University Hospital

Perinatal Bereavement Program

What Can I Donate?

Donate Materials

If you have materials:  Fabric and baby yarn for clothing must be white, pale pink or pale blue; for envelopes, you can add lavender, purple and yellow.  Buttons, ribbons (including purple for the envelopes) etc. can also be donated to provide materials for those who have talents to share but no materials.  We also have need of small, NEW stuffed animals (OSHA requires they be new, but can be purchased or made) to use to take pictures of the babies with.  We then give the stuffed animal to the family as a memento.

Donate Money

You can also make a financial donation that can be used to purchase supplies – baby rings, folders, materials, etc. that cannot be made.  Go to www.uhospitalfoundation.org for information to make a secure donation.  Be sure to specify your donation to go to Perinatal Bereavement.

Professional photographers from the national organization NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP who donate their photography talents and photographs to these families at their own expense are available.  We can give you contact information.  If you’d like to donate to them to help defray their expenses, check out their website, www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/donate.

Donate Sewing, Knitting or Crocheting Talents

If you sew, knit or crochet:  You can make clothing for these little babies.  Links to available patterns are available below or you can use your own.  Keep things compact and with as little bulk as possible so as not to overpower the little body…depending on your needle size, etc. you may need to scale down so that your item fits the inches guidelines.  Make them easy-access to make dressing these fragile bodies easier (large openings, maybe leave the back open and use Velcro or ties, etc.)  Please use white, pale pink or pale blue fabric or yarn.  Often families will use these outfits for burial as tiny clothing is not readily available, so work carefully and make it nice.  You do NOT have to produce any number of items – you may make one thing or donate on a continuous basis.  We welcome all our volunteers efforts!

What is most needed right now:  

  • Ash bags
  • fabric envelopes
  • all sizes of boy clothing, links below
  • small decorated boxes
  • small new stuffed animals.

Bag for Ashes

The fabric for the bags should be WHITE (eyelet or white-on-white), preferably a woven.
  1. Cut a piece of fabric 11”x14’.  Fold in half, RIGHT sides together, the long way.
  2. On the bottom of the rectangle, measure from the corner in 1 ½’ and cut straight up 1”, then over, so you have cut out a box in the corner.  Do the same to the opposite corner.  This should give you a rectangle with one side on a fold with two 1” squares cut out of the bottom corners.
  3. Beginning at the top of the cut side opposite from the fold, sew a ¼” seam down, across, down, across, up across and anchor stitch.  Clip corners, turn and press.  This gives you a bag with a boxy bottom.
  4. Sew a small hem along the top edge.
  5. We use these bags to “wrap” the boxes of ashes and tie with a ribbon.

Fabric Packet Envelopes

  1. Cut two pieces of fabric (stretchy does NOT work), 31 ½” by 14 ½”.  Be sure there is some body to the fabric.  Quilted for one of the pieces works very well!
  2. Place right sides together and sew ½” seam all around the edge, leaving a small area open to turn right side out.  You will now have a finished-edge rectangle.  Turn and stitch area left open when you turned right side out, press.
  3. Fold one of the 14” edges up 11” toward the middle and stitch ½” seam on both sides to make a pocket.
  4. Fold top down and decorate flap with a button, ribbon, bow, etc.
  5. Pre-quilted fabric works well for one side of these envelopes with flannel or cotton on the other.  For envelopes, please keep color WHITW, pale pink, pale blue, lavender, purple or yellow and if not plain, the prints small, appropriate for a baby who has died – nothing too cheery please.

Sizing Guide

(your items do not need to match

this exactly, but it gives you an idea!)

SIZE A (1-3#)

Chest: 3-4" across

Neck to feet: 10"

Head circumference: 9-9 1/2"

Hat length: 2-4"

Blanket size: 18-24"

SIZE B (3-6#)

Chest: 4-5" across

Neck to feet: 14 1/2"

Head circumference: 10-11 1/2"

Hat length: 5-6"

Feet: 2-2 1/2" long

BLANKET SIZE: 24-30"

SIZE C (6-8#)

Chest: 6-7 1/2" across

Neck to feet: 14 1/2"

Head circumference: 121/2-13"

Hat length: 7-8"

Feet: 3" long

BLANKET SIZE: 36"

Pattern Links

You may use your own if you like, but below are links to websites with lovely patterns for sewing and crochet projects.

  1. www.threadsoflove.org
    Go to patterns and prayers, then burial gowns (girls dress) or preemie patterns (daygown , easy), knitted cap, crocheted cap
  2. www.carewear.org
    Go to patterns on the left side navigator bar, then Lorrabelle’s Gown, x-small boys gown (on this one, do not make into square- either hem or make into a drawstring), baby boys interment outfit
  3. www.warmheartswarmbabies.org
     Patterns, then preemie burial gown (girl)
  4. www.bevscountrycottage.com/bereavement-gowns.html
    Melinda’s Preemie shell gown
    Preemie boy burial set
    Ruth’s burial gown (has hat)
    3-5lb burial gown
    Gown for baby born asleep
    Lenore’s knitted gown
    Knitted gown for Cooper Hospital (could be for boy)
    Burial gown from careware (knit)
    Carewear burial gown and cap (boy/girl – crochet)
    Sleeping sack (knit for boy)
    Newborn burial gown (crochet – crochet hats)
  5. www.touching littlelives.org/knitting
    Ellens knit blanket
    Knit hat