Keepsakes or memorials can provide a lot of comfort and lasting memories of your baby. Below is a list of Memorial ideas we have used and some suggestions for others.

Memories folder

Some hospitals may provide a Memories folder, or you may want to create one yourself. Details you may want to keep in your Memories folder may include:

Details of your baby’s Birth

Details of your Baby’s Length and Weight

Hand Prints

Foot Prints

Photographs

A lock of hair

Initially you may not want to create your folder, but from our experience we strongly recommend that you take the opportunity to do this. The folder gives you a chance of memories of your baby which you have for years to come.

Book of remembrance

If you live in the East Sussex area, you can have your baby entered into the hospitals book of remembrance by contacting the Chaplaincy department on 01273 696955 ext 4122 for Brighton or 01444 441881 ext 4232 for Haywards Heath,

Yearly memorial service

The Brighton and Sussex NHS Trust in conjunction with SANDS/MAPS holds a yearly memorial service for parents who have lost their baby. We highly recommend you attend this special service, which has a different theme each year. You have the chance to personally speak and have your baby individually remembered. You can also view the book of remembrance. Details of the event will be available on our Web Site Home page and is also available from the SANDS/MAPS group.

A Keepsake box

Keep all your special keepsakes, photographs, cards and letters in one place. You will always have this to look back on.

We bought a beautiful hinged box that is covered in pink roses with compartments to store things in. 

We have put all of her cards from her funeral in there tied up in a pink ribbon. The cards off all the flowers are in there to.

Planting a Tree or donating a Park Bench

Planting a Tree or donating a Park bench will provide you with a lifelong memorial of your baby, which will also provide some enjoyment to other people on behalf of your baby. A small plaque may also be allowed (with permission from the local council).

We have planted a tree on our local green and put in a small plaque on a post with Annabel’s name on it.

                     The 1st Year                                                              The 4th Year

During the Spring, Daffodils surround the back of the Tree providing colour whilst the tree does not have leaves.

To plant a tree, Contact your local Council office: 

Brighton & Hove City Council (covers Saltdean to Portslade) 01273 292187 Janet Young (no plaques allowed).

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/site01.cfm?request=c1000977

Or from the Home page, click on 'Your city' then 'trees'

Lewes District Council (covers Newhaven, Peacehaven, Seaford, Lewes areas. Contact 01273 484398 Andy Frost.

You may need to contact local town councils but you will be advises on enquiry)

Haywards Heath District Council Currently no scheme but you can write in to:

Town Clerk Mrs C M Preston

40 Boltro Road,

Haywards Heath,

RH16 1BA

Telephone: 01444 455694

Worthing Borough Council Their Scheme is on hold at present because of too many trees.

Contact Peter Whish on 01903 239999

Adur District Council (Shoreham) Contact Jeremy Sergeant on 01273 263136 or e-mail jeremy.sergeant@adur.gov.uk

In addition to the Web Sites offered on our Web Site links page, the following links provide information directly related to remembrance:

www.honoredbabies.org/resource-center/remembrance-ideas.htm

www.pixieweb.net/remember.htm

www.borntoosoon.freeservers.com/custom2.html

Please contact us if you have a remembrance idea you would like to add, or if you would like a link added to this page.