People don’t always realize that someone who has experienced a miscarriage has lost a child. Even if the child wasn’t born yet, parents still have hopes and dreams for that child. It is as important to express condolences for a miscarriage the same way you would send sympathies about the death of a living child.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- DIY Miscarriage Keepsake Ideas
- Miscarriage Keepsake Jewelry Ideas
- Miscarriage Keepapes to Display at Home
Read on for ideas about miscarriage keepsake gifts you can make or buy for someone who is suffering after pregnancy loss.
DIY Miscarriage Keepsake Ideas
A lot of people like to make homemade baby keepsakes as gifts for new or expecting parents. If you’re working on a project like this, you don’t have to discard it if the pregnancy ends in miscarriage. Instead, you can repurpose it into a gift to commemorate their child’s too-short life.
1. Memorial blanket
Many people will knit or sew homemade blankets to give as gifts when a loved one expects a child. If you’ve started to work on a project like this, you can still finish it and give it as a gift to a friend.
You could even add a special detail, like embroidering a heart or a rainbow in the corner. This gives them a concrete and tangible reminder of the child they lost.
2. Memorial Christmas ornament
When kids are born, family members often buy a special memorial Christmas ornament to celebrate their first holiday season with the family. It usually features children’s names and the day they were born.
If you have a loved one that experienced a miscarriage, craft an ornament that includes the name the expectant parents selected. This helps the parents know that you valued their unborn child.
3. Stuffed animal
If you had already picked out some baby clothes for a friend or family member who was expecting, incorporate them into a condolence gift.
Get them a stuffed animal and dress it in one of the outfits you had selected. This will give them a warm, cuddly toy to reach for when they need comfort.
4. Name a star after the baby
This maybe isn’t a DIY gift in the most traditional sense, but it certainly works for the situation. Many companies will allow you to “adopt” a star in the sky for a nominal fee. You can receive the coordinates of the star so you can find it in the sky.
Something like this is a great gift for a loved one who lost a wanted pregnancy. If your friend or family member had a name picked out for their unborn child, you can bestow that name upon a star in that child’s honor. Being able to look into the night sky and think of their baby will be comforting to your loved one.
Miscarriage Keepsake Jewelry Ideas
One way you can pay tribute to a child that has passed away is to wear a piece of memorial jewelry in their honor. It’s a great token of respect that you can keep close to your heart. These keepsake jewelry items make a sweet gift for a grieving parent.
5. Birthstone jewelry
Each month of the year has been assigned a gemstone to represent it. These gems are known as birthstones, and people often wear birthstone jewelry that relates to the month of their own birth. Other people wear birthstone jewelry in honor of a loved one.
Many parents wear a birthstone that honors the month their child was born in. For example, if your child was born in March, you might wear an aquamarine pendant or ring. You could also get a piece of memorial jewelry featuring a birthstone that signifies the date a miscarried child would have been born. This is a sweet but subtle way to commemorate the loss of a pregnancy.
Tip: Some companies, like Eterneva, create lab-grown diamonds from ashes and allow you to pick from several cuts and colors for your gemstone. Another unique option is transforming ashes into beautiful cremation stones with Parting Stone.
6. Morse code jewelry
Morse Code is a method used to communicate with people via signals on a telecommunications device. The signals are sent in short bursts called dots and longer bursts called dashes. Different combinations of dots and dashes represent different letters and words. Morse code can also be written out visually in a series of dots and dashes. Some clever artisans have even introduced Morse Code into jewelry. They string beads of different colors together in dot and dash patterns.
Websites like Etsy offer bracelets and necklaces with messages spelled out in Morse Code. Some examples of sayings they might contain include “Until we meet again” and “I’ll see you in heaven.” These lovely pieces of jewelry serve as a reminder of a lost child, but in a way that is very understated.
7. Flower necklace
Many artists that create emotional artwork use metaphor in their work. It can be difficult to make a piece of jewelry that captures the complicated emotions that accompany a miscarriage. Metaphors can help you talk about deep and dark topics in a way that feels a little lighter and less intense.
Some artists make pendants that feature a small dried flower in the center of a circle. A card that accompanies the necklace reads, “Planted on Earth, blooming in heaven.” This might be especially soothing for people who believe they’ll be reunited with their children in the afterlife.
8. Angel wing necklace
Angel wings are often used as a symbol in memorial gifts. They can signify that a person who died is looking over you from a heavenly realm.
A necklace with a delicate set of angel wings on it can make a beautiful condolence gift. It might even help remind the recipient that the spirit of their child lives on. It can also help them feel less alone during a difficult time.
Miscarriage Keepsakes to Display at Home
Some people are very internal and closed off when it comes to talking about grief. Other people are more comfortable being open about their mourning rituals. The latter group may find comfort from displaying memorial keepsakes from a miscarriage in their home. Here are some ideas for potential gift items.
Tip: If you know parents who opted to cremate their child and are looking for something very unique, you can custom order an urn from a store like Foreverence. You submit a design idea or sketch, then the company designs and 3D prints your urn, so you get a 100% unique container.
9. Remembrance print
Art can help people cope with emotionally trying circumstances. A piece of art that pays homage to your loss can help you process those feelings.
This print could be anything: it could feature a single bird flying into the sky or a series of grayscale rainbows followed by one in color. Art that honors your grief but still has an underlying message of hope can help you deal with your grief.
10. Hand painted memorial stone
Sometimes a miscarriage happens so early that the family can’t even put up a headstone. It can be hard to fully mourn this kind of loss when there’s no memorial to visit. You can hand paint a memorial stone in honor of the child they lost.
They can keep it in their home or their yard and look at it when they need a tangible tribute to their child.
11. Infant loss memorial ribbon piece
Many different illnesses and circumstances have a ribbon associated with them. This ribbon helps raise awareness and knowledge about a given situation.
The ribbon that draws attention to infant and pregnancy loss is in shades of baby blue and light pink. A piece of art that incorporates a memorial ribbon can express condolences after a miscarriage.
12. Star chart
For many people, astrology takes on a certain significance. It can help us feel a little less insignificant in the universe. It can help people feel like they are a part of something much bigger if the way that the stars and planets align impact their own lives.
A star chart (also called a natal chart) is a map of where all the planets, stars, and astral bodies are located at the time of a child’s birth. Your star chart is supposed to be able to give you insight into your personality or your life.
Looking at the star chart for a miscarried or stillborn can help you predict the kind of person they might have grown up to be. If your friend derives comfort from astrology, something like this might bring some peace.
Gifts to Help People Cope with Miscarriage
People who lose a living child will likely find themselves on the receiving end of an outpouring of support. In the case of a miscarriage, people are less generous when it comes to reaching out. Some of this may just be because people don’t know what to do in this situation. ]
Putting together a miscarriage care package or getting a small condolence gift is a lovely gesture for a friend enduring the kind of loss that too frequently goes unacknowledged.
If you're looking for more ways to support a loved one through a miscarriage, read our guides on miscarriage memorials and coping with a miscarriage.