What Happens if Your Baby Dies in the Womb

Losing a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy is chosen stillbirth. There are things y'all can do to reduce the adventure of stillbirth, but if it has happened, support and resources are bachelor to help you get through this deplorable and hard time.

Key points most stillbirth

A babe is stillborn when they die in the womb afterward the 20th week of pregnancy or weigh more than 400 grams (where the dates are uncertain).
Not all the causes of stillbirth are known and it'south not possible to prevent every stillbirth.
Certain factors may increase the risk of stillbirth and in that location are things you can practice to reduce some of these risks.
Seek help direct abroad past calling your midwife or doc if your baby is non moving every bit much as usual or yous accept other signs of concern.
In that location is support bachelor to help you lot through the physical and emotional pain of losing a baby. Encounter our page on things that may assist later the loss of a pregnancy.

What causes stillbirth?

There is a lot nonetheless unknown about the causes of stillbirth. The post-obit are possible causes:

Built anomalies – problems that affect your baby's physical development while it is in your uterus (womb). This may involve bug with chromosomes or vital organs such as the brain, kidney or heart.
Placental problems – the most mutual of these is placental insufficiency, where the placenta does non provide the necessary nutrients and oxygen to your infant. Sometimes the placenta detaches from the wall of your uterus (called placental abruption) leading to stillbirth.
Maternal conditions – these include underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, loftier blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and connective tissue disorders.
Infection in your babe or placenta.

When should I get help from a midwife or doctor?

If y'all observe any of the following, get help straight away by calling your midwife or doctor. Do not wait until the next solar day – contact them now.

Your baby is not moving as much as usual – a reduction in a baby'due south movements can be an of import alert sign that a baby is unwell.
Y'all drain from your vagina – this could exist a sign of a problem with the placenta, cervical changes or an infection.
You take vaginal belch that is non normal for y'all – watery, clear or coloured belch from your vagina could be your waters breaking or a sign of infection.
You get blurred vision, severe headache or swelling – these could be signs of pre-eclampsia.
You accept itching, particularly of your easily and anxiety – this could exist a sign of a rare liver condition known every bit cholestasis of pregnancy.

What happens if my baby dies in my womb?

A infant who has died in your womb (in utero) must still be born. Your md will discuss your options with yous. Caesarean deliveries are non usually recommended, and as nigh stillbirth labours need to be induced, many women opt for a vaginal birth using pain relief.

Afterwards you have given birth to your stillborn, your doctor will recommend several blood tests and offering a post mortem to effort to observe a reason for the loss. A consultation may be arranged with an obstetrician about ii months after the birth to discuss any diagnosis and to make any recommendations for a future pregnancy. You will exist offered close monitoring in a future pregnancy.

As well as taking care of these concrete aspects, you lot need to give yourself time to grieve the loss of your infant and the hopes and dreams you had for them. There is no 'normal' style to grieve. How ever y'all are feeling is okay. Read more most things that may aid afterward the loss of a pregnancy and grief and loss.

Funerals and registration

Having a funeral for your baby is a way of recognising their life, nevertheless short. A formal good day helps you lot to accept that someone y'all honey has died.

Legal requirements

If your baby dies earlier 20 weeks of pregnancy (miscarriage) and weighs less than 400 grams, there is no legal requirement to register your baby's birth or to bury them. Yous are still welcome to concord a funeral.
If your infant was stillborn afterward 20 weeks of pregnancy, and/or weighing more 400 grams (if the dates are uncertain), there is a legal requirement to have their nascence registered and to be cached or cremated in an advisable manner. The expiry is not registered, just a medical certificate is completed at the hospital. A nascence certificate is available to y'all on request from any Registrar of Births and Deaths.
If your baby dies afterwards birthup to 28 days of age (neonatal expiry) you are required to register your baby's nascency and your baby must have a burying or cremation. Your baby's death will exist registered (usually by a funeral director). A birth and death certificate tin can be issued on request.

You have to annals your baby'southward birth within two months of the birth date.

You can register a nascency and employ for a nativity certificate online or past sending a form to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.Your midwife or nurse volition advise you of the steps that demand to take place.

Support

If you demand support or communication, get in bear upon with a bereavement service or talk to your midwife or doctor. Support services include:

Whetūrangitia Information for family and whānau experiencing the death of a baby or child
Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Support (Sands) Pregnancy, baby and infant loss support
BabyLoss NZ website and BabyLoss NZ Facebook page for practical communication and data
Skylight for counselling services
Grief Eye
SIDS and Kids
Lifeline
Miscarriage Back up Auckland
Yet Aware

Learn more than

Read more about pregnancy health and wellbeing
Your infant's movements Kicks Count, UK
Why exercise baby's movements matter? Nonetheless Aware, Australia
Sleep on side when baby's inside Cure Kids, NZ

Reviewed by

	Dr Alice Miller trained every bit a GP in the UK and has been working in New Zealand since 2013. She has undertaken extra study in diabetes, sexual and reproductive healthcare, and pare cancer medicine. Alice has a special involvement in preventative health and self-care, which she is edifice on past studying for the Diploma of Public Health with the University of Otago in Wellington.

Credits: Health Navigator Editorial Squad. Reviewed By: Dr Alice Miller, FRNZCGP Terminal reviewed: 29 Jan 2021 Page last updated: 13 Jan 2022

What tin I do to reduce my risk of stillbirth?

Not all the causes of stillbirth are known and it's not possible to forestall every stillbirth. However, certain factors can increase your risk and there are things you can practise to reduce some of these risks.

1. Go to all your antenatal appointments

Your LMC midwife or dr. will regularly measure your babe's growth during your pregnancy, to bank check that your baby is growing at a good for you charge per unit. Some of the tests and measurements that tin can place potential problems have to be done at specific times. Read more nearly pregnancy screening tests and checks.

ii. Get to know the blueprint of your baby's movements

In that location is no set number of normal movements. Go to know your infant's movements and what is normal for them. A reduction or a sudden increase in a baby'due south movements can sometimes exist an of import warning sign that a baby is unwell. If you are concerned near a change in your babe'south movements, contact your midwife or doctor immediately. Y'all are not wasting their time.

3. Sleep on your side

Research shows that going to sleep on your side from 28 weeks of pregnancy halves your risk of stillbirth compared with going to slumber on your back. Lying on your back in the final 3 months of pregnancy presses on major claret vessels, which tin can reduce blood flow to the womb and oxygen supply to the baby.

iv. If you smoke, quit

Smoking in pregnancy has an immediate negative consequence on your babe. Carbon monoxide replaces some of the oxygen in your blood and nicotine as well reduces the flow of blood through the umbilical cord. Quitting at any fourth dimension during pregnancy reduces the harm to your baby. All the same, planning to quit every bit early on as yous can means a better offset in life for your baby. Ask your healthcare professional well-nigh advice and support on how to stop smoking and available services to support quitting.

five. Eat healthily and keep active

Eating a salubrious counterbalanced diet and getting regular do is important for you and your baby. Putting on weight is natural and will assistance you breastfeed well, but being overweight or obese can increment the risk of problems in pregnancy.

Read more about eating, drinking and watching your weight during pregnancy.

6. Avoid alcohol in pregnancy

The safest way to ensure your baby isn't damaged by alcohol is non to drink while y'all're pregnant.