider your comfort level, how far along you are, what attires would best cater to your baby bump, and even your mood for the day.

As only you can answer these questions, we will discuss several pregnant women funeral dressing tips. These will allow you to pick several attires. Looking at your unique circumstances, you can then choose the perfect attire that will not only look good but will be comfortable as well.

Before going into that discussion, however, it is important to consider whether or not you should be going to a funeral as a pregnant woman. While nothing stops a pregnant woman from attending a burial, you might want to consider several factors before you decide to participate in the funeral ceremony.

Should a pregnant woman go to a funeral?

Opinions of friends and family .

Table of Contents

The opinions of your social circle are usually given out of a place of love, so their thoughts on your attending the funeral should be considered.

If they have no qualms about you attending a funeral while pregnant, then go for it. The added advantage here is that you can count on their support during the funeral to deal with any stressful situation.

Type of pregnancy

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, it’s probably best to skip the funeral. Seeing as any one of several things could cause complications, you wouldn’t want to risk being exposed to any such things.

Alternatively, you could speak to your doctor to hear their expert opinion. Also quite worrisome is the emotional stress that your baby might be subjected to. This is especially true if you were close to the deceased and are still emotionally hurt from their loss.

Going to the funeral in such a case might place your emotional stress on the fetus, which can be dangerous. It might be best to simply stay home and focus on other things.  

Relationship with deceased 

There are two ways to look at this: one, if you were close friends or relatives of the deceased, it’s only logical that you would want to pay your respects one last time. However, this closeness could bring about emotional stress during your pregnancy if you feel overwhelmed by the loss.

Two, if you weren’t close to the person, you could easily skip the funeral. However, if you decide to go, there are fewer chances of emotional stress due to less emotional attachment.

In one case, you have a good reason to go but probably shouldn’t; in the other, you have a reason to stay home but also to go to the funeral if you please.

Pregnancy mood 

Thinking about what to wear to a funeral when pregnant should also come with thoughts of your mood on the very day.

Hormones tend to be very playful with the emotions of a pregnant woman, so you need to ask yourself if you can handle the atmosphere that comes with funerals.

For instance, people might want to hug, shake hands, or talk to you to distract themselves from the death of their loved ones. Is this something you think you can handle? You might also find yourself crying uncontrollably when hormones take control once more.

Take care to consider your reactions at the funeral before you make the decision to attend.

Religion and culture  

Cultures around the world have opinions on pregnant women attending funerals. While some are completely against it, others don’t mind so long as the expecting mother doesn’t see the deceased’s body.

Consider the views and beliefs of your culture or religion before attending the funeral. This way, you might avoid any social or spiritual issues relating to your belief system.

9 Funeral dressing tips for pregnant women 

Prioritize your comfort.

When you wonder how to dress when you are pregnant, the most important thing is your comfort. The fact that you are carrying an entirely different human is discomforting enough, so there is no need to add to it.

Your attire should be easy to slip in and out of for convenience. You should also avoid wearing something you’ll have to keep adjusting.

Whatever you wear needs to be something that will provide comfort regardless of whether you are standing, sitting, or even eating. Large and elastic dresses are the best way to accomplish this , but some trousers can help too.

Dark colors are a friend

Funeral etiquette generally requires wearing dark colors as a sign of grief. These are also lovely colors to look stylish. There is also the slimming appearance that such colors provide if that’s something you’d like.

You most definitely do not have to stick to black alone as other similar colors are just as good. Dark blue and deep gray are just some that come to mind and would look great as dresses and coats.

Maternity dresses… 

pregnant visit funeral

We cannot talk about what to wear to a funeral when pregnant without mentioning maternity dresses. As shown by Statista , the value of the maternity fashion scene keeps increasing. This translates to more dresses for you to choose from to match your taste. 

Maxi dresses are easy to wear and quite comfortable. They are quite advantageous because they look good on anyone regardless of body type or how far along they are. 

Sweater dresses are much like sweaters, only longer. This means they are elastic and so take your shape into account. They are easy to wear and provide great comfort while also being suitable for all trimesters.

Sheath dresses are form-fitting and can be a bit of a body hug. You can still wear them when pregnant, but you should get one that can stretch and only use them if you’re in the first or second trimester.

Wrap dresses round up the list for being great for any period in your pregnancy. They are pretty stylish and have the advantage of being worn for a while because they grow with you.

…or trousers 

If dresses aren’t your thing, there are lots of pants to choose from that can give you comfort and style.

Suit dress pants or regular pants are quite stylish. As they tend to have a rigid figure, it’s best not to wear them past the second trimester.

Palazzo pants are wonderfully made and provide more leg space for you to feel free. Tapered pants provide more hip and leg space and are suitable for various body types.

Cropped trousers are great for style but should only be worn if you’re comfortable with your ankles. 

For upper apparel that goes along with the pants, formal shirts with jackets would be a great match with suit pants and their palazzo counterparts.

Shirt dresses are also appropriate because they tend to be oversized and so can provide space for the baby. Chiffon shirts are another great option because they are lightweight and can be used for other occasions as well.

Consider coats and cardigans 

Coats are a great dress accessory and help with the age-old etiquette of showing little skin at funerals. They are also a big help in case of cold weather as they protect you from the chills while keeping you stylish.

Dark coats are preferable because they go with the theme of funerals and allow you to wear something lighter underneath if you must.

As a sibling to coats, cardigans also come in quite handy when wearing dresses. To ease and comfort, consider those that are elastic or made of cashmere and like materials.

Leggings are your friend 

Leggings are quite a prominent feature in the fashion styles of pregnant women, and this is no wonder. They can be worn with all sorts of dresses, such as sweaters and sheath dresses, to provide an extra finishing touch to your funeral attire.

Leggings are also simple and comfortable. They are handy in the third trimester when finding many things that fit might be difficult.

Comfortable footwear 

Footwear should not be glossed over when considering how a pregnant woman should dress for a funeral. 

Your footwear for the funeral should depend firstly on your comfort and then on your attire. It should be flat-footed to support your legs and the humans they are carrying.

Options you can consider include sandals, lounger shoes, and sneakers. Flat pump shoes and slip-on shoes are great options because they are comfortable and easy to wear.

Accessories complete the attire  

The right accessories will complete your output and the style you were going for. Dresses would go best with belts that can rest on your baby bump and bring attention to the newest miracle in town.

Bags are necessary, but you should only carry one that is just large enough to take any essentials you might need. That way, you can avoid the extra burden of logging a large bag around for the duration of the funeral.

For jewelry, avoid being extravagant as much as possible. Simple knobs and little hoops would be great earring choices, for instance.

Consignment stores

If you’re wondering, “ how should I dress for a funeral if I am pregnant ,” and have little time to come up with a proper outfit, and don’t mind second-hand outfits, try consignment stores.

Maternity dresses have a short lifespan; once the pregnancy is done, some mothers simply sell off their clothes. Consignment stores would therefore have a wide range of maternity outfits available at short notice to ensure that you show up to the funeral dressed appropriately and exquisitely.

If you are in need of gift suggestions for the family of the deceased, here are:

  • Sympathy gift ideas for loss of father 
  • Sympathy gift ideas for loss of mother.  
  • Sympathy gift ideas for loss of grandfather.  
  • Gifts for grieving widows. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Can pregnant lady go to a funeral?

No law bars pregnant women from funerals, but there are considerations to take into account. Some of them are:

  • Medical conditions such as high-risk pregnancies – If the pregnancy is at risk for any number of reasons, it’s probably best to take it as easy as possible, and this might include sitting out the funeral.
  • Cultural and religious reasons – some religions and cultures take issue with pregnant women going to burials. Adherents to such doctrine should maybe avoid going to funerals when pregnant.
  • Relationship with deceased – if the funeral is for a close relative, pregnant women should be mindful of attending because any emotional stress on the mother would impact the baby.

  What should you not wear while pregnant?

  • Avoid wearing clothes too many times as this can lead to skin infections.
  • Compression underwear might seem like a good idea, but it can cause discomfort, which is not something you want when pregnant.
  • Tight pants are also quite uncomfortable and so should be avoided. Try joggers and leggings, especially in the later stages of your pregnancy.
  • Fabrics such as synthetics might lead to you sweating profusely.
  • Unsupportive bras can be pretty uncomfortable and even cause pain. With the breasts growing during pregnancy, get more supportive bras with larger cup sizes.
  • Avoid high heels as these do not provide adequate support for feet and legs. Instead, opt for flatter shoes like pumps and sandals.

How should a woman dress for a funeral?

  • Dark colors such as black, deep gray, and dark blue are most appropriate.
  • Dresses and skirts should be of an appropriate length based on the societal norms you adhere to. 
  • Etiquette requires that shoulders are covered. 
  • Simple jewelry such as knobs and smaller hooped earrings are recommended. 
  • Dress suits and long-sleeved shirts to cover the arms. 
  • Conservative dressing if unsure of the funeral etiquette required by the deceased’s family.

In conclusion…

Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look good. In fact, you can look great. You are carrying new life, which is the most beautiful thing. We only hope that these suggestions increase your comfort as you mourn the passing of a loved one.

And remember, being pregnant makes you more delicate, so you don’t have to go to the funeral if you feel strong enough or for any other reason. Protect yourself and the little one . That’s your first priority.

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Funeral Planning After Pregnancy Loss

izzzy71 / Getty Images

Why a Funeral?

  • Don't Feel Rushed

Trust Your Instincts

  • Where to Have It

Honoring Your Baby

Depending on how far along in pregnancy you are at the time of your loss, you'll have several choices about what to do for your baby's final disposition. 

However, at any stage of pregnancy loss , you can and may want to have a funeral or memorial service.   Some people do not want to have a funeral. If this is you, honor yourself and your wishes.

There is no "right" and "wrong" when it comes to funerals after a miscarriage or stillbirth. It is best to do what is best for you, not what would be best for someone else.

Funerals can be an important part of the grieving process for people who have experienced a loss. A funeral provides a way to say goodbye and to honor the memory of a loved one.  

It may sound overwhelming to have a room full of people to face after losing your baby, but you might also find it easier to see everyone in a short period of time.

A funeral may help you find closure—an important step in your emotional recovery from a miscarriage or stillborn birth.  

Although you may have said your goodbyes at the hospital, some people find that a funeral allows them to have a final and satisfying goodbye.

Depending on how far along you were at the time of your loss, and particularly for stillborn babies, a funeral can you you the chance to see your baby one last time.

Even before the event, the act of making funeral arrangements can be therapeutic for some parents.

For example, making arrangements gives you an opportunity to make decisions for your baby—something you may not have been able or allowed to do when you were in the hospital. Funeral planning also helps some people cope with a sudden loss.

Don't Feel Rushed

Take as long as you need to plan. It's not unusual for families to need a week to complete funeral arrangements.

It can help to tell well-meaning family and friends that you want to make all the choices—no matter how long it takes. If you don't clarify what you want and need, they may assume you're overwhelmed and try to take over the planning.

Don't let anyone rush you into a service before you are ready and satisfied with all your decisions. This is especially important when you are in physical recovery and healing after pregnancy loss.   You need to be feeling well enough to sit through the service and be well-rested enough to be around your family and friends.

Many funeral directors are sensitive to the wants and needs of parents after a loss.

For example, if you want to be involved in dressing your baby for the funeral, say so. If you'd rather not, don't feel forced to do so.

You can also ask the funeral home staff to take extra footprints or collect locks of hair for you, if possible.

If you want pictures of your baby at any point in the preparations or at the time of the funeral, speak up. You may want to designate a friend to operate the camera.

Don't let other people tell you it's inappropriate or morbid to have these pictures taken. Many people take photos, even if they were discouraged from doing by friends and family. Photos can be a great comfort to parents later on.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the funeral is your way of honoring yourself and your baby.

If you choose to have a service, it can be as long or as short as you choose. The timeline of the day will depend somewhat on what you wish to include.

Some people find meaning in a Christian reading for the service, whereas others prefer  non-religious readings . You may simply opt for a moment of silence.

While you are honoring your baby, funerals are meant for those who are living, not those who have passed. While funeral services are often emotional and can be sad at times, they can also be a chance for you to be surrounded by the love and joy of the people in your life.

