Options for Burial or Cremation following Miscarriage, Stillbirth or Neonatal Death

Hospital burial

Your baby can be buried in a dedicated baby area within a shared lair at Bothwell Park Cemetery, Bellshill (North Lanarkshire) or within a communal lair at Lanark Cemetery (South Lanarkshire).

These areas are owned by the council; you will not be able to erect a headstone or memorial, but provision is made for the laying of small floral tributes/memorials. Memorial plaques are available at Lanark Cemetery.

Hospital cremation

Your baby can be cremated at South Lanarkshire Council Crematorium in Blantyre, Dignity Crematorium in Holytown or Glasgow City Council Crematorium (Daldowie) in Uddingston.

Whilst approaches are always taken to maximise the recovery of ashes (that is all that is left at the end of cremation and following the removal of any metal), this may not always be possible and therefore cannot be absolutely guaranteed.

There are various memorials and books of remembrance available at each of the crematoria (there may be additional costs associated with memorials).

Private burial

There is a dedicated Baby Memorial Garden at Cambusnethan Cemetery in North Lanarkshire which offers the option of purchasing either individual or communal lairs. There are also dedicated baby areas within Bothwell Park and Lanark cemeteries.

A headstone/memorial can be sited at an individual lair in accordance with council regulations. Whilst no grave marker is allowed on the communal lair, a plaque can be placed on the memorial wall within the garden (there are additional costs associated with both of these options).

You may also chose to use an existing lair or purchase a new one in local cemeteries throughout North and South Lanarkshire. If desired, a memorial of choice can then be erected at the lair in accordance with council regulations.

Private cremation

Your baby can be cremated at South Lanarkshire Council Crematorium in Blantyre, Dignity Crematorium in Holytown or Glasgow City Council Crematorium (Daldowie) in Uddingston.

Whilst approaches are always taken to maximise the recovery of ashes (that is all that is left at the end of cremation and following the removal of any metal), this may not always be possible and therefore cannot be absolutely guaranteed.

There are various memorials and books of remembrance available at each of the crematoria (there may be additional costs associated with memorials).

You may also opt to have your baby buried or cremated elsewhere as a matter of personal choice.

You may know straight away which option you wish to choose, or you may find the decision difficult. You do not need to make all of these decisions before you leave the hospital.

You can discuss these choices further with a member of your care team after you have returned home. If you would like to do this please contact the hospital on the number provided at the start of this leaflet as soon as you have made a decision. A member of staff will contact you to follow up on your thoughts and wishes if you have not contacted us within seven days.

Options under 12 Weeks gestation only

You may choose from any of the options outlined previously for individual burial or cremation or to make your own private arrangements through a funeral director of your choice. The following options are also available to you:

Shared cremation

This is a hospital arrangement whereby your pregnancy loss is placed in a small individual container and taken to South Lanarkshire Crematorium to be collectively cremated. (Although, your pregnancy loss will be in its own container, a number of losses are cremated together). Following cremation there will be no individual ashes available for collection. However, the collective ashes will be scattered in the Baby Garden of Remembrance which you can visit at any time.

There is no service in the crematorium at this time.

Occasionally, there may be no pregnancy tissue for sensitive shared cremation.

Home burial

Some women or couples prefer to have a home burial in the garden with a floral memorial over the burial site. You will need to discuss this with your midwife or nurse to make the necessary arrangements.

We realise this is a difficult time and you may not be sure what option you want to choose. If you don’t feel ready to make a decision we can keep your pregnancy loss in our care for a little longer. However, if you have not informed us of your decision within six weeks we will proceed with a hospital sensitive shared cremation as described above.

If you need this information in another language or format, please e-mail:

Translation.Services@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk