Support for Miscarriage, Infertility, & Infant Loss

• Blessing of Parents After Miscarriage or Stillbirth from the USCCB. This blessing is provided to assist the parents in their grief and console them with the blessing of God.
• This chart describes various Catholic Liturgical Rites available for those who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, or a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis.
• Naming Ceremony of a Child Lost to Miscarriage or Stillbirth from the Diocese of Fargo. This is another prayer option for naming your child, and the role of the presider can be done by a parent, grandparent, sibling or friend.
• Order for the Naming and Commendation of an Infant Who Died before Birth from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Naming your child is an important step in the grieving process. You can ask your parish priest to pray this with you. It is also available in Spanish.

Covenant Resources Miscarriage Ministry™ is a non-profit ministry specializing in miscarriage resources, supplies, burial options, and memorial items for families, churches, and medical and funeral facilities.

One way to bring this ministry to your parish is by providing access to their miscarriage supply totes. These totes include various items to assist in the dignified recovery of a miscarried baby's remains in preparation for burial. By having a few of these totes available you can directly minister to moms in your parish during their time of need.

This ministry is currently at St. John's Catholic Church in Adel, Ss. John and Paul Catholic Church in Altoona, and the Basilica of St. John in Des Moines.

In the state of Iowa infant loss after 20 weeks is considered a stillbirth and requires a fetal death certificate, with hospitals being required to provide for disposal (either through burial or cremation). Many parents don't realize that if they miscarry before 20 weeks they still have a legal right to request possession of the remains for burial/cremation.

What to Do:

• Learn about the process of obtaining your child's remains. This brochure from Behold Your Child explains the process of obtaining your child's remains at home vs. at a hospital and briefly covers the burial process.
• Talk to your healthcare provider. Discuss your options with your provider immediately and ask about any required paperwork with your doctor or hospital.
• Contact a funeral home or cemetery. Local funeral directors can guide you through options for burial and cremation following a miscarriage. Some cemeteries have dedicated areas for early losses and others will allow families to bury their child on another family member's plot.

Iowa Cemeteries Offering Miscarriage Burial

There are currently two cemeteries in Iowa that have a dedicated section for the burial of miscarried babies - Oakdale Memorial Gardens in Davenport and Hamilton’s Funeral and After Life Services in Des Moines.

• Solace and Strength in the Sorrow of Miscarriage from the USCCB includes an article, bulletin insert, and pamphlet that you can order to have available in your parish.

The first recommended step in your infertility journey is to meet with an NFP instructor to start charting your cycle. You can learn more about Natural Family Planning and find a local instructor at dmdiocese.org/NFP.

Local Providers:

• Vitae Family Care, located in West Des Moines, IA, uses the Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System (CrMS) and NaProTechnology® to help women who are struggling with infertility, recurrent miscarriages, or other gynecologic conditions.
• The Saint Paul VI Institute, located in Omaha, NE, is the home of Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System (CrMS) and NaProTechnology®.
• St. Luke's Infertility, Life-Limiting Prenatal Diagnosis, and Pregnancy & Infant Loss Ministry has compiled a list of OB/GYN Care Physicians in the Des Moines Metro Area that will respect Catholic teaching when discussing and providing options for treating infertility.

Online Directories:

• The Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine refers patients to an RRM physician near them.
• MyCatholicDoctor.com is the largest platform of Catholic physicians who are trained in Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM) in the USA.

Do you have questions about what is available to you as a Catholic for treating infertility? Read through to learn more about the Church teaching on IVF, guidelines for Catholic couples using reproductive technology, and things to consider while navigating infertility.

• A Catholic Primer on In Vitro Fertilization (January 2025, English/Spanish)
• IVF Destroys Human Life, Bishops Urge Ethical Alternatives (February 20, 2025)
• Parish Leader Kit: IVF & Other Assisted Reproductive Technologies (February 2025, English/Spanish)
• Reproductive Technology Guidelines for Catholic Couples, 2020 USCCB
• Seven Considerations While Navigating Infertility, 2016 Respect Life Program 

If you are experiencing infertility, you are not alone. An estimated 1 in 6 people are experience infertility, defined as the inability to conceive after one year of trying. The following ministries specialize in supporting Catholic couples experiencing infertility.

• Springs in the Desert (blog, podcast, support ministry)

As an important ministry of the monks of New Melleray Abbey, caskets are offered in compassion and faith at no cost to families who have lost a child. By providing children’s caskets, the monks’ prayer is that all children will be commended to God’s love and care forever. The Trappist monks of New Melleray Abbey and local laypersons build caskets from solid woods using fine-woodworking methods. Each casket is crafted from premium red oak and comes with a personalized keepsake cross.