Where Should I Have the Funeral?

You can hold a funeral in any place that you feel comfortable. The funeral home will have viewing rooms, or you can make arrangements with your church. You can also have a short graveside services if your baby will be buried.

Some families choose to have the service at their house or in a public place, like a beach or garden. If you do want to use public areas, make sure that the funeral director is aware of your plan (as they are responsible for obtaining any necessary permits).

A funeral can be a positive experience and can help you through the grieving process after your loss. Whether you had a miscarriage or stillbirth, a special ceremony to honor your baby's memory—even if it's informal and in your own home—can be a healing experience.  

Even if you do not choose to have a funeral, there are many other ways that you can memorialize your baby. You may even come up with a tradition of your own to honor their memory.

Guidelines for health care professionals supporting families experiencing a perinatal loss . Paediatr Child Health . 2001 Sep;6(7):469-90. PMID: 20107555; PMCID: PMC2807762.

Bailey T, Walter T. Funerals against death . Mortality (Abingdon) . 2016 Apr 2;21(2):149-166. doi:10.1080/13576275.2015.1071344

Tseng YF, Hsu MT, Hsieh YT, Cheng HR. The meaning of rituals after a stillbirth: A qualitative study of mothers with a stillborn baby .  J Clin Nurs . 2018;27(5-6):1134–1142. doi:10.1111/jocn.14142

McKinney J, Keyser L, Clinton S, Pagliano C. ACOG Committee opinion no. 736: optimizing postpartum care . Obstetrics & Gynecology . 2018 Sep 1;132(3):784-5. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000002849

Donovan, L., Wakefield, C., Russell, V., and R. Cohn. Hospital-Based Bereavement Services Following the Death of a Child: A Mixed Study Review . Palliative Medicine . 2015. 29(3):193-210.

By Elizabeth Czukas, RN, MSN Elizabeth Czukas is a writer who who has worked as an RN in high-risk obstetrics, antepartum care, and with women undergoing pregnancy loss.

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Arranging a Funeral or Memorial Service

Depending on the age of your baby or week of pregnancy at the time of your loss, you may be required by law or have the option of holding a funeral or memorial service. If you decide to have a service, you will be faced with some important decisions. Making final decisions about your baby may take some time and usually there is no rush. It is important to make decisions you are comfortable with.

You and your spouse may want to ask a family member or friend to help you figure out what is best. Sometimes a family member or friend can place calls to funeral homes and cemeteries for you. You may want to talk with a pastor, rabbi, priest or other spiritual leader about your religious needs and beliefs surrounding the service.

There is no right or wrong way to have a funeral. Saying good-bye to your baby is a very personal and private matter. Ask for what you need, even if you think it won’t make sense to others.

Choose a funeral home and director you feel comfortable with. You do not have to pick the first person you call. Find someone you feel will support your needs and choices. Ask about costs and the special things you want.

Be patient with yourself and each other. No one can be protected from the pain of losing someone so very loved. Parents go through this pain in their own way and at their own pace.

What Are Your Choices?

Do you want cremation or burial.

This is a very personal choice. If you have strong personal or religious feelings about either choice, don’t ignore those feelings.

If you choose cremation, you can decide what you want to do with your baby’s ashes. The ashes can be buried in a small cemetery plot or put in a cemetery niche. You will need to contact a cemetery about these arrangements. Some parents find they want a place to visit later.

You can tell the funeral director to scatter the ashes or you can take the ashes home to scatter later. You can also keep the ashes at home if you prefer.

You can buy a family plot or you can buy a small plot just for your baby. Some cemeteries have a special section for babies.

Some parents worry about the costs of burial. Most cemeteries can help you establish a payment plan.

When your baby is buried, a marker with your baby’s name is placed on the grave. A headstone can be ordered and placed on the burial site any time, so take time to think about what you want on the headstone.

What Kind of Service do You Want?

A funeral service is held before the burial or cremation. A memorial service is usually held afterwards. The type of service you choose depends on your family’s needs and beliefs. Some families have both. Some parents prefer to have a private service as soon as possible, while others would rather wait a while.

Where Do You Want the Service Held?

The funeral or memorial service can be held at the funeral home, at your own church or synagogue, at your home or at the gravesite. Some parents are comforted by being in their place of worship, while others would rather use the mortuary or chapel. Some parents choose a garden or park. Decide which location works best for you.

IF THERE IS A CASKET, DO YOU WANT IT OPEN OR CLOSED?

This is also a very personal choice. Seeing the baby seems to be a needed part of saying good-bye for some parents. This can be done in many ways:

A public viewing for family and friends a day or so before the funeral.

A private viewing for you, family and close friends just before the funeral.

An open casket at the funeral.

Seeing the baby at the funeral can be a comfort for some parents. For others, seeing and holding the baby at home or in the hospital is enough. As always, do what is best for you.

Along with this booklet, you will receive a list of mortuaries and cremation services in Southern California. A member of Hoag’s Social Services department may be able to help you identify burial services that meet your needs.

Making Your Good-Bye Your Own

There are many ways you can make your baby’s funeral special. Here are some things other bereaved parents have done or wished they had done:

  • Bring flowers from your garden.
  • Arrange or purchase a spray of flowers for your baby’s casket.
  • Choose a special outfit for your baby.
  • Dress your baby yourself or have a friend dress your baby for you.
  • Tie the baby’s bonnet or put on the shoes.
  • Have pictures taken at the funeral by a friend or the funeral home.
  • Keep a lock of your baby’s hair.
  • Make a footprint or handprint.
  • Choose a special verse, prayer, song or lullaby for the service.
  • Place a toy, blanket or something special to you in the casket.
  • Bring your baby book or photographs of the baby with you to the service.

You may want to hold your baby one more time before the funeral. This might be important if you have not been able to hold your baby since he or she died. If you want to hold your baby one more time before the funeral, talk to the funeral director about this request.

Children Going to the Funeral

The funeral gives children a way to say good-bye and show their love for their baby brother or sister. We all like to protect our children from the pain of death and sorrow, but it can be good for children to go to the funeral, if they want to. It may be good for children to see others expressing their emotions and that it is okay to cry. Some children feel better if they can give a small gift – a drawing, flower or small toy – to the baby. Going to the funeral may help your child feel more secure and part of the family.

  • Miscarriage & Stillbirth

Burial After a Miscarriage: How It Works

Updated 01/7/2022

Published 11/2/2021

Natasha Weiss, BA in Psychology

Natasha Weiss, BA in Psychology

Full-Spectrum Doula

Learn how a miscarriage burial works, how to have a burial for a miscarried baby, common burial options, and more.

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

When someone experiences a miscarriage, their world often gets turned upside down. Not only are they left with the grief and emptiness that a miscarriage can bring, but they have to carry on with daily life and explain to the world what they’re going through.

Jump ahead to these sections:

What happens typically happens to the body immediately after a miscarriage, can you bury or have a funeral for a miscarried baby, common miscarriage burial options, common alternatives to burial after a miscarriage.

Miscarriages occur in about 26 percent of all pregnancies. Despite them being somewhat common, most people don’t know what comes next. People may have questions like, “What happens to the body?" " Is it normal to have a miscarriage burial?” and “How do I honor my baby?”

The answers to these questions aren’t common knowledge. This often leaves people lacking support, and without the answers that they need to questions like this.

When you’re coping with a miscarriage , it can be difficult to think about logistical questions like what to do with the baby’s body. 

Depending on when in pregnancy the miscarriage occurs, the fetus’s body may be considered “ medical waste ,” and healthcare facilities dispose of them appropriately. While there aren’t specific laws around this in most states, different state agencies or healthcare facilities might enact policies around it. 

Some providers may recommend having the fetus undergo a pathology exam to see if they can help get some answers around the cause of the miscarriage, although it’s often difficult to determine or get a clear answer.

If the miscarriage occurs at home or outside of the hospital, it is up to the parents to decide what they want to do with the body. This may mean having a burial or taking it to the hospital for disposal or testing. 

Technically a miscarriage is a pregnancy loss that occurs before twenty weeks gestation, after that it is considered a stillbirth. Legislation in the United States varies from state to state, but most states do not require any sort of burial or funeral.

Just because it’s not required, doesn’t mean you can’t have one.

Having a burial or funeral for your miscarried baby can be a meaningful way to honor their short life and help give you and your family some sort of closure. 

Home burial

Home burial is always an option if you own your home, or have a loved one who has land and would let you have the burial there. Having a home burial can give you the ease of having whatever ceremony makes sense to you from the comfort of your home. It also allows you to pay your respects and visit your baby whenever you’d like, and have them be a part of your home life in some way.

Choosing to have a home burial cuts out the middleman and allows you to make the process entirely your own, which can be incredibly empowering for some. 

Cemetery burial

A cemetery burial allows you to relax while someone else takes care of the details for you.

When you have a miscarriage burial at a cemetery, you would typically coordinate with a funeral home that may or may not have its own cemetery. For those who would like a more traditional funeral, the funeral home will help organize details like invitations, flowers, and coordinate a clergy or someone who will facilitate services if you choose to have them. 

A cemetery burial gives you the option to have the burial at a religious cemetery if that applies to you. You may want to have a burial at a specific cemetery if you have other family members buried there or a family estate.

Many funeral homes offer complementary services for families who have experienced miscarriage, infant, or child loss. You can call around to your local cemeteries or ask your healthcare provider for more information.

Green burial

A green burial is a great option for earth lovers and those who are environmentally inclined. 

These types of burials have become more popular, and green burials can be done for miscarriages as well. Also known as “ natural burials ,” these types of burials can be a way of caring for your dead loves ones with minimal environmental impact. 

A green burial usually involves burying the remains without preserving them without chemicals that are toxic to the environment, and in a casket or material that is naturally biodegradable.

The remains may be wrapped in cloth, or buried in a casket made of wood, one that is woven with natural materials, or cardboard.

Another green burial option is tree pod burial , which involves burying your baby under the base of a tree. You can plant flowers around the tree, and revisit the tree to find peace and visit your baby.

You can still have traditional services or another ceremony that feels right for you. 

It’s not always possible or desired to have a burial after a miscarriage. There are still so many other ways to honor your baby in a way that feels meaningful to you.

Create a miscarriage keepsake box

Creating a miscarriage memory box gives you the chance to honor the memory of your baby without a burial or funeral. A miscarriage keepsake box is a container that’s filled with sentimental objects that remind you of your baby.

What do people put in these boxes? Here are some miscarriage keepsakes you can include in yours:

  • Baby clothes, blankets, or shoes
  • Pregnancy photos
  • Pregnancy announcements
  • Hospital bracelets
  • Ultrasounds or images from other scans
  • Dried flowers
  • Stuffed animals
  • Sentimental items collected from loved ones

There’s no right or wrong way to create a miscarriage keepsake box, what matters is that it’s meaningful to you. This can be done in addition to or instead of having a funeral or burial.

You may want to display this keepsake box on a sort of altar or keep it tucked away in a closet. You can even bury the keepsake box in your yard as your own sort of burial.

Hold a memorial

A memorial is a ceremony that celebrates and honors the death of your baby without having the remains present. 

Memorials give you a chance to gather with your friends and family so you can get the support you need and create meaning out of the experience. This is a way of owning what you have experienced, and still showing up to celebrate life.

This can be held at your home or the home of a loved one, at a restaurant, at a park, beach, or wherever feels like the right setting for you.

A miscarriage memorial won’t look the same as a memorial for someone else who has died.

Here are some ideas of what to do at one:

  • Simply spend time in a community
  • Create a mural in dedication to your baby
  • Hold a fundraiser for a charitable cause close to your heart
  • Have a potluck with nourishing comfort foods
  • Ask people to recite meaningful poems or sing songs

Create a living memorial

A living memorial is a way of honoring a loved one’s memory in a way that feels alive, grows, and gives back to the earth. Building this connection with the earth offers its own sort of healing, as well as a peaceful place to visit whenever you need comfort.

You can create this living memorial in your yard, garden, or somewhere else you have access to land.

