After a stillbirth, parents feel intense grief, including shock, deep sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, confusion, and emptiness, coupled with physical symptoms like insomnia, appetite changes, and cramps, as their bodies still go through postpartum changes like milk coming in, making the experience physically and emotionally overwhelming; there's no "right" way to feel, and it's crucial to seek support for this life-altering loss.
Gentle exercise such as walking will help you recover and reduce your risk of blood clots. But avoid lifting or carrying heavy things, doing activities like vacuuming, or having sex until you feel able to do so comfortably. This may not be for about 6 weeks.
It can leave you feeling in shock, numb and disconnected. Many parents said that after losing their baby they could not think straight and felt unable to make decisions. Grief can take over your mind and sometimes affect your short-term memory. You may find it difficult to remember things that have just happened.
Confirming the baby has died
You'll also be offered an ultrasound scan to check your baby's heartbeat. Sometimes a mother may still feel her baby moving after the death has been confirmed. This can happen when the mother changes position. In this case, the mother may be offered another ultrasound scan.
Stillbirth can be diagnosed by ultrasound examination to show that the baby's heart is no longer beating. After delivery, the baby is found to be stillborn if there are no signs of life such as breathing, heartbeat, and movements.
Healthcare providers classify stillbirths based on the number of weeks of pregnancy before the fetus passes.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a waiting time of at least 2 years after a stillbirth is advisable to severe cases, though this may not be applicable to other cases. For a first stillbirth: WHO recommends waiting a minimum of six months before trying to conceive again.
Many stillbirths are linked to complications with the placenta. The placenta is the organ that links the baby's blood supply to the mother's and nourishes the baby in the womb. With more research, it's hoped that placental causes may be better understood, leading to improved detection and better care for these babies.
A letter from Services Australia, dated 2 July 2025, confirms that the stillborn baby payment of $4,326.57 is available in cases of intentional abortion where a pregnancy has reached 20 weeks or the child weighs 400 grams.
After stillbirth, pregnancy loss, infant loss or miscarriage, many women are shocked to find that their milk will begin to come in within a few days after delivery. Naturally, this can be a traumatizing experience for a woman who is grieving her baby.
The hardest deaths to grieve often involve a child, a spouse/life partner, or a loss due to suicide or homicide, as these challenge fundamental beliefs about life's order, shatter primary support systems, or add layers of trauma, guilt, and unanswered questions, leading to potentially complicated grief. However, grief is deeply personal, and the "hardest" loss is ultimately the one that feels most significant to the individual.
This means that even your miscarried or stillborn baby was intentionally and supernaturally selected by God to be your child. He or she was reserved just for you, and there is purpose in this selection (Ecclesiastes 3:11, Colossians 1:16-17).
At the same time, your body may undergo common changes that occur after giving birth, such as: sore breasts. breast milk production. vaginal bleeding.
You might find yourself wondering if you will ever be able to recover after stillbirth. Long-term feelings of sadness related to your stillbirth are natural. However, with time and the right mental health support, you can find peace and joy in your ongoing life with your surviving family.
Stillbirth is further classified as early, late, or term: Early is a loss between 20 and 27 weeks of pregnancy. Late is a loss between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Term is a loss at 37 or more weeks of pregnancy.
Not all stillbirths can be prevented, but there are some things you can do to reduce the risk. These include: not smoking. avoiding drugs and alcohol during pregnancy – as well as increasing the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, these can seriously affect your baby's development.
Some parents decide to take their baby home with them. Legally you can do this, unless a coroner or procurator fiscal has ordered a post-mortem (a medical examination to help find out why your baby died).
Australia's Baby Bonus started in July 2004 as a $3,000 payment, but it increased to the $5,000 level on July 1, 2008, following earlier increases from $3,000 in 2004 to $4,000 in 2006 and then $5,000 in 2008. The payment, introduced by Treasurer Peter Costello, was a universal lump sum for new parents to help with costs and boost fertility.
Over 2,200 babies are stillborn each year in Australia. 6 babies day in Australia are stillborn, which is higher than the national road toll. The rate of stillbirth in Australia is higher than other high-income countries. In many cases stillbirth is preventable and research shows 20-30% of stillbirths could be avoided.
Whether or not the pregnancy ended in stillbirth, most women reported having experienced at least one stressful life event in the previous year. The researchers found that 83 percent of women who had a stillbirth and 75 percent of women who had a live birth reported a stressful life event.
Are there warning signs of a stillbirth? Sometimes there are warning signs such as a change in baby's movements, sharp abdominal or back pain, poor growth in baby, change in maternal health, change in baby's heart rate pattern, sudden vaginal bleeding, or genetic or anatomic abnormalities in the baby.
Softening of all organs and connective tissues, laxity of joints. Exudation (leaking) of fluid and hemolyzed blood into pleural (lungs), pericardial (heart) and peritoneal (abdomen) cavities. The fetus looks edematous (hydrops-like), later progressive loss of fluid results in mummification.
Yes. On average, women who have a stillbirth are more likely to have another stillbirth than are women who have not had a stillbirth. Nonetheless, most women who get pregnant after a stillbirth can deliver a healthy baby.
Your pregnancy is likely to be described as high risk because you have had a baby who died. Many parents find this reassuring as it means that staff will ensure that you receive extra care and attention. It's a good idea to write a list of any questions or concerns before you go to each appointment.
There are things you can do to make sure you are as healthy as possible before trying for another baby, such as taking folic acid and vitamin D, and giving up smoking. You might like to use our Planning for Pregnancy tool.