Madison Angel Babies program gives babies a place to rest

The causes of many stillbirths are unknown. Families are often left grieving without answers to their questions.

Madison Memorial Hospital nurse Jill Clawson said it’s heartbreaking to see families who suffer the loss of an infant.

In Angel Babies program, staff members go through training courses so they can help guide mothers.

“Any baby being from eight to nine weeks or any confirmed pregnancy up until 40 weeks. And sadly we occasionally see a demise at that gestation,” Clawson said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent in the United States, a miscarriage usually refers to a fetal loss fewer than 20 weeks after a woman becomes pregnant, and a stillbirth refers to a loss 20 or more weeks after a woman becomes pregnant.

Clawson said a program like Angel Babies was needed.

“I feel like this is important to the community because here, where we deliver such a high volume of babies, we are seeing more stillborn, seeing more fetal losses and because of that we have to be prepared and be able to offer the best care to these patients that are going through this,” Clawson said.

There are three options that families have regarding the disposition of the baby’s body.

One of the options for parents is to have a baby buried. Sutton Cemetery donated a plot of land in which for babies can be buried. A headstone was also donated by a local monument company, and it reads “Madison Angel Babies.”

“We are able to put several babies out there to rest, and these are babies that are pre-term miscarriages that were born at less than 20 weeks. A lot of times these babies were just disposed of, but now we have grounds where we can take the babies and lay their bodies to rest and have a place for their moms to go out and mourn,” Clawson said.

Items have also been donated to the program by the community including baby clothing, blankets and caskets.

Clawson said other mothers make clothes to help mothers who have lost babies.

“The gowns that were made by a mother who lost her baby, and she donated these gowns for other mothers,” Clawson said.

The Eagle Scouts built and donated more than 20 wooden caskets to the program.

“We have it available for people who can’t afford a casket,” Clawson said.

Memory boxes are also given to the mother, including a gown in which to dress the baby, a card to write the baby’s name and weight and a hat.

Staff members have also gotten involved in the Angel Babies fund.

“We have a program set up for the employees who want to donate a certain amount of their paycheck,” Clawson said.

The money donated goes directly into the program.