Here are some examples of a living memorial:

  • Planting an herb and vegetable garden
  • Planting a flower garden
  • Planting any kind of tree
  • Making a butterfly garden
  • Naming a star after your baby
  • Set up a bird feeder

You can even have a living memorial with a small indoor plant if you don’t have any outdoor space, or by donating a tree somewhere in your baby’s memory.

Living memorials that involve edible goods keep giving back to you as you give to the earth. 

Miscarriage Burials: Things to Keep in Mind

As you try to figure out the best way to honor your baby’s memory and handle the body, you may want to try starting a grief journal . This can help you sort through your thoughts and emotions, and make the best choice for you and your family.

If you didn’t experience a miscarriage yourself but are here gathering advice for a loved one, you might be looking for the right words to say to them. Condolences for miscarriage can be short and sweet. What’s most important is you let them know that you’re there for them and that they are loved and supported. 

How you choose to handle your baby’s remains is totally up to you. You get to decide what feels the most meaningful to you while causing the least amount of stress.

1. Dube, Nicole, and Orlando, James. “Miscarriage Burial Laws,” Office of Legislative Research, 11 January 2018, Cga.ct.gov .

2. Dugas, Carla, and Valori, H Slane. “Miscarriage,” Stat Pearls Publishing , 29 January 2021, Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov .

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The Pregnancy Loss Support Program  |  NCJW NY Council House  |  241 West 72nd Street  |  (646) 884-9464

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Home » Resources

Please download and review our complete packet, Understanding Your Pregnancy Loss , or click to read the relevant sections below:

  • Your Emotions
  • Honoring Your Baby
  • Finding Comfort
  • Saying Goodbye
  • Termination for Medical Reasons
  • Planning Another Pregnancy
  • Finding Support

Your Emotions After the Death of a Baby

Grief is a normal and necessary reaction to miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death, and it lasts far longer than most people realize. Grieving parents may experience a variety of emotions following a pregnancy loss, including shock, anger and helplessness. Gestational parents and their partners often express their grief differently, so try to be patient with yourself and your partner during this difficult time.

Nearly one third of all conceptions end in some type of natural pregnancy loss. About 80 percent of these occur in the first three months of pregnancy, around 14 percent in the second trimester and approximately six percent in the third. But statistics mean very little when you have lost your baby. “No matter what the chances are,” said one grieving parent, “if it happens to you, it happens 100 percent.”

Since some causes of pregnancy loss can be determined, such as structural, genetic, or hormonal problems, it is important to discuss your individual experience with your healthcare practitioner. This will enable you to decide on procedures and tests which may help you understand the loss and plan for a future pregnancy.

Whether you suffered a first trimester miscarriage or a full-term loss, many of the grief issues are the same, but other concerns will vary depending upon how far along you were in your pregnancy. Most grieving parents feel intense emotional pain and a sense of emptiness following any pregnancy loss. Your immediate feelings of shock and numbness may be followed by crying jags, poor appetite, too little or too much sleep, anxiety, lack of self-care and depression. Bereaved parents may have trouble getting through your daily tasks at home or at work and may experience your feelings as being completely out of control. Many parents feel intensely cheated and wonder “why me?” They sometimes feel angry at the medical staff involved in their care, or at God, their friends, or even family members who don’t seem to understand their grief. Anger needs to be shared in a healthy and acceptable manner so it can be confronted and resolved. This is all part of grieving your loss.

The ability to bear the intense feelings of grief following a pregnancy loss varies from person to person. Many individuals find validation, understanding and comfort by participating in a support group with other grieving parents. Knowing that you are not alone in your experience or feelings is an important first step in beginning a healthy grieving process. If either parent suffers from a persistent grief response that does not seem to improve after a few months have passed, sessions with a professional trained in pregnancy loss bereavement can be helpful.

The Gestating Parent's Response After a Pregnancy Loss

Often the partner who carried the pregnancy expresses their grief openly with friends, family and healthcare providers. Their sense of loss may be more acute than your partner’s and you may need more time to mourn. Expressing your emotions in a supportive environment will enable you to understand and eventually accept your feelings of grief. Some gestating parents feel a sense of failure, as if their bodies hadn’t protected and nurtured their babies properly. Others may feel guilty, which can surface in "if only" thoughts, such as, “If only I had stopped working sooner,” or “If only I hadn’t continued jogging.” Keep in mind that physical activity rarely, if ever, causes pregnancy loss and that finding someone or something to blame is a normal way of trying to explain the inexplicable. Some who have lost a pregnancy may have unusual sensations, such as imagining that they hear a baby’s cry, or feel aching arms, or kicks from inside the womb. These feelings are a part of normal grief.

No matter when your loss occurred, your body will be struggling to cope with a dramatic change in hormone levels. Crying uncontrollably and feeling “blue” are typical hormonal and emotional reactions. Most gestating parents who suffer early miscarriages may suddenly feel the end of pregnancy symptoms, such as tender breasts or morning sickness. Following any pregnancy loss, most will experience a vaginal discharge called lochia, which will gradually decrease and change in color from red to pink and eventually will become white. Sanitary pads should be used during this time. Tampons and douching are not recommended. You may shower, but speak with your health care practitioner before taking a bath or going swimming. Mothers who carried their babies beyond the first trimester sometimes have to cope with their breasts filling with milk. You can talk to your healthcare practitioner about medical options, but many women find that wearing a supportive bra 24 hours a day until their breasts begin to soften usually helps. Cold compresses such as gel packs, ice packs or raw, rinsed, cold green cabbage leaves applied directly to your breasts can make you more comfortable. In most instances, breast fullness will go away within a week.

Heavy lifting, strenuous physical work and vigorous exercise should be avoided after any pregnancy loss until you are advised by your healthcare practitioner that it is safe to resume these activities. Be prepared that the follow-up visit to your practitioner can be filled with emotion. Returning to the place that had once held so much hope and anticipation is not easy. Since it may be difficult to see other pregnant women and babies in the waiting room, ask for the first appointment of the day, or to be ushered into an examining room immediately upon your arrival. Keep in mind that the follow-up visit can provide an important opportunity to ask some of the many questions which you may have about your loss. Again, individual or peer support counseling can be helpful, so be sure to speak with your healthcare practitioner for referrals or contact the Pregnancy Loss Support Program.

A Partner's Response After the Loss of Pregnancy

So much attention is paid to the parent that was pregnant that bereaved partners’ feelings are often ignored or misunderstood. Their grief for the baby may be mixed with tremendous gratitude for their partner’s health. They often feel helpless, guilty and angry over the pregnancy loss, as if they have failed to fulfill the role of protector and provider. Male partners, especially, may be less expressive about their feelings in an attempt to be “strong” for their family during this stressful time. Because of this, you might be concerned that showing your own grief will make the baby’s parent who was pregnant feel worse, although this is rarely the case. In fact, attempts to protect your partner by not discussing your grief could cause them to misinterpret your own feelings and behavior, and begin to question how much you cared about or wanted the baby.

Be sure to reach out to others and discuss your pain, if you feel the need. Here, too, pregnancy loss support groups can be helpful in putting you in touch with other partners who are struggling with the impact of a pregnancy loss. Realizing that you are not alone in your feelings can be very comforting.

Couples Grieving Together After the Death of a Baby

The different rates and intensities of mourning between grieving parents are called "incongruent grief." Once couples understand incongruent grief, they can become more patient with each other’s variations in expressing sadness. It can help to talk about your grief responses and try to accept each other’s feelings. The couple that continues to communicate during bereavement will grow closer together, rather than be driven apart by the differences in their grief experiences.

The impact of a pregnancy loss may affect many other aspects of your relationship, such as when to resume having sex, what method of birth control you choose and when to conceive again. Keeping the lines of communication open is extremely helpful. Whenever possible, try to put off major decisions, such as moving or changing jobs, immediately after your pregnancy loss. Many couples find that the resolution of grief is best achieved under stable life circumstances. Change, in and of itself, does not heal feelings of loss.

People sometimes turn to substances in times of hardship. Drugs, alcohol and medication can dull emotional awareness and even delay the grieving process. If you find yourself turning to substances, reach out to a healthcare provider for support.

Honoring Your Baby After Perinatal Loss

No matter when their loss occurred, most families begin to feel a sense of acceptance when they are able to honor the place their baby has in their lives by creating memories or performing a comforting ritual. Some ways of remembering your baby may be more appropriate depending on when you experienced your pregnancy loss, but you should consider any source of comfort if it feels right for you.

Some parents remember their babies by…

  • Planting a memory garden, which you can add to each year. Add a baby or angel statue to watch over the garden. Some choose plants that are symbolic of remembering such as rosemary or that are symbolic of babies such as baby's breath or tiny flowers such as Cecile Brunner roses.
  • Donating money to a charity that does research into pregnancy loss or helps bereaved parents.
  • Creating a collage of memories that are tangible—photos of when you were pregnant, pressed flowers from flowers you received, cards, leaves from the memory garden or ultrasound pictures.
  • Making a donation each year of a book for a school library.
  • Naming a star for your baby at StarRegistry.com .
  • Buying a piece of jewelry like a locket and inscribing the baby's name or starting a charm bracelet to which you can add symbolic charms at each significant date.
  • Creating a quilt that has a pattern or images that symbolize your baby to you.
  • Lighting a memorial candle on the due date or other significant dates.
  • Sponsoring the flowers at a religious ceremony at your local church or synagogue on a date that is connected to your loss.
  • Honoring your baby annually at a Memorial Program.

Seeing Your Baby Who Died

Parents find that seeing, holding and touching their baby can be very comforting. Many parents who were not given the choice to be with their baby wish that they had experienced this chance for closeness and saying goodbye. It may be the only time you will be together as a family. If you are not sure what your baby will look like, ask your healthcare practitioner to describe the baby’s appearance first. If you have already seen your baby and want to see your infant again, this can usually be arranged by the hospital or birthing center staff.

Naming Your Baby After a Loss of a Pregnancy

Choosing a name for your baby is one of the most powerful rituals you can perform. A special name gives your baby a strong identity and a firm place in your memories. No matter how far along you were in your pregnancy, you may name your baby, either informally, or with a ceremony, which can be as traditional or unique as you wish. Well trained healthcare practitioners, hospital chaplains, members of the clergy and bereavement counselors can guide you and provide a naming certificate for your baby. If you don't know the baby’s gender or don't have a strong sense of the gender, choose a gender-neutral name. Giving a baby a name can help when the loss feels invisible.

If you missed this opportunity, you may still find comfort and validation by naming your baby whenever you feel ready. Framing a completed naming certificate or placing it in your baby’s memory box can provide a tangible reminder of your child’s presence in your life. You may find naming certificates on the Internet or through bereavement catalogs.

Taking Photographs of Your Baby After a Pregnancy Loss

Most hospitals and birthing centers will offer to take photos of your baby for you to keep at home or in their files until you are ready to see them. Some parents choose not to look at their photographs right away, but find they later become treasured keepsakes.

Keeping Mementos of Your Baby for Remembrance

Couples who suffer an early pregnancy loss often find saving sonogram pictures or positive pregnancy test results can help make a brief pregnancy real. Even photographs of the mother while she was pregnant can provide a special remembrance of your baby’s presence in your lives. Parents who experience later losses have more choices concerning keepsakes. If your baby was wrapped in a blanket, or was wearing clothing or a cap, you may want to save these items, along with a lock of your baby’s hair, footprints or hospital identification bands. If you are unsure about taking mementos home, ask your healthcare staff to keep them on file for you so that you can take your time deciding what is right for you.

Comfort Boxes for Lost Infants

Finding a Place in Your Heart To Continue Honoring Your Baby

While the memory of your pregnancy loss will remain forever, the pain of your grief will eventually lessen. You need to grieve in your own time and in your own way. Once you have integrated your sorrow and your memories into your life, you can find healing and hope for the future.

Finding Comfort After a Loss of a Pregnancy

Many families find solace in their religion following a pregnancy loss. Consolation may involve an informal prayer session with a hospital chaplain at your bedside or the creation of a ceremony for your baby in the hospital chapel, your own house of worship, a funeral home, or your family’s home.

