One of the main complexities in overcoming the loss of a pregnancy or stillbirth is that we have very few memories of the baby that we can hold on to in difficult moments and take comfort in them. For many parents, it is important to try to preserve the memory of their loss, in order to feel that they honor and carry them along with them in their lives.

If you are also looking for ideas on how to preserve the memory of your loved ones, here are 6 suggestions to help you do so:

1.  Preserving breast milk and turning it into jewelry
   One of the popular ways in recent years to commemorate the loss of a baby is to save the breast milk created after birth and turn it into a piece of jewelry.
   Painful as it is, in some cases, the mother’s body produces breast milk even though there is no baby to feed. This experience can be heartbreaking for anyone and undoubtedly adds difficulty to the grieving process. A special way to deal with this is by turning the breast milk into a stone and setting it into meaningful jewelry.
   Many jewelers offer this unique option. Most times, the process includes sending less than 1 oz. of the mother’s breast milk to the manufacturer, who dries the milk, turns it into a powder, and combines it with stones of your choice. The stones can be inlaid on any piece of jewelry you want – rings, necklaces, earrings, watches, or simply keep the stone as it is.
   This helps to create a memorial keepsake that is personal and does not necessarily reveal to others the private story behind it unless you choose to share it.
2. Tattoos
   This is one of the most common ways parents choose to honor the memory of their child, especially among those who have already had other tattoos done in the past and feel that this is their way of expressing themselves.
   However, since parents go through a process of grieving and experience a wide range of emotions, it may be worth waiting a few months with the decision until one feels emotionally stable since a tattoo is a permanent decision to make.
   Those who wish to do this can find a variety of ideas for tattoos by searching the web. Some of the more common ones are tattooing the baby’s name or symbolic drawings such as a heartbeat, angel wings, a footprint, and a blue-pink ribbon representing abortion awareness.
3. Building a memory box
   Some of the hospitals and medical centers around the world offer In case of stillbirths a kit called often “memory box” that is meant to help preserve the memory of the child. But even if the hospital doesn’t provide it or if the loss happened in a private way, this is a box that you can build yourself if you wish and customize to your preferences.
   You can buy a special box, pad it with a small velvet pillow, and put inside any object from the pregnancy or birth that has important emotional meaning for you. For example, you can put in the box a sonogram photo, a footprint of your baby, a small outfit, a teddy bear, a love letter for your child or a personal journal, and anything else that comes to mind.
4. A personalized teddy bear
   Many parents who have lost a baby find solace in keeping a personalized teddy bear at home, which symbolizes the baby. Some manufacturers offer the purchase of such a bear with a personal design, which even includes the sewing of the name or nickname you gave your baby on the bear itself. Parents who do this say that the bear gives them a clear sense of the baby’s presence in their lives, and they find comfort in that.
5. Annual donation to an organization dear to your heart
   Another way to honor the memory of your loved one is to make an annual donation on a date that is important to you. This could be for example the due date or the day you found out about the pregnancy. Choose one date that has an important meaning for you, and on this day donate to an organization near and dear to your heart.
6. Planting a tree
   Planting a small tree or a flower is an honoring ritual that gives many who choose to do it peace of mind and helps to come to terms with the loss. The act of planting symbolizes continuity and acceptance.
   Since most religions don’t offer an official way to grieve a loss of a pregnancy or stillbirth, many times planting a tree is the only ceremony parents use to help them cope with the loss, acknowledge their emotions, and express them.