19 Unique Ways To Honor And Remember A Baby You've Lost

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Losing a baby is so painful, and many people want to honor their baby, but coming up with ideas while also processing the grief can be really difficult. I know that process well because I’ve got two angel babies myself. I want the process to be less difficult for you, so I’ve created a list of 19 unique ways to honor and remember a baby you’ve lost.

If there are some ideas in this guide that stand out to you, or you’ve come up with your own ways of honoring your baby, please share in the comments after the post so you can inspire others with your creative ideas.

Here’s what you’ll find in this guide:

Why Should You Honor And Remember A Baby You’ve Lost?

Not everyone will want to memorialize and honor a baby they’ve lost, and that’s really ok.

Truly, I understand why someone would want to just move forward and kind of forget that anything happened.

But then there are those of us like you and me who do want to keep their memory alive for years to come. There is no right or wrong decision when it comes to something so personal and emotionally heavy, so you’ve got to do what feels right to you.

I chose to remember my babies because I felt like I’d struggle more if I tried to push the events to the side and move on. Remembering them has helped me grieve and move forward while also acknowledging the “real-ness” of their lives. Their lives were very real to me, and I want to continue to honor the impact they’ve had on my life.

Ways To Honor And Remember A Baby You’ve Lost

1. Name Your Baby

In the process of losing our first baby boy, I didn’t think too much about naming him. My husband was the one who brought it up, but when he did, it immediately felt right.

It was so painful, but it was right. When we named him, it made him feel more real than ever before which was both beautiful and traumatic. We chose the name Gabriel for our first loss.

The second loss was an early missed miscarriage so we didn’t know the gender of the baby. We feel like it might have been a girl, and we chose the name Sweet Haven.

I love that we named our babies because when we talk about them, we address them by their names.

Even if you lost your baby before you knew the gender, I highly recommend naming them. Somehow, it brought a sense of closure to my heart, and I hope it does the same for you.

2. Celebrate Their Due Date Every Year

We chose from the start to celebrate our first son’s due date every year. My little pumpkin baby was supposed to be born October 17, 2020, but we lost him May 13.

We conceived our second angel baby in January 2021, so Sweet Haven would have been born sometime in September or October. Since we don’t know exactly when our baby would have been born, we chose to do a combined celebration every year on October 17 for both of our angel babies.

This tradition was so important to me. One of the reasons behind our choice was to keep the memory of our babies alive for any future rainbow babies we would have.

Now that we have our beautiful Isaiah, we will continue to celebrate his siblings on October 17. I wanted him to know about his angel siblings from the start as to avoid a really awkward conversation down the road. Those babies are a real part of our story, and Isaiah deserves to know about them.

3. Create A Piece Of Jewelry

It was easier for me to create a piece of jewelry for Gabriel because we lost him much further along in the pregnancy, and I had created a greater attachment to him.

Since he was a second trimester loss, I had to physically deliver him. We got to hold him in our hands and see his darling little face. It was the most surreal experience of my life, but also extraordinarily painful.

We were able to get his footprints from the hospital, so I put them inside a heart locket necklace that belonged to my grandmother. It’s one of my prized possessions.

4. Create A Memorial Book

A memorial book would be a beautiful way to remember a baby you’ve lost. I plan on doing this so I can read the book with Isaiah as he grows and will have some picture of who his siblings might have been.

I love this beautiful book I found on Amazon. It’s called, “I Love You Still, A Memorial Baby Book“.

You could also create your own book by making a little scrap book with photos of yourself when your were pregnant and any other photos or info you have in remembrance of your angel.

5. Plant A Tree For Them

Many people choose to plant a tree in honor of a baby they’ve lost.

There are a few ways you can go about planting a tree for your angel. You could plant a tree in your own backyard and watch it grow through the years. This option assumes you have plenty of space for a tree to grow, and you plan on being in your home for many years to come.

If planting a tree near your home is not feasible, you could also plant a tree in a pot. There are plenty of tree that grow well in pots.

Apple (Malus domestica)
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida f. rubra)
Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
Snowy mespilus (Amelanchier lamarckii)
Olive (Olea europaea)
Persian silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)
Starry magnolia (Magnolia stellata)
Citrus trees
Bay tree

6. Plant Forget-Me-Nots

Forget-Me-Nots are traditionally planted in remembrance of lost babies.

If you do choose to plant some Forget-Me-Nots, please note it is best to plant them in the spring. They don’t do well in extreme heat. You could plant them directly in the ground or use pots.

If you love this idea and need some guidance on how to plant and care for the plants, click here for a great guide on planting and growing Forget-Me-Nots.

7. Personalize A Jellycat Stuffed Animal

A stuffed animal is a super cute and cuddly way to remember your angel baby. You can give them a cuddle whenever you’re missing your sweet angel.

Jellycat is a popular British brand of stuffed animals that does personalized items. The London based company was established in 1999 and is constantly adding adorable stuffed creatures to their lineup.

I have held a Jellycat stuffed animal, and they are truly the softest, most huggable stuffed animals I’ve ever found.

You can personalize many of the different Jellycat stuffed animals, but the bunny seems to be the most popular. Jellycat will stitch the name of your baby onto the ear of the animal you choose or onto a sweater the animal wears. Click here for more info.

8. Create Artwork In Their Honor

Creating a beautiful piece of artwork is a great way to remember your angel baby.

You could create something yourself. Or if you have a friend who’s an artist, you could also ask them to create something special.

Alternatively, Etsy has so many options, and you could easily find something that matches the style you are looking for. With a quick search, I was able to find an abundance of gorgeous choices on Etsy.

9. Keep A Journal With Letters Written To Your Angel Baby

I often think of my angel babies in the most unsuspected moments.