Jewish Traditions After the Death of a Baby

Jewish practices vary among Orthodox, Conservative and Reform congregations, so if you are observant, it is best to speak with your rabbi. No matter what your affiliation might be, your baby may be buried with the support of a funeral director or through the Jewish Burial Society. In Orthodox Jewish tradition, there is no prescribed ritual if your loss occurred early in your pregnancy, but when a baby takes on human form, the baby is named and buried without a formal ceremony or shiva . A ceremonial circumcision is performed for a male baby. If the child lived for at least 30 days following birth, burial rituals are the same as for an adult and shiva is observed. An autopsy may not be performed unless it would directly benefit a future pregnancy or the life of another person. According to Conservative and Reform Jewish practice, rituals may include a formal burial, naming the baby and holding a memorial service. An autopsy may or may not be permitted, so it is best to consult your rabbi or a hospital chaplain.

Christian Traditions After a Baby Dies

Many different types of formal and informal rituals are encouraged in the Christian church, including cremation, burial, church services, hospital chapel observances and private memorial ceremonies. Naming is always appropriate following any form of pregnancy loss. The major concern revolves around baptism, which is considered a sacrament for the living and is generally not administered to babies after death. There are exceptions, so you should check with your own clergy member or a hospital chaplain. In an emergency, anyone may baptize a living baby either in the womb or at birth, and offer comforting blessings involving water, prayer and scripture. Decisions particular to Catholicism include holding a wake and celebrating a requiem mass for the baby. Hospital chaplains can advise you, but you should also check with your parish priest or pastor.

Islamic Traditions After the Loss of a Child

Muslims believe that the soul is breathed into a baby 120 days after conception. According to Islamic traditions, a child who dies is a credit to their mother and father in the hereafter. Miscarriages before 9 weeks of pregnancy do not require a ritual; however, if the loss is after 16 weeks gestation, your baby can receive the same rituals as an adult who dies, including being named, ritually washed, and clothed. For further guidance, you may contact an Islamic Center or your imam.

Creating Your Own Traditions After a Pregnancy Loss

Many parents from interfaith families or those without strong religious traditions are comfortable creating a pregnancy loss ritual based on their individual beliefs. If you wish to design your own ceremony, speak to a spiritual advisor of your choosing and incorporate significant elements from your lives, such as music, poetry, flowers, or candles, into your own personal and meaningful observance.

Going Home After the Loss of a Pregnancy

Leaving the hospital or birthing center with empty arms following a pregnancy loss is difficult. Your family and friends may want to be helpful but might not know what to say or do. You may have other children who are wondering why you are grieving or who worry that their own ambivalence about welcoming an infant sibling might have harmed the baby.

Helping Your Other Children Cope with the Loss of a Baby

Parents often want to protect their children from the sadness of a pregnancy loss or newborn death. Since children are sensitive to their parents’ moods and will wonder why they are so sad, avoiding discussion often makes children more, not less, upset. A simple, honest, and consistent explanation that reassures children of their own safety is most helpful. The concept of heaven is not something children can easily grasp, so it is not recommended to rely on “heaven” as being the answer to where your baby is. It is important to explain that no one in the family caused the death by wishes, thoughts or actions since normal feelings of sibling rivalry may make a child feel responsible. Do not describe death as “like being asleep,” since this could result in a child’s having difficulty at bedtime. The baby’s cause of death should be explained as different from the sicknesses that healthy people usually contract, so children will not panic when they or family members become ill.

The way children express their feelings about a loss will vary, depending on their ages. Young children may think the loss is temporary and will need gentle reminders that the baby will not be coming home. They will ask questions many times and will need to hear your answers repeatedly, even months after the loss. If you are patient and answer simply, their concerns will gradually subside. Children should be given the option to participate in any rituals but should not be forced to take part if they choose not to.

Coping with the Reactions of Your Family and Friends After a Pregnancy Loss

Family and friends may not know how to comfort you. Some might choose not to talk about the loss because they believe it might upset you. You may have to start conversations about your pregnancy loss to let others know that talking about it is important to you. Suggest ways in which loved ones can be helpful, from bringing you dinner, to sitting with you while you go through the baby’s nursery. Well-meaning people often make comments that are meant to be comforting, but are, in fact, hurtful because they discount the grief you feel. You might hear such remarks as “It happened for the best” or “You can have another baby,” neither of which validates your sorrow. You may prefer to state simply that you wanted this baby and are very sad about your loss.

Dealing with the Baby's Clothes, Toys and Gifts After Perinatal Loss

Many parents have found it therapeutic to put the baby’s clothes and toys away themselves when they feel ready. You might choose to keep some gifts for future children, return others, donate some to charity, or save a few items in a special memory box to honor the baby who never came home. For those parents who have already prepared a nursery, it is best to delay any decisions until both parents can help decide. There is no right or wrong way to handle these choices. You must do what works best for you, whether it’s having others put away the baby’s layette or handling this yourselves. You should not allow others to push or rush you.

Being Aware of Unwanted Solicitations When a Baby Dies

It is possible that unwanted and inappropriate advertisements or solicitations about babies may come to you after your loss by e-mail, regular mail, or phone. Since this can be painful, try to have a response prepared that will discourage future contact. You might want to write or call the sources of any contacts and ask that you be removed from their lists.

Returning to Your Usual Activities After the Loss of a Child

Parents often find it difficult to return to work or their normal routines following a pregnancy loss. Your level of concentration could be erratic, your moods can change easily and you may be emotionally sensitive. It is best not to attempt to return to work or other activities until you feel physically and emotionally ready. Explore with your employer if you are entitled to leave time, and use that time if it is available. If you are planning to return to work, try to begin with a limited schedule in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Once you return to your usual routine, you may encounter upsetting situations, such as unintentionally hurtful comments from people. Some might ask questions you find too intrusive, while others may not even mention your loss. If you’ve experienced a full-term pregnancy loss, you may meet people at work or on the street who will ask about the baby. By considering how you might respond to these situations beforehand, you may find them less upsetting when they do occur. For example, you could plan to say, "I have sad news. Our baby died, but I really appreciate your asking about us."

Being with pregnant people, babies or young children can engender jealousy towards both strangers and loved ones. You may experience mixed feelings about pregnant and parenting family members and friends following your loss. While wishing them well, you might also feel angry because they have what you don’t. Protect yourself by giving yourself permission to avoid contact with relatives and friends who are pregnant, or who have young children, until you feel ready. It is important to take care of your needs.

Anticipating Anniversaries and Other Difficult Times After Your Baby Dies

The first year following a pregnancy loss is usually the most difficult, but feelings of sadness often last much longer. Significant moments, such as the arrival of your due date or the anniversary of the baby’s birth and death, can cause a recurrence of sadness called “shadow grief.” Holidays such as Christmas, Chanukah, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may be more stressful than you anticipate. Try to arrange additional support for yourself as these difficult times approach. You may even want to plan something special for yourself and your family in order to acknowledge the loss. This may make it easier to get through the difficult times.

Saying Goodbye After a Pregnancy Loss

Many grieving parents have never considered the issue of a final resting place for themselves, let alone their children. Thinking about what you want for your baby can be very difficult. Knowing what to expect can help you make decisions that are best for you and your family.

Even with miscarriage, where burial is not common, parents can request their baby’s remains for a private service. Since rituals and burial observances vary with religious practices, you might also wish to consult the clergy affiliated with your own congregation. The gestating parent should always be included in decisions and preparations for a goodbye ritual, even though she may still be in the hospital. If the parent who carried the pregnancy cannot attend a specific ritual, a memorial service which includes her may be arranged for a later date.

Remembering You Are Your Deceased Baby's Closest Relative

If your baby was born in a hospital or birthing center, knowledgeable healthcare providers and bereavement counselors can help guide you through these difficult choices, including signing any necessary consent forms. No matter what your circumstances are, you are your baby’s and your family’s best advocate. If you need time to make a decision, or to be with your baby before you make a choice, be firm about your wishes.

Choosing Fetal Examination or Autopsy After Your Baby's Death

Examination of fetal tissue following a miscarriage or an autopsy on a late term baby may provide helpful information about your loss. Both procedures are optional and sometimes require parental consent. Reports are generally completed within three months and are sent directly to your health care practitioner, who should be alerted if you want to discuss the results as soon as they are available.

Receiving Birth and Death Certificates After a Pregnancy Loss

The hospital social worker should be able to give you information about local laws regarding birth and death certificates which vary widely by state. New York State law requires that whenever there is a live birth followed by a death, both a birth and a death certificate are completed. If you do not receive the birth or death certificate in the mail, you may request copies from your local Department of Health. In New York City, certificates are available from the Department of Records and Information Services. The best way to access information about applying for copies is to visit their website or their office at 31 Chambers Street, Room 103, NY, NY 10007. Several states have passed laws requiring officials to issue both birth and death certificates for stillborn babies.

Private Burial or Cremation : You may contact a private funeral parlor to make arrangements for your baby. The funeral director can assist you in purchasing a grave site or can arrange for your baby to be cremated or buried in an existing family plot. As fees vary, most families contact more than one funeral director. If there are no religious constraints, some families choose cremation because it offers flexibility about scattering ashes, or reserving some for burial later.

Hospital Cremation : Most hospitals can provide a medical cremation at your request. You will not be able to receive the ashes or be present at the cremation, so be sure to research this option carefully. This option may be available only up to a specific gestational age.

Financial Assistance : Although some arrangements are free, burial and cremation fees can range widely, so ask questions directly, or have a family member or close friend handle this for you. Life insurance policies or trade unions may cover some funeral costs, so be sure to check on any coverage you might have. Public Assistance recipients and others experiencing financial hardship should ask a knowledgeable social worker about limited help with these expenses.

Five Things You Need to Know* : ​Funeral and Burial Information in New York

  • There are several burial options for families. ​These include the use of an existing family plot or the purchase of a new plot. Some cemeteries, such as Pinelawn Cemetery on Long Island, have special sections for babies and a baby of any gestational age (even after a first trimester miscarriage) can be buried there.
  • Burial and cremation costs vary greatly. ​Some funeral homes do not charge families who have experienced a perinatal loss, or the loss of a newborn. Others may offer a discounted fee, although fees vary widely. Cremations are done at a lower cost than a burial. Parents can decide whether or not to keep the ashes. ​
  • If you would like a funeral or cremation for your baby the first thing to do is to call a licensed funeral home. The funeral home will help facilitate burial or cremation.
  • If you experience a loss in New York City before 24 weeks gestation or on Long Island before 20 weeks gestation, and you want to pursue burial or cremation as a family, you must request the remains. In the absence of a specific request most hospitals will take care of the remains for you, either with the hospital waste or in NYC by burial in a communal grave for infants at Potter’s Field. In New York City, there is a free burial available which takes place on Hart Island in Long Island Sound. Babies are buried in common, unmarked graves and it is not customary to visit this cemetery at internment or afterwards. Please check with your local municipality for more information on any restrictions.
  • You may request death certificates. Bereaved mothers can request fetal death certificates from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for a death that occurred within New York City. For deaths outside of New York City, mothers can request a fetal death certificate from the NYS Department of Health .

​*This listing was prepared in consultation with Plaza Jewish Community Chapel which offers free funerals to parents who have experienced a perinatal loss in NYC.

Termination of a Pregnancy for Medical Reasons

Some parents are faced with devastating realities about the viability or health of their baby and/or the gestating parent’s own health because of the pregnancy. Many factors are involved in the decision to terminate a pregnancy for medical reasons. Parents often endure days or weeks of uncertainty, follow-up tests and second opinions on this journey. Parents who terminate a pregnancy are especially likely to experience feelings of guilt and need space to process their experience through professional or peer support.

Planning To Get Pregnant Again and Pregnancy After Loss

Give yourself sufficient time to mourn and to recover your physical and emotional strength before you consider having another baby. A pregnancy following your loss may be more emotional and anxiety-producing than any previous pregnancy. Give the baby you lost a special place in your heart and think of the next pregnancy as a new baby. Each child is unique and can never be replaced.

Visit Pregnancy After Loss Support to learn more.

Finding Support After the Loss of a Pregnancy

Counseling and support after a baby dies.

