Stillbirths in the 1970s?

Even later in the 80s it wasn't much better in some places!
I found that you were asked questions when you certainly weren't in the right frame of mind !
In my case, my son was an IDIU (infant death in utero) and had already passed away before I was in labour, I remember on the morning that I was induced after being given pain relief (not to mention sleeping pills the night before) I was asked if I wanted to see my baby and to this day I don't know why I said no. I wish that I had been asked again later when my answer would have been different.
But at least we had a funeral and offered help with the grieving process by my GP as well as the local vicar.
My aunt never spoke about what happened to her daughter - apparently until my son was born. In the early 70s, it was almost as if it was hushed up on the same level as abortion. She had no idea what happened to her baby at all beyond the fact that it would be "taken care of".

I am so grateful to you all for the information here. My heart goes out to all mother's who have had this dreadful thing happen to them.
My sister went to full term with her daughter in 1963 and the baby died after strangling on the cord. I was eleven at the time and have grieved for this child, my neice, ever since. No one ever talked about it. I would love to know if the little girl had a name or was buried. It just wasn't talked about.

It’s tragic how callously this was handled even as recently as the 1970s.

There is a charity called SANDS, they may have helpful advice too.

www.sands.org.uk

Floradora in my mothers day if parents couldn't afford a funeral the baby was buried at the feet of a woman who was being interred that day ,usually 3 days after the death.My mother knew several women whose babies were buried that way,the undertakers charged a very small fee and they never knew where the baby was just that they weren't alone.I suppose it gave them c omfort at a sad time ,many tried years later to find where their babies were and found that Undertakers hadn't kept records.Its all very sad

I think the Action For Ashes group were campaigning for birth certifacates for stillbirths ,They were formed when they discovered very prem babies who had been cremated DID have ashes although the crematoria said they didn't and many who had wanted ashes were denied them for private burials .I'm not sure how it went but I know they were offered compensation(as if money helps) and memorials to thir babies in the main crematoriums and in Glasgow City Centre and Prices Street Gardens in Edinburgh.the Edinburgh one is particularly lovely a baby Elephant sculpted by Andy Scott who made the Kelpies

A still born baby in Scotland does not have a birth certificate or death certificate . I got copies from the Still birth Register of Scotland for my two siblings both still born . They cost £10 each but I was glad to be able to have some tangible proof that they were born . Neither has a grave or a name
Anyone wanted to get this contact the General Register Office for Scotland, New Register House , 3 West Register Street, Edinburgh EH1 3YT.
It was a common thing in the bad old days for parents of children who were born alive but lived only a short time to declair them as still births. The reason being that if they had lived for any time at all the parents had to pay for the funeral if still born they were buried in a communal grave st no cost to the parents.

Is this in any way connected with your other thread Mary?

paddyanne

PaddyAnne ??

paddyanne ?

no birth or death certificates if before 28 weeks I think .I know I dont have them for my stillbirth in 1976 .I have both for a neonatal death of the twin baby who lived for 3 and a half sdays .I'm in Scotland

Here you go Mary. Phone numbers to GRO. They have a stillbirth department so will be able to help. Not sure if they give info to anyone other than named person/parent on certificate but it's worth a call

www.gov.uk/general-register-office

Give up can't find it. Maybe they never bothered registering it.

Oh, sorry, that's for Northern Ireland

The GRO website should give details for England. I'm assuming you're in England.

Scotland and NI are different to England and Wales.

Hope this helps

www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/stillbirth-certificate-application-form

I was hoping to find a listing or reference to the certificate if I put the details in but I can't find a page to do this anywhere.

If it was registered, a stillbirth certificate is available. Not birth or death.

If you get in touch with the GRO you can apply for this certificate.