FAQs - Families

Baby remembrance photography is a specialised form of photography that focuses on capturing images of babies who have passed away.  We understand the desire to remember your baby and to be able to share their image with loved ones and throughout the years ahead. 

People will often take their own images on their phones or other devices. NILMDTS Ireland provides a supplementary service in addition to that option. We offer the service of professional photography at zero cost to bereaved families. One of our volunteer photographers will come to you and take professional images of your baby and your family group if you wish. They will then edit the photos in black and white and will provide you with high resolution images for you to print or share. 

We know that these photographs will serve as a treasured memento of your baby’s life, and a tangible representation of their place in your family.

No, this service is completely free. It is our gift to you at what we know is an incredibly difficult time. Some families choose to donate or carry out fundraising for NILMDTS Ireland at some point in the future, but there is absolutely no pressure to do this. We are honoured to be able to provide this service and support to you.

Firstly, please be assured that there is no requirement to do or give anything in exchange for our gift of remembrance photography. This is a completely free and voluntary service. If however you do wish to support our service now or into the future there are a few ways you can do so.

• Share your story and/or images. We always love to share the wonderful families we support. Sharing these stories and images helps to normalise and celebrate remembrance photography and helps to create the community we know is so important to bereaved families. Drop us a message and we’ll be in contact to discuss.

• Volunteer. We are always looking for volunteers to answer our phone lines, perform admin tasks and of course to take photographs. More detail of volunteer roles are available here.

• Donate to support us in continuing to provide this service.

Thank you for considering donating to support our work.

Donating is easy to do through our website here.

There are also a number of ways to maximise the impact of your donation.

• If your donation is €250 or more you can complete a form which will allow us to claim a refund of tax paid on the donation. More information on the charitable donation scheme here.

• Many employers will also contribute to or even match charitable donations made by their employees. It may be worth checking your employer’s policy on this.

Our service is available to families whose babies are stillborn or pass away shortly after birth, usually when families have not had the opportunity to bring them home or to have portraits taken. The service is available from 23 weeks gestation.  The upper guidelines are generally in line with the definition of neonatal death which is defined as death within the first 28 days of life. We are also in some cases able to complete end-of-life sessions where the baby is receiving end-of-life care.

NILMDTS have a universal policy of only providing black and white images. We want to be able to provide images which allow you to remember your baby in a way which is gentle and compassionate. Our post production work really relies on the nature of black and white to provide you with this.  

Our photographers are trained to encourage families to also take their own photographs, providing an additional avenue for capturing precious moments. This allows you to have your own collection of images alongside those captured by our volunteer photographers. Additionally, taking your own photos ensures that you have colour images and pictures of your baby when the photographer is not present.

Our volunteers love getting notes of appreciation to know the value of their time and talents. We know that in the time of grief it is not expected to remember who your photographer was let alone share any words of appreciation, but it is never too late to reach out to your volunteer photographer or digital retouch artist to provide your gratitude.

In order to share your appreciation you can contact us on this form and we will be sure to pass on your appreciation. If you aren’t sure of your photographer’s name don’t worry. We have all of that information on file. 

Please note that volunteers cannot accept any monetary gifts but we welcome you to donate to the NILMDTS mission if you feel so inclined.

Although there is no pressure to do so, we are always honoured to be able to share your story and your beautiful baby’s images. We are happy to share whatever you are comfortable with. In some cases that may be images of hands and feet, while for other people they are comfortable sharing images of the baby’s face and other family members. We want you to feel completely comfortable with what (if anything) we share. We will never share your images publicly without your express consent to do so. 

We know that sharing images creates a sense of community empathy and helps to destigmatise baby loss. Your photographs would accompany posts we create to spread awareness about NILMDTS and help recruit volunteers for NILMDTS Ireland. Our hope is that no family would ever have to go without photographs of their baby simply because they have never heard of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. If you would be willing to allow us to share the beautiful photographs of your sweet baby, please contact us so we can provide the additional consent form.

NILMDTS Ireland is a secular organisation. We are not affiliated with or limited to a specific religious denomination. We respect everyone’s choice of religion or no religion.