Well-prepared healthcare providers will offer support to grieving families through their hospital or birthing center perinatal bereavement teams, which usually consist of social work and chaplaincy staff, as well as nurses, midwives and doctors involved directly in your care. They can help you make decisions about mementos, autopsies, and tests, and can refer you to other resources, such as a pregnancy loss support group. Your obstetrician should also have available information about local bereavement support services.

Joining a support group  with other parents who have experienced pregnancy losses can be a great source of comfort. Professional counseling or psychotherapy may help individuals, couples or families during the stressful period following a pregnancy loss. Compassionate family members, friends or clergy can also provide validation and solace. Parents need and deserve support during their bereavement. Feelings that are expressed and shared gradually become more bearable.

Bereaved Parents Support Groups Pregnancy Loss Support Program Offers

Pregnancy loss support groups generally fall into one of two formats: drop-in groups, which meet periodically and accept any bereaved parents at any stage of grief; or closed groups, which ask bereaved parents to sign up for a set number of sessions with the same group of parents over several weeks. Both drop-in and closed format groups may be run by a social worker, nurse, or bereavement counselor, or by professionally trained volunteers.

The Pregnancy Loss Support Program offers nation-wide services, including telephone counseling and support groups, for women and men who have suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. Support groups meet once a week for six consecutive weeks. Groups are facilitated by professionally trained and supervised volunteers who have experienced a pregnancy loss and have participated in a Pregnancy Loss Support Program group. Counseling for a subsequent pregnancy after a loss is also provided. Programs are non-sectarian and free of charge, although donations are suggested and welcomed.

Pregnant & Breastfeeding Professionals

Important advisories.

  • Your local and/or state public health officials may be making recommendations for the care of decedents and/or public gatherings that are more stringent than what the CDC and federal government have recommended. In these cases, you should defer to your state and/or local public health officials.
  • The CDC has advised if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and/or develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice. If you are concerned about a potential exposure, this risk assessment for healthcare personnel (HCP) from the CDC may be useful.

Pregnant & Breastfeeding Professionals

Updated: March 23, 2020

COVID-19 is a new disease and the CDC is still learning how it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, and to what extent it may spread in the United States. There is limited information about the impact on the virus’ impact on women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Pregnant healthcare personnel (HCP) should follow risk assessment and infection control guidelines for HCP exposed to patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Adherence to recommended infection prevention and control practices is an important part of protecting all HCP in healthcare settings. Information on COVID-19 in pregnancy is very limited; facilities may want to consider limiting exposure of pregnant HCP to patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, especially during higher risk procedures (e.g., aerosol-generating procedures) if feasible based on staffing availability.

There is an  FAQ on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy and breastfeeding  on the CDC website. (While this FAQ is directed toward healthcare workers, the same advice would apply to funeral home workers.)

NFDA also recommends you follow the advice of your obstetrician. 

Your local and/or state public health officials may be making recommendations that are  more stringent  that what the CDC has recommended. In these cases, you should defer to your state and/or local public health officials.

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pregnant visit funeral

Is it true that you shouldn't visit the grave during pregnancy?

Many people find it difficult to visit a grave or have a funeral. Starting with "clothes are mourning clothes", there are rules that suit the occasion, such as make-up and manners. I feel that such a rule is "difficult" and "it's hard if I'm ashamed".

For the work and lifestyle that you do every day, you have a process in yourself, but visiting a grave or a funeral is not a daily routine. Visit the grave. It's a funeral. Why don't you rush to check the rules after the schedule is decided and practice the rehearsal in your head?

Even if you practice rehearsal in your head, it's hard to do in reality. It is important to accumulate etiquette and rules for visiting graves and funerals as trivia so that you will not be in trouble in case of emergency. This time, I will talk about visiting a grave during pregnancy as a trivia of manners for visiting a grave.

There are rumors that you should not visit the grave during pregnancy. Is this true? Women will answer about the truth of NG when visiting a grave during pregnancy, which we especially want to keep in mind.

Should I not visit the grave during pregnancy?

If you first learned the phrase "Don't visit the grave during pregnancy" in this article, you're probably surprised, "Oh, that's right !?"

Today, graves and funerals are much more flexible than they used to be. Tombstones do not have to be in this shape, and there are a wide variety of them, such as heart-shaped and golf ball-shaped, according to the values ​​and tastes of the deceased and relatives. There is no rule that flowers must be fresh flowers when visiting graves, and preserved flowers and artificial flowers have come to be used flexibly according to environmental considerations and the frequency of visiting graves.

However, just because you're flexible doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Since the grave is also a "public place", certain rules and manners are required.

Also, since the grave is a life-threatening place, there is a kind of taboo. For example, there is a taboo for visiting graves that is rooted in Japan's unique way of thinking, such as "At twilight, that world and this world are mixed, so refrain from visiting graves." Nowadays, the number of people who care about it is decreasing, but I want to keep it as much as possible because the rules, manners, and taboos have the meaning of being established.

So what about visiting a grave during pregnancy?

The question and rumors that "How about visiting a grave during pregnancy? Is it true?" May be due to the circumstances that led to the rumors, taboos, and rules. Women are particularly worried.

The bottom line is that visiting a grave during pregnancy is perfectly fine. If you can visit the grave during pregnancy, it would be nice to join hands with the relatives who sleep in the grave, hoping for the growth of your child. Visiting a grave during pregnancy is neither NG nor taboo. If you are worried that you should refrain from visiting the grave because you are pregnant, please take care of your physical condition and visit the grave without worrying about it.

There is no problem visiting the grave during pregnancy!

This is the conclusion.

Why did you come to be told not to visit the grave during pregnancy?

Where did the rumor that "don't go to the grave during pregnancy" come from in the first place? In fact, this NG to visit a grave during pregnancy was often said in Japan a long time ago. I was told to refrain from visiting the grave during pregnancy for the following reasons.

Risk of illness infection when visiting a grave during pregnancy

Once upon a time, Japan was a burial. Those who died of illness were also buried instead of being cremated as they are now, so there was a risk of getting sick when visiting the grave. Therefore, there was a thought that it is better not to visit the grave during pregnancy because both mother and child may get sick and die if they visit the grave during pregnancy. Currently it is basically cremation. Cremation has significantly reduced the risk of getting sick in the grave.

In the olden days, as a result of leaving the offerings to the graves as they were, beasts and birds devoured the offerings and pooped, which was regarded as a problem in terms of public health and odor. Since measures such as taking the offerings home and disposing of them immediately have been taken, the grave is a clean place in terms of hygiene. Therefore, there is no such thing as "visiting a grave during pregnancy is not allowed due to illness risk and hygiene issues" as in the past.

Can a child be taken to visit a grave during pregnancy?

There is a tradition that if you visit a grave during pregnancy, youkai and evil spirits in the graveyard will take your child. Since the grave was a life-threatening place, it seems that it was thought that "bad things exist" depending on the time of day, the weather, and the area. For this reason, there are still some areas where old-fashioned customs remain, such as putting a mirror in the abdomen to bounce off bad things (those trying to get children) and visiting the grave.

If it remains a local custom, it is a good idea to incorporate it into your pregnancy visit to the grave.

It is also necessary to refrain from visiting graves during pregnancy due to risks in terms of location and physical condition

Depending on the location and physical condition of the grave, it may be better to refrain from visiting the grave during pregnancy. For example, if you have severe morning sickness or labor pains, it is safer to refrain from visiting the grave in consideration of your physical condition, even if you are not NG during pregnancy. Even if your doctor warns you not to move too much or to stay calm, you do not have to forcibly visit the grave.

In addition, even if you are in good physical condition, it may be safer to refrain from visiting the grave during pregnancy depending on the location of the grave.

For example, a location where a grave is on a mountain slope and a steep slope continues. If you have a baby in your stomach, the slopes can be painful. Also, if there are many steps in the grave, or if the road is not paved and the roots of the trees are sticking out here and there, it is safer to refrain from visiting the grave during pregnancy due to its location. It will be hard if you fall.

Visiting a grave during pregnancy is not a problem, but it is not the case if you have to force yourself to visit a grave. If you feel unwell on the tray or equinoctial week, or if you feel uneasy about your feet, it is safer to refrain from visiting the grave during pregnancy and to visit the grave when you are calm after giving birth. Do not overdo it.

Visiting a grave during pregnancy is perfectly fine. It is neither a violation of manners nor a violation of rules. However, in the past, there was an idea that visiting a grave during pregnancy was not desirable due to illness and folklore, and as a result of that idea remaining to this day, it is rumored that it is better to refrain from visiting a grave during pregnancy. It led to. Visiting a grave during pregnancy does not mean that you will be angry as a violation of rules or etiquette. Please be assured.

However, there are cases where it is desirable to refrain from visiting the grave during pregnancy in consideration of the location and physical condition of the grave. When visiting a grave during pregnancy, consider your physical condition and the circumstances around the grave, and do so within a reasonable range.  

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Manners when attending a funeral

Manners when attending a funeral

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Is it Bad Luck to Go to Funeral while Pregnant?

  • April 9, 2021
  • in Funeral Custom

The results of these superstitions are different according to the culture, society, and its different versions. Most stories related to this question are from ancient times and there is no evidence of their truth or origin. The superstitions about the pregnant woman attending a funeral ceremony are in many cultures and religions. However, the consequences of this act are different and vary from culture to culture and society to society.  Some people believe that a pregnant woman should not attend a funeral as it can cause a stillborn. Another version of this superstition says that it is risky as some evil spirits may cause damage to the baby or may take the baby away. Attending a funeral doesn’t cause any actual damage these are all superstitions. However other factors may cause some damages to the baby. If the woman remains under stress or grief for a long time then this stress and distress can cause some problems. When a person is under stress the body is affected by the hormone cortisol and this hormone is also released from the surrounding placenta of the baby. This hormone can cause fetal metabolism and could be harmful to the baby.

According to some cultures, it’s not good to mix the farewell of a deceased person and welcome a new soul on earth. Some cultures believe to the extent that attending a funeral can cause miscarriage. A pregnant woman should avoid attending the funeral if it will make her too emotional or if it can cause stress or depression. In general, the funeral is considered hard on pregnant women. The real thing that can cause problems or damages is grief, stress or depression, not the funeral.

Jewish Culture:

In the Jewish community around Singapore, it is believed that birth is a symbol of positivity and newness, it is a way of being blessed with happiness and joy just like that it is believed that death is full of negativity in all its aspects. It is considered as a bad and unlucky thing and is supposed that death also causes other problems as well and living human can also be affected by the negativity of the death and can cause damages to them. In Jewish culture, the people deeply believe in “evil eye” and according to the evil eye can ruin your life by turning your happiness into sadness and success into poverty and according to them the funeral or graves are one of the major places where bad spirits and evil eye can affect them. It is strictly prohibited for a pregnant woman to attend a funeral as it can cause problems for the baby or even for the mother. They also believe that the evils are mostly attracted to happy places, occasions, and people to destroy their happiness.

Chinese Culture:

In the Chinese communities around Singapore, there are many rules and regulations for a pregnant woman or for a newborn baby in this culture. These people also believe in many superstitions. According to their belief, the unborn baby is in the middle of two worlds the life and death at that time the child is unaware of life and he only knows about the spiritual life. When a person dies his soul is transferred to the spiritual world and if a pregnant woman attends the funeral then there are possibilities that the unborn child may decide to go to the spiritual world with the soul of the deceased person and this can result in miscarriage.

Christianity Culture:

In Christianity communities around Singapore, the pregnant woman is allowed to attend the funeral if it is essential. But there is a condition that pregnant women should not see the face of the deceased person as it is considered bad for the life of the baby. The beliefs in Christianity culture are related to the beliefs of Jewish culture. It is said that seeing the face of the deceased can curse the unborn child and the child may be born dead or looking dead because of the fear of the death or dead body. In Christianity, there are strong beliefs on the spirits and their unseen power. The pregnant woman is also prohibited to visit zoos or places where there are animals as this act can also cause the same results as seeing the face of the deceased. It is good to keep the unborn baby away from the negative energies and powers.

