If you have other children, you may be worried about how to tell them your baby has died.
Children are all individuals, and how they react to the news their baby brother or sister has died will depend on their age and understanding of death.
Useful videos
The videos below from Child Bereavement UK discuss how to explain death to children and children’s understanding of death at different ages:
Useful books
Here at James Cook, we have a small supply of books which can be used to explain death and grief to children, your midwife will offer you a book(s) to take home for any siblings.
If you would like to buy your own book, below is a list of books specific to baby loss:
- A Star for Bobby, by Helen Keenor
- Ethan’s Butterflies, by Christine Jonas-Simpson
- I will always remember our baby, by Elizabeth Hutton
- My Brother lives in Heaven, by Allie Sheehan
- My Sibling Still, by Megan Lacourrege
- The Fairy Caretaker, by Mel Scott
- These Precious Little People, by Frankie Brunker
- We had to say Goodbye before we even met, by Irene Teague
- Where are you Lydie? By Emma Poore
SANDS have produced a series of “Supporting Children” workbooks. These can be used to explain the loss of a baby to children. The workbooks are available for ages three to seven years, seven to eleven years, and teens and young people. They can be downloaded for FREE from the SANDS website.
Charities and voluntary groups
There are many charities and voluntary groups offering support to bereaved children. We have included some trusted resources below:
Child Bereavement UK
Supports children and young people (up to 25 years) who have been bereaved. They have many resources on their website which you might find helpful such as this leaflet –Explaining miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a newborn baby to young children
Hope Again
Hope Again is a youth website of Cruse Bereavement Support, providing information about our services, a listening ear from other young people and advice for any young person dealing with the loss of a loved one.
The Miscarriage Association
The leaflet “Talking to Children About Miscarriage” is available to download on The Miscarriage Association website
Winston’s Wish
Winston’s Wish offer practical support, information and guidance to bereaved children and their families. Free helpline, online chat facility and online resources.
