In Today’s Issue:

🔗 The best resources I found this week
📖 Deep dive: What Every L&D Nurse Should Know about At-Home Funerals
🩷 Self-care moment: How other nurses responded to our survey

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🔗 The Best Resources I Found This Week

⚖️ Legal Requirements For Home Funerals in Your State
Goes over preservation requirements, mandatory funeral director involvement, and specific regulations for each state (National Home Funeral Alliance)

❓ Home Funeral FAQ
The go-to resource for answering families' most common questions from legality to practical cost breakdowns, addressing concerns you'll hear most often from bereaved families (National Home Funeral Alliance).

🏠 Step-by-Step Home Funeral Arrangement Guide
A practical guide that walks families through the entire home funeral process from preparation to final disposition, including therapeutic benefits and cost comparisons (Funeral Consumers Alliance).

📋 Nursing Research on End-of-Life Care at Home
A Research Review Supporting Comprehensive End-of-Life Decision Making (PMC)

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by: Caring Cradle®

Caring Cradle® A Cooling Cradle for Infant Demise

A Caring Cradle® is a cooling bassinet that is designed to allow families more time with their infant that has died. The cradle comes assembled and is ready for use 30 minutes after being plugged in. With the gel mat properly cooled, it allows families to hold their baby and have that extra time they wouldn’t normally have to create memories.

📖 Deep Dive

At-Home Funeral Options After Stillbirth or Infant Death

Last week at our bereavement training with Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, one topic kept coming up in the chat: "I had no idea families could take their baby home." It got me thinking about how many of you might be in the same boat, wondering what options exist beyond the traditional funeral home route.

Here's the thing—when families are facing the unimaginable loss of their baby, they're often making decisions in a fog of grief while feeling rushed by hospital protocols. But there are choices. Real choices that can make a meaningful difference in their healing journey.

What Are At-Home Funerals?

Simply put, at-home funerals allow families to bring their baby home for a period of time before burial or cremation. It's legal in most states, though requirements vary. The family cares for their baby's body at home, often with the help of a death doula or funeral guide, using cooling methods to preserve the body while they take time to say goodbye.

Dr. Cacciatore, who has both personal and professional experience with this, explains it this way:

Benefits of an At-Home Funeral

Time Without Pressure: Families aren't rushed to make decisions or say goodbye. Siblings can visit. Grandparents can fly in. They can simply be present with their baby.

Financial Relief: With cremation costs often exceeding $700 (as one GRMC nurse noted in our survey), at-home funerals can significantly reduce expenses—a real concern for many families.

Meaningful Rituals: Families can bathe their baby, dress them in special clothes, take unhurried photographs, and create keepsakes in their own space.

Healing Through Care: Research shows that when families are supported in caring for their baby's body, it can foster connection and meaning during an incredibly difficult time.

The Practical Side

Let's be real—this isn't for every family, and that's okay. But for those who choose it, here's what you need to know:

• Legal requirements vary by state (typically, 24-72 hours is allowed)

• Death certificates are still completed by the hospital

• Transportation arrangements need to be made for final disposition

• Support resources like home funeral guides can help families navigate the process

How You Can Help

From your training feedback, I know many of you want to feel more confident in these conversations3. Here's how to start:

Normalize the conversation. One nurse from Rutherford Regional shared that her biggest challenge is "opening conversations about choices". Simply mentioning that families have options—including keeping their baby at home—can be powerful.

Ask what matters to them. Every family is different. Some want every possible moment. Others prefer a different path. Follow their lead.

Connect them with resources. Have information ready about local funeral guides, state regulations, or organizations like the National Home Funeral Alliance.

Advocate for time. Push back against unnecessary rushing. These families deserve unhurried decision-making.

Real Talk

I know this topic can feel overwhelming. A nurse from Franklin Woods Community Hospital, who is herself a bereaved mother, told us: "I am a bereaved mother myself, and I still find my emotions get the best of me and my communication is not as therapeutic as it should be."1

Your compassion—even when it feels imperfect—matters more than you know. You don't have to have all the answers. You just need to care enough to present options and support whatever families choose.

Policy Barriers

The reality is that hospital policies don't always align with what families need most. When you understand your state's laws around home funerals, you're better positioned to advocate for families and work with your administration to create more flexible policies that honor family choices while meeting legal requirements.

The NHFA provides downloadable resources specifically designed for healthcare institutions, including materials for administrators and policymakers to understand legal protections and family rights. These resources help hospitals develop policies that support family choices.

Universal Legal Standing: At-home funerals are legal in all 50 states for bathing, dressing, private viewing, and ceremony as families choose. Every state recognizes next-of-kin custody and control of the body, allowing families the opportunity to hold a home vigil.

State-Specific Requirements: While legal everywhere, requirements vary significantly by state:

• Nine states require families to hire a funeral director for specific tasks like filing paperwork or transporting the body.

• Preservation requirements range from no statutory requirements to specific timeframes (24-72 hours) for embalming or refrigeration.

• Death certificate filing remains a legal requirement that must be completed within specified timeframes.

🩷 Self-care moment

These conversations are heavy. If you find yourself carrying this weight home, remember what one of your colleagues said: the importance of "not bringing it home after a hard day." You're making an enormous difference by simply being present with families in their darkest moments. That's not small work—it's sacred work.

Take care of yourself so you can continue caring for others.