In Hinduism, the pregnant woman is prohibited to attend the funeral as it can cause miscarriage or may cause problems while delivering the baby. There are many rules and regulations for pregnant women in this culture. It is believed that after the death of a person the attendees should take an immediate bath to protect themselves from bad evils and infection, the house should be painted again. In this culture, the pregnant woman is not even allowed to enter the house in which the person has died until the child is born. It is believed that the woman should not meet the wife or the closely related family members of the deceased as this can invite bad luck for her and for her unborn child.

Is it all a Superstitions:

There is no evidence to prove the origin of the belief that the pregnant woman is prohibited to attend a funeral. According to science and research, these beliefs are no more than superstitions and have no reality in them. These beliefs are considered as a mixture of social rules and some ancient people practices. The woman is prohibited to attend the funeral if the journey is long and can cause stress or the depression or the woman have some psychological problems on attending the funerals even in normal days because stress is more harmful to the pregnant woman and unborn child than any other thing. According to science the pregnant woman can attend funerals and there is no harm from the evils or spirits or by the graves, these are all superstitions and these superstitions have no root or origin. But I will not say that it is all myth or not, whatever your religion you should respect the customs and follow the devised rules.

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Breaking news, pregnant ny teacher dies after collapsing in her classroom weeks before baby was due.

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A pregnant upstate New York teacher who was just weeks away from having her first child has died after collapsing in her classroom.

Courtney Fannon, 29, a special-ed teacher at Kendal Central School in the rural community some 30 miles northwest of Rochester, was found unresponsive in her classroom on Friday, USA Today reported .

She collapsed shortly after sending her husband, Kurtis, a text, the outlet said, without detailing what it was about.

 Courtney Fannon

Fannon was rushed to a hospital, where doctors attempted to save her and her unborn daughter, whom they had already named Hadley Jaye.

The cause of death was unavailable.

“The world lost 2 beautiful souls, Courtney Fannon and Hadley Jaye Fannon, long before any of us were ready to live in a world without them,” her husband’s friend Matt Smith wrote in a GoFundMe page for the family.

“They were called to eternal rest the night of March 8th, after a very tragic and unexpected turn of events,” he wrote in the account, which has raised almost $53,000 as of Thursday morning.

Fannon had taught special education in the district since 2018.

“Courtney was a special education teacher who served her students with passion and joy each day,” schools Superintendent Nicholas Picardo said in a message, USA Today reported.

Courtney Fannon, who was eight months pregnant, and her husband Kurtis.

“When she wasn’t in her classroom sharing her love and gift for teaching with her students, she could be found walking our halls with a smile and a friendly hello,” he added.

In his lengthy post on GoFundMe, Smith wrote that Kurtis is living the “worst nightmare of having to return to a home, filled with baby toys, bottles, furniture and a finished nursery, that will no longer be filled with the cooing sounds and shuffling of a newborn.”

Fannon, who tied the knot with Kurtis in August 2022 after 10 years together, was due to give birth “in just 4 short weeks,” he wrote.

Courtney and Kurtis were married in August 2022.

“For those who did not have the wonderful opportunity to meet or get to know Courtney, there is an endless amount of positive and good things that can only be said about her,” Smith continued.

“She was loving, genuine and organized in a way that always placed her students ahead of herself, ultimately changing the lives of her students and caregivers, always for the positive,” he wrote.

Smith also addressed the unborn girl in his tribute.

Courtney and Kurtis Fannon

“Hadley, although we never had the opportunity to meet you, see you grow up, and make great things out of yourself, I know that you will live on in all that your family does to ensure that the few breaths that you were able to take were not in vain and will not be forgotten,” he wrote.

“One so little, should not have the responsibility to look over their father, but with your mom’s guidance, I know that you will be prepared to send messages and signals that you are there watching, just as your mom would be prepared for everything,” Smith wrote.

“Hadley, to the sweet baby girl who never had the chance to live in this world. I find comfort in knowing that you did not go alone and that you will forever be looked after by your loving and caring mother,” he added.

The funeral Mass for Courtney and Hadley is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Vincent DePaul Church in Churchville.

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Israel’s war on Gaza updates: 5 killed as airdropped aid hits Palestinians

Malfunctioning parachutes lead to aid-package deaths as criticism rises over plans for a new port to disperse desperately needed humanitarian relief.

Palestinians run along a street as humanitarian aid is airdropped in Gaza City on March 1, 2024.

This live page is now closed. Thanks for following our coverage. You can continue to read our updates here .

  • Five people are killed by airdropped aid boxes because parachutes failed to open, highlighting the problem of getting desperately needed humanitarian relief into Gaza amid Israeli restrictions.
  • Palestinians say what they need is the US to stop giving weapons to Israel after President Joe Biden announced a plan to build a temporary pier on Gaza’s coastline to allow aid to enter. The plan has been criticised as “not realistic” and a “distraction”.
  • Israeli army attacks killed at least 11 people and wounded many more in the city of Deir el-Balah.
  • At least 30,878 Palestinians have been killed and 72,402 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139, and dozens continue to be held captive.

Thank you for joining us

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war on Gaza here .

You can read more about how five people were killed and several hurt in Gaza after parachutes carrying humanitarian aid failed to open here .

And you can find more news, features and videos on the conflict here .

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon. Here are some of the main developments from today:

  • Five people in Gaza are killed by airdropped aid boxes after parachutes failed to open.
  • Three more children died of malnutrition and dehydration at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital.
  • Hamas says there will be “no compromise” on its demand that Israel withdraw from Gaza to secure the release of captives seized in the October 7 attack.
  • An estimated 8,000 patients need to be medically evacuated from Gaza, according to the UN.
  • Canada will resume funding the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees.
  • Israel dramatically expanded its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war began.

Hezbollah claims five attacks on Israeli positions

The armed Lebanese group claimed a total of five attacks on Israeli positions using missiles, rockets and artillery.

On the eastern side of the border fighting with Israel, Hezbollah said it targeted soldiers and vehicles with missile and artillery fire in two attacks in the area of Kfar Chouba.

On the western front, it said its three attacks used artillery shells, a missile and Katyusha rockets to hit Israeli soldiers and positions, including in Jal al-Alam.

Hezbollah earlier confirmed three more of its fighters died in Israeli attacks.

Lebanese Hezbollah fighters take part in cross-border raids, part of large-scale military exercise, in Aaramta bordering Israel on May 21, 2023.

WATCH: Benjamin Netanyahu wants ‘an endless war’

Marc Lamont Hill speaks to Ami Ayalon – former head of the Israeli navy and ex-director of Israel’s security service – about Israel’s violations of international law in its war on Gaza.

Watch the video below:

Hamas armed wing claims drone attack on Israeli soldiers

Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed a rare drone attack against Israeli positions inside the Gaza Strip.

It said fighters managed to drop two antipersonnel mines from a drone on an “enemy army headquarters” east of Beit Hanoon, in northern Gaza.

Hamas also said a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli soldier on Thursday in Beit Hanoon, and fighters ambushed six Israeli troops inside a residential apartment in Hamad City in southern Gaza, killing all of them in close-range combat.

The comments come after the Israeli military showed footage of soldiers raiding residential buildings in the Qatar-funded Hamad neighbourhood, which has also been heavily bombed since the start of the war.

This handout picture released by the Israeli army on February 9, 2024, shows Israeli troops operating in the Gaza Strip

UNRWA: Israel forced staff to falsely admit role in October 7 attacks

The UN’s Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says some of its employees were forced by the Israeli military to falsely state that the agency supports Hamas and that its staff participated in the October 7 attacks.

A report by the agency dated February 2024 said unidentified Palestinians, including several working for UNRWA, were detained and tortured by the Israeli military to make false statements.

UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma was quoted as saying it plans to hand over the 11-page report to agencies inside and outside the UN to document potential human rights abuses.

“When the war comes to an end, there needs to be a series of inquiries to look into all violations of human rights,” she said.

Israel has been pushing to dismantle UNRWA based on its allegations that some employees took part in the October 7 attacks and the organisation works with Hamas.

“Agency staff members have been subject to threats and coercion by the Israeli authorities while in detention, and pressured to make false statements against the agency,” the report says.

Israeli forces again target aid seekers in northern Gaza

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic report several people have been killed and wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on aid seekers at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City.

More than 100 people were killed last month after Israeli troops opened fire on hundreds waiting for food aid southwest of Gaza City, as the besieged enclave faces an unprecedented hunger crisis.

Gaza’s Health Ministry calls the attacks on aid seekers part of Israel’s ongoing “genocidal war”. It pressed the international community to “urgently intervene” to forge a ceasefire as “the only way to protect civilians”.

GAZA CITY, GAZA - MARCH 06: Palestinians, who are unable to meet their basic needs due to the Israeli army's obstruction of humanitarian aid, receive a bag of flour from an aid truck that arrived at al-Rashid Street in the west of Gaza City, Gaza on March 06, 2024. ( Dawoud Abo Alkas - Anadolu Agency )

Three more children die of hunger at al-Shifa Hospital

Three more children died of malnutrition and dehydration at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, according to the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave.

It brings the official death toll from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza hospitals to 23.

Interactive_StayingWarm_Gaza_Starvation in Gaza

US port plan ‘a ruse most of the world can see through’

Rami Khouri, from the American University of Beirut, challenged the US plan to build a port to receive desperately needed humanitarian relief.

“It certainly is a public relations exercise, but it also has many complex dimensions – only a few of which are noble and the rest probably pretty sinister,” he told Al Jazeera. “The problem is the people of Gaza are starving because of policies of the US government, European governments, and others, which is to allow Israel to make them starve.”

Khouri added the plan “is a ruse most of the world can see through” and could give Israel even tighter control over what gets into the Strip in the future while completing “the ethnic cleansing of Palestine”.

“I’m just waiting for the day the Israelis come and bomb the port because they’ve bombed everything else that the EU and other donors have funded in the occupied territories.”

Palestinian children carry pots as they queue to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid shortages in food supplies, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Rafah.

Houthi leader raises questions over US port plan for Gaza

A top Houthi official questioned the details and goals of the US plan to build a temporary port to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Houthi revolutionary committee leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi noted in a post on X it remains unclear whether the 1,000 US troops the Pentagon says constructing the port will serve as builders or protection for builders.

“The Rafah crossing does not need to be built, aid is piling up in front of it, and the only thing that is required is guidance to bring it in,” he said.

Israel will use the “weeks” the US and others say is needed to build it to further use starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians. He said Washington is only trying to maintain a “guise of humanity” with its support for the port.

Deadly airdrop accident shows urgent need for ceasefire: UN

The United Nations says the deadly airdrop on Gaza highlights the need for unfettered access by land routes for aid delivery.

“We’re extremely saddened by the reports of people who have been killed during airdrops… This should be a reminder of why we need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, why we need more access by road, why we need better coordination with the Israeli authorities and better deconfliction,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said.

“[The] tragic accident is a symptom of the fact that we do not have an environment in which we can do large-scale, predictable humanitarian delivery.”

Biden says Netanyahu needs to do more on Gaza aid

US President Joe Biden says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must allow more aid into Gaza after he was caught on a recording saying he would confront the Israeli leader.

“Yes, he does,” Biden told reporters when asked if Netanyahu needed to do more to let in relief.

Over the past week, US military cargo planes have airdropped food into Gaza as humanitarian groups criticise Israel for blocking access to the besieged and bombarded Strip.

Since Israel’s war began on October 7 following Hamas’s attack, Israel has barred the entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies, except for a tiny trickle of aid entering the south from Egypt at the Rafah crossing and Israel’s Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing.

INTERACTIVE_GAZA _AID TRUCKS_6_MAR_2024 copy 2-1709729507

Vessel escapes damage after latest attack off Yemen

The latest update by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on the ship attacked earlier near Yemen says it escaped unscathed.

“The master has stated that his vessel has not been struck. Further, his vessel has not been subjected to any collateral damage,” it said, citing the security officer of the company operating the MV Propel Fortune.

UKMTO also confirmed crew members are safe and the ship is proceeding to the next port of call. It earlier reported “two explosions ahead of the vessel”.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree was supposed to have a televised address at 10:50pm local time (19:50 GMT) but postponed it until Saturday citing “urgent military developments in the theatre of military operations”.

