Registering a StillbirthSouthwark Register Office is here to help ensure that the registration of the stillbirth of your baby goes as easily as possible at this difficult time. Here you can find out what you will need to do. Contact us if you have any questions.
When do I need to register a stillbirth?
A stillborn baby is legally defined as a child born with no signs of life after the 24th week of pregnancy. (If the baby was born showing any signs of life you must register both the baby's birth and death separately.) You should normally do this within 42 days of, but no longer than three months after, the birth of your baby.
What do I need to register a stillbirth?
The doctor or midwife who attended the birth or examined the baby's body afterwards will issue a medical certificate of stillbirth. The person who registers the stillbirth must take this certificate to the registrar's office. The stillbirth is then entered into the stillbirth register; a record of this is then signed by the person registering the stillbirth.
Who can register a stillbirth?
Legally, the only people who can register a stillbirth are the mother, the father (if he is married to the mother), a person present at the stillbirth or the person who found the stillborn child.
What certificates will I be issued with?
You are able to register at the Southwark Register Office after making an appointment. If you decide to register at any other Register Office in England and Wales you will need to make what is called "a declaration"; in this case the certificate of stillbirth, which may be ordered and paid for at the time of making the declaration, as well as the document for the burial or cremation will be posted.
For more information about the Southwark Register Office please use the Registrars A-Z link. |