What graces are flowing from this discussion!  A couple of listeners, including SuperMommy herself, sent in this EXCELLENT little document that explains how to go about Conditionally Baptizing a miscarried baby person.  It is a Conditional Baptism because, of course, it can’t be known if the little person is dead, or if the soul still dwells in the body.  So the form is, “IF YOU ARE ABLE TO BE BAPTIZED…”

Since most miscarriages occur in the first trimester, it is important for Mom and Dad to both learn how to identify the tiny person in the tiny amniotic sac, usually concealed in a blood clot, and open the sac thus exposing the baby – because the waters of baptism need to touch the baby.  Of course, some miscarriages happen so early that the mother doesn’t even know that she was pregnant, and just thinks it is a menstrual period.  There is nothing that can be done about that, and we rely on the Divine Providence.  HOWEVER, it is a great consolation for the parents to know that if a miscarriage occurs, that they did everything they could.  Then they know that if the soul of the baby was still with the body that they did, in fact, baptize their child.  If not, then, again, it goes to the Divine Providence, but what a consolation to know that every effort was made!

This text is a PDF document (and SuperNerd made a plain-text version here).  I recommend downloading it and spreading it far and wide.  This is truly invaluable information.

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