UKMTO DAILY SUMMARY 08/MAR/2024 DAILY SUMMARY https://t.co/lmRuo9W1NP #MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/2qxm0M2pfA — United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) March 8, 2024

‘We sacrifice our blood for Gaza,’ say protesters in Yemen

Yemenis in Houthi-controlled areas came out in large numbers to support the Palestinians as the armed group continues to fire at cargo and military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Yemeni media said “millions” more came out on the last Friday before the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Al-Sabeen Square in the capital Sanaa was again the main site of demonstrations, with many people arriving armed with rifles and daggers.

“We sacrifice our blood for Gaza,” they can be heard chanting in large numbers. “And what’s coming is greater, greater.”

The Houthis professed their attacks will continue until Israel’s war on Gaza ends and humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians.

#فيديو | مسيرة "انتصاراً لغزة.. ضرباتنا متصاعدة" في ميدان السبعين بالعاصمة #صنعاء (مع الهتافات مترجمة بالإنجليزية) #video | Demonstration: "Our strikes are escalating in support of Gaza" Al-Sabeen Square – Sana'a, Yemen #لستم_وحدكم #معركة_الفتح_الموعود_والجهاد_المقدس pic.twitter.com/nRw8elSJxF — شبكة سديد (@SadeedNet) March 8, 2024

‘Catastrophic situation’: Canada to resume UNRWA funding

Canada will resume funding the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says. He did not give a timeline.

Ottawa announced a pause to the funding in January after Israel alleged some staff at the agency were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks – accusations still under investigation.

“Canada is deeply concerned by the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza that is worsening by the hour. Help must reach civilians as quickly as possible,” the department of Global Affairs said in a statement.

“Women and children are bearing the heaviest toll … Most of the population is severely food insecure and there is a growing risk of widespread famine. Access to life-saving medical services is heavily limited.”

Canada has officially resinstead funding to UNRWA according to a press release from Global Affairs #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/MiEXpKRFtc — Mackenzie Gray (@Gray_Mackenzie) March 8, 2024

US says temporary port for Gaza aid to take ‘several weeks’

A temporary port the United States is seeking to build to speed up aid to Gaza will take “several weeks” in planning and execution.

The process may involve 1,000 US troops but none will be put on the ground, the Pentagon says. Washington is working through the details with partner nations in the Middle East.

However, experts have criticised the move as an attempt to divert attention from hundreds of thousands of starving Palestinians, and Israel’s consistent blocking of assistance to the long-besieged enclave.

Several wounded in Israeli attack near Khan Younis

The injured were taken to the European Gaza Hospital after Israeli forces targeted a car in al-Thawabta neighbourhood, south of Khan Younis.

Video shared on social media, verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit Sanad, shows the wounded lying on the hospital’s floor as medical workers attended to their injuries.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by محمد سلامة (@mohammad_salama.2)

Biden predicts ‘come to Jesus’ meeting with Netanyahu over Gaza aid

President Joe Biden says he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the two leaders are headed for a “come to Jesus” meeting over the issue of getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Biden was recorded making the comment on Thursday night while on Capitol Hill for his State of the Union speech, in what appears to be a further sign of his frustration at dealing with Netanyahu over the issue of Gaza.

In the video posted on social media, Senator Michael Bennett can be heard telling Biden there is a need to keep pushing Israel to allow more humanitarian aid.

“I told him, Bibi, and don’t repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting,” Biden said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “I’m on a hot mic here. Good. That’s good.”

“Come to Jesus” is an American expression for having a blunt conversation.

U.S. President Joe Biden is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, as he visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

France condemns ‘illegal’ Israeli plans for 3,500 new settlement units

France’s foreign ministry “strongly condemned” Israel’s plans to build 3,500 new settlement housing units in the occupied West Bank.

“We call on the Israeli government to immediately reverse this decision, which is unacceptable, illegal, and irresponsible given the extremely high tensions that already exist on the West Bank and the approach of sensitive religious holidays,” it said in a statement .

“France condemns all unilateral measures that undermine prospects for a two-state solution, which is the only way to ensure Israel’s right to security and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians. That is why we have adopted sanctions against the extremist Israeli settlers who are to blame for acts of violence against Palestinian civilians on the West Bank.”

France also called for dismantling illegal Israeli checkpoints in occupied Palestinian territories.

Hamas armed wing says ‘no compromise’ in Gaza truce talks

Hamas says there will be no compromise on its demand that Israel withdraw from Gaza to secure the release of captives seized in the October 7 attack.

“Our top priority to reach a prisoner exchange deal is the complete commitment for the halt of aggression and an enemy withdrawal, and there is no compromise on this,” Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, said in a televised statement.

Captives are suffering from a lack of food and medication because of shortages of supplies in Gaza, he added.

WATCH: Fatal aid-drop over Gaza as parachutes fail

Several people were killed from airdropped aid boxes because parachutes failed to open.

Protester spray-paints Arthur Balfour painting at Cambridge University

A demonstrator with the Palestine Action group spray-painted and slashed a historic painting of Arthur Balfour, the British statesman who in 1917 pledged as foreign secretary to establish “a national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine.

The UK-based pro-Palestinian network published the video online. The incident happened in Trinity College at University of Cambridge, where Balfour graduated.

“Written in 1917, Balfour’s declaration began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by promising the land away — which the British never had the right to do,” it said.

BREAKING: Palestine Action spray and slash a historic painting of Lord Balfour in Trinity College, University of Cambridge. Written in 1917, Balfour’s declaration began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by promising the land away — which the British never had the right to do. pic.twitter.com/CGmh8GadQG — Palestine Action (@Pal_action) March 8, 2024

US officials meet with UN rapporteur on sexual violence report

Senior American officials met with the UN’s rapporteur on sexual violence in conflict to discuss a report on allegations made during the October 7 Hamas attack.

US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer and White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein were among officials in the meeting with Pramila Patten, according to a readout by the White House.

Patten detailed the scope and methodology of her team’s two-week mission to Israel and the occupied West Bank that concluded on February 14.

“White House officials conveyed President Biden and Vice President Harris’s deep concern about the horrific reports of sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and reports of ongoing acts of gender-based violence against those in captivity,” it said.

The White House didn’t mention UN findings on sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli forces.

Israeli military hits Hezbollah positions after rocket fire

The Israeli military released aerial footage of what it said is one of several air raids on southern Lebanon.

Fighter jets hit a building used by Hezbollah in Marwahin, infrastructure in Labbouneh, and a position in Aita al-Shab from which the armed Lebanese group several hours earlier launched rockets into northern Israel.

The Israeli military said a secondary explosion was seen after the last strike, indicating explosive devices were stored there. It said Hezbollah fired several rockets into Israel and said it retaliated.

[Al Jazeera]

Temporary port will increase access points to Gaza

Former USAID mission director David Harden says the proposed temporary port announced by the Biden administration in Gaza is a positive step that will provide more “access points” for aid delivery.

“It’s true that the land crossings are the most important way to move aid in and you need more crossings with more food on a more predictable basis every single day,” he told Al Jazeera.

Harden said he disagreed with airdrops as they brought only a “minuscule” amount of aid in. “The port, I like, because it brings in more food on a bulk basis.

“The Palestinians have never been able to use a port, or at least certainly since 2005, and this will allow access of goods to come in. The idea of a port to allow simply more access points is key – because the fewer access points that you have, the more valuable any one particular access point is.”

Palestinians, who are unable to meet their basic needs due to the Israeli army's obstruction of humanitarian aid, receive a bag of flour from an aid truck that arrived at al-Rashid Street

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Lyudmila Navalnaya and Alla Abrosimova stand beside a grave covered in flowers with members of the public queuing in the background

Alexei Navalny’s mother visits grave a day after Moscow funeral

Other mourners lay flowers as police maintain presence at cemetery where opposition leader was buried

The mother of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has visited his grave, a day after thousands of Russians risked arrest to pay tribute to the anti-corruption campaigner at his funeral.

Navalny, who was Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critic for more than a decade, died last month in a prison colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence for “extremism” charges largely regarded as retribution for his opposition to the Kremlin.

His mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, visited his grave, which was covered in flowers and wreaths, at the Borisovo cemetery in southern Moscow early on Saturday. She was accompanied by Alla Abrosimova, the mother of Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya.

Yulia Navalnaya, the couple’s two children and Navalny’s brother all live abroad and were unable to attend the funeral because of the risk of arrest for their own opposition to the Russian president.

Navalnaya has pledged to continue her husband’s work and said Putin “murdered” Navalny.

The day after Navalny’s funeral, a trickle of mourners lay flowers at his grave. There was a continued police presence at the cemetery, close to the banks of the Moskva River.

Navalny funeral: huge crowds pay tribute to Russian opposition leader – video

Thousands of Navalny’s followers queued for hours on Friday to pay their respects to the 47-year-old. As they streamed from a nearby church to the cemetery, some chanted “No to war!” and other pro-Navalny slogans, including branding Putin a “murderer” and calling for the release of political prisoners.

The rights monitoring group OVD-Info said Russian police had arrested at least 128 people attending tributes to Navalny in 19 cities on Friday.

Scenes of thousands marching in support of Navalny, demanding an end to Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and criticising the Kremlin, have not been seen in Russia since the first days after Moscow ordered hundreds of thousands of troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

The Kremlin has cracked down hard on dissent and used strict military censorship laws to prosecute hundreds who have spoken out against the campaign.

  • Alexei Navalny

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Alexei Navalny funeral draws thousands to heavily policed Moscow church

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Navalny funeral: huge crowds pay tribute to Russian opposition leader – video

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Funeral of Alexei Navalny in Moscow – in pictures

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‘They don’t care about the optics’: in Navalny’s funeral, echoes of dissidents past

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Meghan Markle recounts 'cruel' online bullying during her pregnancies; is keeping distance on social media

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle said she experienced “cruel” online bullying while she was pregnant with both of her children.

Speaking on a panel at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday, Markle said she is keeping her “distance from [social media] right now just for my own well-being.”

The “bulk” of the social media and online “bullying and abuse” she said she has experienced was when she was pregnant with her children, Archie and Lilibet, and while she had a newborn.

Markle had her first child with Prince Harry, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, on May 6, 2019.

The couple then welcomed Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor two years later, on June 4, 2021.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

“You really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful,” Markle said of the social media bullying she experienced. “It’s not catty, it’s cruel.”

Markle acknowledged that there is “so much work to be done in terms of keeping people safe” in the current social media landscape, especially considering what children are exposed to, while also appreciating the dichotomy that can exist on social media platforms.

Using the panel, which was being streamed on YouTube, as an example, Markle said it’s “fantastic” that it’s on the video platform because people are going to “have access to hear all of this brilliance and all of this insight,” but “at the same time, it’s a platform that has quite a bit of hate and rhetoric and incentivizes people to create pages where they can churn out very, very inciting comments and conspiracy theories that can have a tremendously negative effect on someone’s mental health, their physical safety.”

She also called out “how much of the hate is women completely spewing that to other women.”

Markle said there are a lot of women in high-level executive positions “who are great champions of women, who are great philanthropists,” and yet “they’re allowing this kind of behavior to run rampant.”

“At a certain point, they have got to put the ‘dos’ behind the ‘says’ and really make some changes on a systemic level,” Markle said.

But, she added, average social media users also have work to do to ensure safe spaces online, noting that the “systemic change has to happen at the same time as the cultural change is happening,” calling out women who are “reading something terrible, terrible about a woman” and then sharing it.

“I think that is the piece that is so lost right now, and what’s happening in the digital space and in certain sectors in the media — we have forgotten about our humanity,” Markle said.

“And that has got to change, because I understand there’s a bottom line, and I understand that a lot of money is being made there, but even if it’s making dollars, it doesn’t make sense.”

Markle and Prince Harry relocated to California in 2020, giving up their life in England and stepping back from the British royal family. They have since been outspoken about how the press, particularly paparazzi, has infiltrated their lives in both the U.S. and the U.K.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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Politics | Vice President Harris will tour Minnesota…

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Politics | Vice President Harris will tour Minnesota clinic that does abortions, a first for a president or VP

Kamala Harris claps as she stands in front of a large U.S. flag.

