I am trying to complete my list, so I started with getting a hold of her birth certificate. I visisted three websites and have made five calls. I amnow on the line with the hospital, as the state office recommend that I make sure it was actually filed vefore I send my moeny and request off to them. I am now on hold listening to a musak version of "Tears in Heaven." Gosh, thanks.
At least the lady at the hospital is polite. She can;t find any records. She took my info and is no looking while off the line. (No more musak!)
After this, I will try to get a meeting with teh director of the vital office and the director of labor adn delivery to get the protocol set. I will contact Joan at MISS Foundation for some guidance in this.
There was no documentation done while I was int he hospital and no mention that this certificate was available. The only reason I know about it is from hearing about it here and then looking around on the MISS page. So, if you had never heard of this, it wouldn't really be available to you. What if you waited for years before contacting them? Look at all the trouble I am having after five months!
It wasn't so easy to deliver my dead baby, and now it is not so easy to get an official record of it...
Please leave a comment about your experience with this (and if your state even offers it). I hope the law didn't pass after Serenity was born!
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somehow, Gabriel's birth certificate was filled out correctly (Mr. Spit's last name) but his death certificate was filled out with my last name.
Which caused no end of problems. I'm not sure how this happened. There were forms, I signed them. (note to self, check to make sure no bank accounts were emptied)
I got a hold of the Vital Statistics folk, and finally I said, "my baby is dead. My next phone call will be to the government minister. I need to stop making these calls."
The supervisor was wonderful. She verified that I was married to Mr. Spit (therefore was permitted to give my son his father's last name) and sent out the certificate. I don't remember her name, but I am so thankful for her kindness.
Arizona was the FIRST state to pass that Bill, where you can get a Certificate of Birth resulting in a Stillbirth. NY recently killed that Bill... I think half of the States passed the Bill; I am not sure which state you are in.
For sure they helped us filling out the form for the Death Certificate; I can't remember how we got to know we could have the Stillbirth certificate and getting it was easy, just downloaded the form and fill it out.
I think there are some websites out there that offer a "Certificate of Life" in the case that that Bill had not been passed in your state. Of course, it is not government issued, but it still is "something".... hth!
Janis- my state has it and the state office knows about it. I just think it is so new that the hospitals are a bit behind. But when the lady from the hospital called me back she said that she was filling in today. I will call on Monday when the regular person is there. They are likely more up-to-speed. thanks...
Hospitals do struggle with both accepting responsibility for and compliance with these new laws. I am just so sorry you continue to struggle with what is rightly yours.
I recommend contacting the registrar of vital records. Please email me directly if you'd like some help.
My state still does not offer one, although there's a bill in the process of getting passed. I have a death certificate. Apparently, you can still die even though you were never born. Weird, huh?
I wish a similar thing was offered ere in Canada. I hope you have better luck than I did accessing the documents you want. You would think that they could make this process easier, but nothing about this is, is it?
The hospital says that it properly submitted the info o the state, so I have sent my check for $15 off to the Office of Vital Records.
Well, the state has sent back an envelope with my request form. No certificate on their records. They suggest I contact the hospital (I DID- they don't have their act together) or the funeral home. I will try the funeral home because the guy there was really nice. He might at least tell me who to contact at the hospital. Jeez, can you just stab me in the heart, cause this feels soooo great.
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