I’ve have moments in the supermarket line where I’ll randomly think about my angels and get teary eyed. There’s a spot in my heart that aches at the most random times.

In those moments, I like to find some quiet space, if possible, and write to my babies. If I’m not in an area to actually sit down and write a full-on letter to them, I make a quit note in my phone. When I’ve got more time, I write those thoughts in a journal.

I guess it’s somewhat of a love-letter journal to my angels. It’s incredibly therapeutic and has often helped me release further layers of grief.

Buy a beautiful journal or create an online journal where you can write to your baby whenever you need to.

10. Go On A Little Holiday On Their Due Date

On the due date of our first angel, we went to Venice. We were living in Germany at the time, so European travel was cheap and convenient.

I am SO glad we did that. We created the most beautiful memories during a time that was filled with so much pain and grief. If you love adventure, this option might be a great way for you to honor and remember a baby you’ve lost while also bringing some healing to your heart.

While it may not be possible to take a full-on holiday every year on your baby’s due date, you could plan to do something every other year or however often it makes sense for your family.

Creating joy in the midst of the grief is important. While the loss is painful, life still holds so much beauty, and it’s totally ok to have beautiful experiences while also acknowledging the pain of your loss.

11. Create Patchwork Art From Baby Clothes

When I first found out I was pregnant with our first angel, I started buying baby clothes. I was so excited.

After we lost Gabriel, I decided to keep the baby clothes we bought for him. We have used those clothes for Isaiah, but I plan to create a framed patchwork picture made from the clothes we bought for our angels and things we’ve used for Isaiah.

If you have baby clothes you bought for your angel and don’t want to get rid of them but also don’t want to tote baby clothes around, a framed patchwork picture would be the perfect way to keep those precious clothes in your life.

An easy way to do this is to cut squares from each piece of baby clothing you have and sew them together, creating a small patchwork quilt you can then frame.

12. Get A Tattoo

While getting a tattoo is definitely not for everyone, it does fit some personalities.

I have gotten a couple of tattoos that memorialize significant events in my life, and I’m still looking for the perfect tattoo that will honor my angel babies.

A tattoo is not something you want to get on a whim, so take time to really think about what symbol or picture will best honor your baby in the long run.

There are so many ideas online, and by doing a Google search, you can easily find hundreds of tattoos that might speak to you.

13. Name A Star After Them

Naming a star after someone is a really popular thing to do, but is a star really officially named in someone’s honor? Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not sure a star can legally be claimed by someone.

BUT! It’s still a really cool thing to do, and there are some fun companies who do packages where you get a printable certificate and some other special things depending on the package you purchase.

I’ve never personally done this, so I don’t want to recommend any companies, but you can find plenty of options with a Google search. Just type in “how to name a star after someone”, and you’ll find many companies who provide cool options for you.

14. Create A Signature Perfume

I never knew you could create a signature perfume and name it, but what a unique way to honor a baby you’ve lost!

Scents are so closely connected to memories. I love the idea of doing this.

I’ve never done it myself, but I did find some companies online that offer this cool service. While I can give you ideas, I’m not going to recommend a specific company if I’ve not tried them myself. So if you do a Google search on “create your own perfume”, you’ll find some groovy options.

15. Name A Pet After Them

If you’d like something living and squishy, a pet would be the perfect way to honor and remember a baby you’ve lost.

Not only is a puppy or kitten cuddly, but they also require attention and care just like a baby. Having something to shower with love after a loss is so important and healing. While a puppy or kitten would never replace a baby, it sure would give you something to direct that mama love toward.

You could even name them after your angel if you felt comfortable doing that.

16. Create A Memory Bear In Their Honor

Most people are familiar with the company Build-A-Bear. Building a customized bear has become a very popular way to remember loved ones, and it can be a great way to honor and remember a baby you’ve lost.

The company has even started calling such creations Memory Bears. They have also created an option to put a voice recording inside the bear. If you happen to have a recording of your baby’s heartbeat, you could likely use that recording for your Memory Bear.

Since my first loss was a second trimester loss, I do have a recording of his heartbeat. It wouldn’t be possible with my second angel as there was never any detected heartbeat. This option would depend on your own circumstances, but you could always create a Build-A-Bear without the voice recording option.

17. Choose A Special Color And Paint A Room In Their Honor

Most paint companies have the ability to take any color swatch and create a can of paint in that same color.

Find a color that you feel best represents your angel, get a swatch of that color, and take it to a paint company. They should be able to produce paint in the color of the swatch. You could always call ahead to confirm they provide that kind of service.

Pick a room or item of furniture and paint it in the color you’ve chosen. This would be a beautifully colorful way to remember your angel.

18. Create A Lipstick Color And Name It After Your Baby

I absolutely adore this idea. In the past, I’ve created lipstick colors through Bite, a popular cosmetics brand. They have a Lip Lab in NYC, and I created two lipstick colors there when I lived in NYC.

If you aren’t able to take a vacay to NYC to do this (which I actually highly recommend doing), you could do it virtually. It’s not quite the same experience, but it would still be a really cool option if you did it virtually.

After you create your own unique color, you get to name it. You could name it after your angel or something else that reminds you of your angel.

If you love this idea, click here for the Lip Lab website.

19. Create A Candle Scent For Them

Lighting a candle is a very common way of remembering someone you’ve lost. So why not create your own scent and name a candle after your angel baby?

Like I mentioned before, scent is so powerfully connected to memories. If you create your own beautiful scent, you’ll have a lovely aroma connected to the memory of your baby.

I did find this company online called Dio Candle Company that offers this service, but I haven’t used their services, so maybe do a little research before you commit. Click here to see what they offer.

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