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday plans to tour a Minnesota clinic that performs abortions and provides other reproductive care as Democrats play up their opposition to the rollback of abortion rights in an effort to help reelect President Joe Biden in November.

Her visit to a Planned Parenthood facility in the Twin Cities will be the first time that a president or vice president has been to a reproductive health clinic, according to Harris’ office.

The vice president’s trip to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is part of a nationwide tour she began in January to draw attention to the fallout after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The decision cleared the way for Republican-led states to enact limitations or bans on the procedure.

Harris, the first woman elected vice president, has been the Democratic administration’s loudest voice condemning the court’s decision, arguing that the government has no right to tell a woman what she can do with her body. While Biden has vowed to be the president who restores the protections of Roe, he tends to talk about the “right to choose” instead of saying “abortion.”

Abortion rights have proved to be a potent issue driving voters to the polls and boosting Democrats ever since the high court ended the constitutional right to the procedure nearly two years ago. The issue could be pivotal in the presidential race and congressional contests this year.

In Minnesota, the vice president planned to visit a health center during operating hours. Her office declined to identify the exact facility before she arrives there, citing security reasons. The center provides a range of services, including abortion, birth control and preventative wellness care.

Harris was scheduled to tour the facility, speak with staff and be briefed on how Minnesota has been affected by abortion bans in surrounding states. Her office said she’ll talk about what the Biden administration has done to protect reproductive rights.

She also was scheduled to speak at a Biden-Harris campaign event in St. Paul tailored to women.

There are no restrictions on abortion at any stage of pregnancy in Minnesota. Biden won the state by 7 percentage points in 2020 on the way to defeating then-President Donald Trump, a Republican.

Biden and Trump each have now won enough delegates to be considered their parties’ presumptive nominees for president, setting up a rematch in November.

Biden and his Democratic surrogates have been highlighting comments by Trump in which the former president takes credit for presiding over the end of Roe. Trump put three conservative justices on the high court, tipping its ideological balance in favor of eliminating a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy with its 2022 decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

Since then, Democrats have felt encouraged by electoral victories in 2022 and 2023 when abortion access was on the ballot. And in his State of the Union address last week, Biden vowed that “we’ll win again in 2024.”

In the speech, he also said that if voters “send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.”

In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz enshrined the right to abortion and other reproductive health care into state law in January 2023 when he signed a bill meant to ensure that the state’s existing protections remain in place no matter who sits on future courts.

Democratic leaders took advantage of their new control of both houses of the Legislature to rush the bill through in the first month of the 2023 legislative session. They credited the backlash against the U.S. Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe v. Wade for their takeover of the state Senate and for keeping their House majority in a year when Republicans expected to make gains.

Abortion is currently illegal in more than a dozen states, including Minnesota neighbors North Dakota and South Dakota, and is restricted in Iowa and Wisconsin. Minnesota has experienced a surge of patients coming to the state for abortions because of restrictions elsewhere.

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IMAGES

  1. 9 Appropriate Things To Wear To A Funeral When Pregnant

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  2. What to Wear to a Funeral When You Are Expecting

    pregnant visit funeral

  3. Can You Go to a Funeral When Pregnant? Complete Answer

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  4. What Little Miss Funeral Wears (when shes six months pregnant

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  5. Wife Tells Husband She’s Pregnant at His Funeral—25 Weeks Later, Her

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  6. Grieving Mom Learns Sister Is Pregnant At Baby's Funeral: AITA

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VIDEO

  1. Funeral for pregnant murder victim

COMMENTS

  1. Should Pregnant Women Attend Funerals? Superstition or Science?

    Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency. Comments. Ivy on January 22, 2019: I attended my father's funeral while i was 3 months pregnant with my 2nd son.

  2. The Real Dangers Of Attending A Funeral While Pregnant

    The Evil Eye is responsible for a number of bad luck omens, such as a pregnant woman attending a funeral. The Evil Eye will look for those who are happy and cause them to have bad luck. As pregnant women are traditionally very happy, they are easy targets for the Evil Eye. It is said that the Evil Eye will cast bad luck onto the mother, and the ...

  3. I was pregnant at a funeral

    October 22, 2015 at 7:00 a.m. EDT. (iStock) I wasn't supposed to be at the cemetery. Jewish tradition dictates that pregnant women should not go graveside for a funeral. It's not an outright ...

  4. Pregnant and Visiting Cemetery

    cemetery visit by a woman who is pregnant. I Think it is all about the spirit of the woman carrying the child. Yes, stressful situations can be stressful on pregnancy. But if this woman is going to honor a loved one, a friend, she is filled with love. She is brave and honoring her duty and her heart's desire to keep her friends memory whole.

  5. Pregnant Women in Cemeteries

    Pregnant visiting cemetaries although it occurred in 1980; my beloved father had suddenly passed away while I was 9 months & three weeks pregnant with my first child. I had never heard of this practice about not going into a cemetery while pregnant. But of course, even if I had known of this superstition I would have to attend my own father's funeral.

  6. Can You Go to a Funeral When Pregnant? Complete Answer

    Judaism says that being pregnant and going to a funeral or even just being near a dead body can draw the attention of the evil eye. So, attending the funeral may bring harm or misfortune to the mother or the child. So, they tend to avoid it. Similar to Judaism, Christianity has rules regarding pregnancy and attending funerals.

  7. The Unwritten Rule of Pregnancy and Cemeteries

    After a chapel funeral, Jewish tradition includes a graveside service, in which the mourners symbolically begin the burial process by throwing handfuls of earth on the grave. ... The entry said two things. First, by the letter of Jewish law, a pregnant woman can go to the cemetery. Second, however, it explained that the custom is that pregnant ...

  8. 9 Appropriate Things To Wear To A Funeral When Pregnant

    Funerals and pregnancies are the exact opposite of each other. While the former commemorates death, the latter brings forth new life. Wondering what to wear to a funeral when pregnant to avoid showing insensitivity is, therefore, a thoughtful and kind thing to do.. Attending a funeral requires being mindful of certain etiquettes, such as simple dressing.

  9. Funeral Planning After Pregnancy Loss

    Many funeral directors are sensitive to the wants and needs of parents after a loss. For example, if you want to be involved in dressing your baby for the funeral, say so. If you'd rather not, don't feel forced to do so. You can also ask the funeral home staff to take extra footprints or collect locks of hair for you, if possible.

  10. Funeral Memorial Service

    A funeral service is held before the burial or cremation. A memorial service is usually held afterwards. The type of service you choose depends on your family's needs and beliefs. Some families have both. Some parents prefer to have a private service as soon as possible, while others would rather wait a while.

  11. Burial After a Miscarriage: How It Works

    A cemetery burial allows you to relax while someone else takes care of the details for you. When you have a miscarriage burial at a cemetery, you would typically coordinate with a funeral home that may or may not have its own cemetery. For those who would like a more traditional funeral, the funeral home will help organize details like ...

  12. What to Wear to a Funeral When You Are Expecting

    The old funeral superstitions say that pregnant women should not attend funerals, for fear that the spirits of the dead will somehow enter their womb and take over their unborn child. While we have pretty much laid those fears to rest these days, expectant mothers still sometimes struggle with attending the service. With maternity clothes so expensive and limited wardrobe options at home, it ...

  13. Understanding Your Pregnancy Loss

    Your Emotions After the Death of a Baby. Grief is a normal and necessary reaction to miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death, and it lasts far longer than most people realize. Grieving parents may experience a variety of emotions following a pregnancy loss, including shock, anger and helplessness. Gestational parents and their partners often ...

  14. Pregnant & Breastfeeding Professionals

    Pregnant & Breastfeeding Professionals. COVID-19 is a new disease and the CDC is still learning how it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, and to what extent it may spread in the United States. There is limited information about the impact on the virus' impact on women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Pregnant healthcare personnel ...

  15. Following Pregnancy Loss

    The Children's and Women's Bereavement Program is part of ODA. To contact the Office of Decedent Affairs, call 734-232-4919 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may also email the ODA office at [email protected]. Information about final arrangements planning following pregnancy loss including burial or ...

  16. Is it true that you shouldn't visit the grave during pregnancy?

    Many people find it difficult to visit a grave or have a funeral. Starting with "clothes are mourning clothes", there are rules that suit the occasion, such as make-up and manners. ... it is safer to refrain from visiting the grave during pregnancy and to visit the grave when you are calm after giving birth. Do not overdo it. Finally.

  17. Is it Bad Luck to Go to Funeral while Pregnant?

    In general, the funeral is considered hard on pregnant women. The real thing that can cause problems or damages is grief, stress or depression, not the funeral. ... The pregnant woman is also prohibited to visit zoos or places where there are animals as this act can also cause the same results as seeing the face of the deceased. It is good to ...

  18. Pregnant women attending funerals.. superstitions

    I have a viewing and funeral to attend this weekend, and while discussing it with co-workers today one of the girls mentioned how pregnant women shouldn't attend funerals. Some religious belief about how death will always have its ties to negative, bad or demonic things, just as birth has ties to newness, positivity and angelic things.

  19. Grisly details released about pregnant Amish woman found slain in

    An Amish man found his slain pregnant wife in the middle of a grisly murder scene in their northwest Pennsylvania home, according to court documents made public Monday.

  20. An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in

    Amish and non-Amish visit each other's homes, and the Amish work jobs for the non-Amish and attend events like fish fries, they said. Neighbors have been raising money to help the Byler family.

  21. Pregnant NY teacher dies after collapsing in classroom

    A pregnant upstate New York teacher who was just weeks away from having her first child has died after collapsing in her classroom. Special-ed teacher, Courtney Fannon, was due to give birth "in ...

  22. Israel's war on Gaza updates: 5 killed as airdropped aid hits

    Israel's war on Gaza updates: 5 killed as airdropped aid hits Palestinians. Malfunctioning parachutes lead to aid-package deaths as criticism rises over plans for a new port to disperse ...

  23. Pre-Arrangements

    Pre-payment of funeral services is encouraged because it relieves loved ones of responsibility, but it is not required. Our pre-planning form is the simplest, quickest way to tell us about your funeral preferences. Online Pre-Arrangements Form. If you would prefer to print and mail the form instead, you can use the link below.

  24. When Death Occurs

    While of course you can ask any questions you have in your mind during this call, note that once you visit the funeral home, we can discuss the arrangements in greater detail. During this call, you'll also be informed about the things that you need to bring with you like the clothes your deceased loved one will use for the burial. Feel free ...

  25. Financial and Legal Concerns After Pregnancy Loss

    This page is intended to provide information and support following a pregnancy loss. For information about the death of an adult visit Grief Support Following the Death of a Loved One on UofMHealth.org. For information about the death of a child, visit Grief Support Upon the Death of a Child on MottChildren.org.. Paying for Final Arrangements

  26. About Us

    About Us. The caring and experienced professionals at Short's Funeral Chapel are here to support you through this difficult time. We offer a range of personalized services to suit your family's wishes and requirements. You can count on us to help you plan a personal, lasting tribute to your loved one. And we'll carefully guide you through ...

  27. Alexei Navalny's mother visits grave a day after Moscow funeral

    The day after Navalny's funeral, a trickle of mourners lay flowers at his grave. There was a continued police presence at the cemetery, close to the banks of the Moskva River. 00:01:31

  28. Meghan Markle recounts 'cruel' bullying she experienced while pregnant

    The "bulk" of the social media and online "bullying and abuse" she said she has experienced was when she was pregnant with her children, Archie and Lilibet, and while she had a newborn.

  29. Vice President Harris will visit a Minnesota clinic that performs

    There are no restrictions on abortion at any stage of pregnancy in Minnesota. Biden won the state by 7 percentage points in 2020 on the way to defeating then-President Donald Trump, a Republican.

  30. In Memory of Thane Kilbourn, organized by K Kilbourn

    We are reaching out to our friends, family, and community to ask for your support during this incredibly difficult time. The world has lost a beautiful and kind human.