As the parent and holder of the consent form, you are more than welcome to post your NILMDTS photos on your personal social media pages whenever you feel comfortable! 

We ask that you let us know before the photographs are used for any media stories, other organisations, or any monetary purposes other than direct funding for you and your family. We would need to watermark any images that would be approved for these purposes outside of personal use.

Thank you, and we are sending our thoughts to you as you start your journey of finding ways to honour your precious baby!

The organisation NILMDTS was established in April of 2005, only two short months after Co-founder Cheryl Haggard suffered the loss of her son, Maddux Achilles Haggard. This organisation exists because Cheryl wanted other families to have this gift of remembrance photography at no cost.

The service was brought into Ireland in 2015 and was registered as a charity here in 2023. 

While parents sometimes at first do not think about receiving images of their baby, they are always thankful they did. A number of parents who had losses prior to NILMDTS existing wish they could have benefited from our services. Some may feel uncomfortable about the thought of taking photographs of their baby during this time; however, we recommend they seriously consider our services. They do not have to look at the photographs immediately, but they will be there when they are ready.  They cannot take this moment back. 

Remembrance photography is a very important step in the healing process. Photographs are one of the most precious and tangible mementos that a parent can have, showing the love and bond that was given and shared with their baby. These portraits will last for generations and will honour and remember a tiny life that is forever loved and cherished.

Please accept our sincere condolences on the loss of your precious baby. We would love to help you get your images retouched.

Please use our contact form to request digital retouching. We will be in touch to support you in sharing your photos and completing the nessesary simple paperwork to allow us to work on them.

Once we receive the images, please allow our team approximately 12-18 weeks to complete the retouching. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions.

Many families are caught off-guard without time to plan for photos. Please know that our photographers are trained to work around this, as many of our families do not have the opportunity to prepare in advance for a session.

If you are able to take time to consider how you dress, we would recommend solid colours. Nothing too dark, like black, and not white. Since the photos will be in black and white or sepia, matching colours does not need to be a concern. Avoiding busy patterns or logos/words that may draw attention in your images is recommended. Please note, that all of this is completely optional. Wear whatever you are comfortable in. 

Bring any sentimental items you want to be photographed with your baby (wedding rings, stuffed animals, crochet blanket, hand and feet moulds, etc.)

Standard Gift

Our standard gift to families includes images on approved media, which have been gently retouched and converted to black and white or sepia, along with a print release. Images are high-resolution jpeg files that could print to a minimum of 8×10 size. The normal delivery time for the families to receive their images is 12-18 weeks. If requested, the photographer may be able to email a few images to the family in time for a memorial service or funeral.

• A complimentary intimate portrait session conducted by a professional-level trained NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer

• A collection of professional quality portraits gently retouched in black and white

• Images delivered within 12-18 weeks

• Unlimited access to your private online gallery delivered via email

• Free digital download of all photographs with a print release

• A copy of your images on a USB will be posted to you.

Your Session

If you learn before your delivery that your baby has a life-limiting condition, please notify the dispatcher team member of your delivery date. If you do not have a scheduled C-section or induction date, let them know your due date. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Once you are at the hospital or if you learn about NILMDTS at the hospital, we ask that you have a care provider call NILMDTS, so you can focus on the delivery of your baby and spend time with your baby.

Take Your Own Photographs

The purpose of a NILMDTS photographer is to create monochromatic professional images of an intimate portrait session. Our photographer will only be there for 30-45 minutes, so you have more time alone with your baby. We encourage you to also take pictures with your own camera or phone of the other moments spent with your baby while the photographer is not there. You can never have too many.

Life Support

If your baby is on life support, a NILMDTS photographer will be available to capture photographs before the baby is removed from life support or after.

That’s entirely up to your preference. Some families choose to just have the parents and baby present. Others wish to have siblings of the baby or a wider family group of grandparents etc. We Would advise if other children are present that someone is available to take them out of the room for some of the session to allow the photographer to focus on getting the detailed images of the baby.