A stillborn baby is a child who was born after 24 weeks and did not breathe or show any signs of life.
You should usually register a stillbirth within 42 days. If the stillbirth took place in Barnsley you'll need to attend an appointment to register this with us.
Who can register a stillbirth
Either parent can register the stillbirth if you were married to each other at the time of birth. If you're not married, and want the name of the father on the register, you'll need to attend the appointment together.
If the baby was conceived through fertility treatment either parent can register if you were married or in a civil partnership at the time of the treatment. If not, you'll both need to attend to have your names in the register.
How to register a stillbirth
We're informed by the hospital about a stillbirth and they send us any paperwork we need. We'll then call you to make an appointment to register the stillbirth at the Register Office in the Town Hall. You don't need to call us to arrange this appointment - we'll contact you.
At the appointment you can choose to buy a full birth certificate (showing parents' names) using a debit or credit card. Please note, we're not able to accept any payments in cash. See our registration charges page for certificate costs.
You can also get additional copies of the certificate in future using our order copy certificates service.
Registering by declaration
If it's more convenient, you can go to any register office in England and Wales to give the details of the stillbirth of your baby, but they won't be able to register the birth. This is called registering a stillbirth by declaration. The registrar will then send the information to us if the stillbirth happened in Barnsley.
Getting support when your baby dies
Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, supports anyone who's been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. They work with families throughout the UK to offer emotional and practical support for parents, grandparents and siblings.
Request a baby loss certificate
If your pregnancy ends before 24 weeks, you can get a certificate in memory of your baby. The certificate is an important acknowledgement of a life lost, but isn't a legal document.
Either parent can apply for a baby loss certificate if they:
- Have experienced a loss under 24 weeks since 1 September 2018.
- Are at least 16 years of age.
- Currently live in England and were living in England at the time of the loss.