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How to Honor Your Baby’s Birthday After a Pregnancy Loss

An angel baby is a term some use to describe their baby who has passed away. This is often after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or other pregnancy or infant loss. Your angel baby’s birthday or due date is a very special day. This is the day that you can remember the life of your baby who was taken too soon. There are many ways to make this day special and no right or wrong thing to do on this day. This post is a list of How to Honor Your Angel Baby’s Birthday or Due Date with 50 different ideas.

It can be hard to know what to do after you have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or other pregnancy loss. You want to remember your angel baby, but the day may also be filled with a lot of sadness and you may not always feel like celebrating. That is okay, and you can do whatever feels right to you. Some families choose to have a small gathering with close family and friends, while others may want to do something more elaborate.

There are plenty of options here to honor your baby’s birthday after a pregnancy loss for those who prefer to celebrate alone, those who want to include family and friends, and those who want to do something to give back. There are also options for those people who want to do something for a friend or family member they know that has had a loss.

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You may also enjoy A to Z Emotions of Pregnancy Loss: Understanding the Grief Process.


Solo/Small Gathering Ways To Celebrate Your Angel Baby

1. Light a candle for your baby. You can use a candle you have at home already or have a special candle made with their name on it.

2. Make a cake or cupcakes and sing happy birthday. You can make the cake together as a family or even buy one from the store if you are not much of a baker.

3. Take some time to look at pictures, ultrasound pictures, and other items of your baby.

4. Plant a memorial garden. Pick a special spot in the yard and plant some herbs, flowers, or other plants. You can even add a special stone or bench with their name on it.

A group of pots that have plants.  The pots get progressively bigger.

5. Write a letter to your baby. You can write about anything you want to say to your baby or things you wish you could be doing with them.

6. Play a song or music that reminds you of your baby. Maybe there is a special song your baby enjoyed while you were pregnant with them. The one that made them kick around and move more. Or something that played on the radio at a significant time.

7. Buy a memorial item (weighted bear, handprint/footprint jewelry, necklace with their name, etc.) There are many different options to choose from on Etsy and Amazon. Do something that is meaningful to you personally.

8. Plan something special to do with your partner on that day and spend quality time together. Go to your favorite restaurant, see a movie, or just do something that helps you bond.

9. Visit your baby’s resting place and leave flowers or other items. You can leave a balloon or other birthday gift.

10. Have a picnic at your baby’s resting place and spend time with them. Talk to them and tell them all about the important things going on in you and your family’s lives.

11. Draw or paint a picture of your baby or something that reminds you of your baby. If you are more artistic, feel free to be as creative as you want and make something for your baby.

12. Buy a picture frame and put a framed photo or ultrasound photo of your baby in the house.

13. Cook a special meal that reminds you of your angel baby. It could be a meal that they seemed to enjoy while you were pregnant with him/her or a meal that you love that you wish you could have shared with them one day.

14. Go on a walk out in nature. It can be good to get outside and help you clear your mind. Visit your family’s favorite spot or a spot you took or wanted to take your baby.

15. Perform a random act of kindness in honor of your angel baby. There are so many different things you can do, like paying for a stranger’s groceries or meal, giving someone a compliment, or donating goods to someone in need.

16. Watch a favorite movie or show that reminds you of your baby. It could be one that you watched while you were pregnant or just something that is your favorite in general.

17. Take the time to have a good cry. It’s okay to be sad and take some time to grieve. It can also help you feel closer to your baby when you accept and process the feelings you have about them.

Woman sitting on a hill with her head in her hands.

18. Take a special trip or vacation to a place that is meaningful to you. Take a trip to the beach, the mountains, or any other significant place.

19. Buy a special birthday outfit for your weighted bear. If you have a weighted bear (these are the bears that weigh the same as what your angel baby weighed when they were born), you can buy an outfit just for them to wear.

20. Take a family picture with a picture of your baby or an object that represents your baby. You can do this every year and even make a collage of all the photos.

21. Set up a special area in the house for your baby with pictures and mementos. You can include things like their hospital bracelet, urn, pictures, and other things that remind you of your baby.

22. Choose a special place to spread some of your baby’s ashes. This could be at the beach, the woods, the mountain, or a place that is special to you and your family.

23. Plant a special memorial tree.

24. Buy and name a star in honor of your baby. You can do this at the International Star Registry website.

How to honor your baby's birthday after a pregnancy loss

Ways To Honor Your Baby With Family and Friends

25. Have a virtual birthday party for your baby. You can have everyone gather on Zoom, Facebook, WhatsApp, or any other video chatting app and have a celebration for your angel baby.

26. Invite family and friends over for a birthday party. Everyone can come over for cake and singing happy birthday in honor of your baby.

27. Have them all write a letter to your baby. If your family and friends are willing, have them each write a letter to your baby. You can read them all out loud or read them later.

A white piece of paper, black envelope, and a pen lying on a white background.

28. Share your story online or in person. Maybe you have not told it all before and this would be a good chance to tell the story. You may feel better by getting your story out there and you never know who you may be helping by sharing your story.

29. Do a floating lantern release. Light candles in these lanterns and release them out onto the water in memory of your angel baby. Be sure to choose an environmentally friendly option like this one available from Amazon.

30. Have family post pictures of candles they light for your baby and make a photo collage. You can make a collage online using Canva or other software.

31. Sing happy birthday virtually over something like zoom if your family and friends cannot all be there with you. Even if you do not want to have a full birthday party, you can still have everyone sing to your angel baby.

32. Ask your family and friends to all perform random acts of kindness and then text/call you about it or post it online. Everyone can choose the same act or each do a different act they want to perform

33. Balloon release. Please make sure to use an eco-friendly and biodegradable option so as not to harm the environment. This is a good option from Amazon.

A hand holding a bunch of pink and white balloons.

34. Hold a memorial or remembrance service. Talk about all the good things you remember about your baby, like the kicks you felt or how you felt when you first got the positive test.

35. Send out seeds for everyone to plant in honor of your baby. You can buy a package of seeds or buy paper that has seeds embedded in it that can be planted. Check Etsy for the seed paper options.

36. Take a family trip to a meaningful place. Invite more of your family to take a special trip with you in memory of your angel baby.

37. Make a video tribute in honor of your baby. Include pictures and your favorite videos or songs.

A beach with some hills and mountains in the background.

Ideas To Honor Your Angel Baby and Give Back

38. Hold a fundraiser to raise money for a special charity/organization that is important to you. This can either be to raise monetary donations or to collect goods that can be donated.

39. Pay for a cake at a local grocery store/baker for a child that would be the same age as your angel baby. You can do this either anonymously or leave a note saying who it is from and why.

40. Make a donation to a charity or organization that is meaningful to you in honor of your baby.

A dollar bill with several coins laying on top.

41. Knit, crochet, or buy blankets to donate to your local NICU. They are always in need of donations and you can know that you are helping other babies.

42. Make and donate boxes for hospitals to give to new loss moms in the hospital. If you had your loss in a hospital, you likely received a box with special items in it. Think about what you had/would want to have and create a box with those items included to give to your local hospital(s).

43. Reach out to a new loss mom. They are new to navigating the situation and it may be good for both of you to make friends and have someone else to lean on that understands what you are going through.

44. Send a care package to a fellow loss mom. Think about some items that you would like to have or other loss moms might need/want.

45. Buy and donate gifts for a needy child the same age your child would be. You can try contacting a local shelter or charitable organization to find out what is needed.

A present wrapped in brown paper with a pink bow.

Ways To Help Someone Else Who Has Been Through Loss

46. Send a card that has a meaningful message. Make sure you include the angel baby’s name or nickname if they had one.

47. Send flowers or another gift. Some gift ideas could include memorial jewelry, a weighted bear, a special print with a picture or quote, or anything else that helps commemorate their baby.

48. Call your friend/family member to check on them. A simple phone call to let them know you are thinking of them and remembered the date can mean the world to someone who has been through a loss.

49. Simply let them know you remember and are thinking of their baby. Remembering the date and saying their angel baby’s name is a gift in and of itself.

50. Give them a special item with their baby’s name or nickname on it. This could be a piece of jewelry, a special print to hang in the house, or any other item you can think of.

How to honor your baby's birthday after a pregnancy loss

Hopefully this post about How to Honor Your Angel Baby’s Birthday or Due Date has given you some ideas on how to celebrate your angel baby’s birthday. Whether it is the first birthday or the tenth, you can find something that works for you and your family and helps keep your baby’s memory alive. Remember, there is no right or wrong thing to do. You do not have to do the same thing every year or you can choose to start a tradition and repeat the same thing from year to year. Do what feels right for you and your family. I would love to hear some ideas on what you plan to do or currently do to celebrate your angel baby’s birthday or due date. Let me know in the comments!

You may also enjoy reading:

A to Z Emotions of Pregnancy Loss: Understanding the Grief Process

24 Books to Read After a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Pregnancy Loss

15 Songs About Baby Loss

7 Ways To Reconnect With Your Partner After A Pregnancy Loss

How to Tell Your Kids About a Pregnancy Loss

How to Respond to Hurtful Comments After a Pregnancy Loss

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