Branch is an inclusive peer-support community for anyone affected by infertility, pregnancy loss or baby loss - including those trying to conceive, pregnant or parenting after loss.
We bring together people who truly understand, so you can feel seen, heard and less alone. Whether you want to talk from the privacy of your phone, meet others online or in person, or find practical support to help you through what comes next, Branch is here.
You don’t have to go through this alone.
Our 3 key types of support:
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WhatsApp Support Groups
Connect with people by experience of loss, stage of journey, location, and cause of loss - in a private WhatsApp Community of 50+ moderated groups.
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Events and Meet-ups
Join informal online support group meets, local walks and coffees, wellbeing sessions, remembrance events and fundraisers with people who understand.
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Workplace Support
Branch provides training, talks and resources for employers and healthcare professionals, helping them better support bereaved parents.
Branch's WhatsApp Community
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Branch's WhatsApp Community ~
Find people who understand
In our moderated WhatsApp Community
Often, the person you most need to speak to is someone who has been there too.
Our inclusive WhatsApp community has over 50 moderated chat groups, helping you connect with people who really get what you’re going through, and live close by. You can join as many or as few groups as you choose, chat whenever you feel ready, and access 24/7 peer support from your phone whenever you need it.
Every experience matters. There is no hierarchy of grief at Branch.
“It has been a lifeline at times. The evenings are dark and so tough… the group is always there and someone always responds. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.”
— Branch Community Member
Branch WhatsApp groups enable people to connect by:
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Experience of Loss
Groups for early and late miscarriage, recurrent loss, ectopic and molar pregnancies, termination for medical reasons (TFMR), stillbirth, neonatal death, twin and multiple loss, and the death of a child.
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Stages of the Journey
Groups for infertility and IVF, trying to conceive after loss, pregnancy after loss, parenting rainbow babies, parenting after loss, adoption, surrogacy, and considering stopping trying.
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Conditions and Causes of Loss
Groups connecting people affected by maternal health and pregnancy complications, placental, cord and growth issues, genetic and congenital conditions, and unexplained loss.
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Relationship and Identity
Groups for dads and partners, solo parents, grandparents, family and friends, LGBTQIA+ bereaved parents, non-native English speakers, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
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UK-Wide Locations
Regional groups across the whole of the UK and Republic of Ireland, alongside support for international members and people living in the UK who would like to connect in another language.
How joining works
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1. Complete our short sign-up form.
This helps us keep the community safe and guide you towards relevant groups.
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2. Join the Branch WhatsApp Community and see announcements.
This is where we share community-wide news, meet-ups, events and support opportunities.
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3. Browse the groups and request to join the ones that feel right for you.
Choose groups based on your experience, stage, location or identity.
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4. A friendly moderator will welcome you into each group.
You can introduce yourself, join conversations, ask questions or simply read until you feel ready to join the conversations.
Our 50+ groups are supported by trained volunteer moderators with lived experience of baby loss.
Every group has a dedicated Moderator, supported by two Head Moderators who help oversee the wider community.
Volunteers complete safeguarding, suicide-awareness and community moderation training, with DBS checks undertaken where appropriate to their role. Clear community guidelines help us keep every group safe, inclusive and supportive - no bots, spam or unsolicited messages allowed!
Meet-ups and Events
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Meet-ups and Events ~
Meet up, online and in person
Whether it’s meeting someone you’ve met in our WhatsApp groups for a local coffee or walk, or attending one of our Zoom group meets or wellness sessions, our meet-ups and events provide gentle, informal ways to meet with others who understand. No need to explain or minimise what you’ve experienced.
Our online meet-ups include:
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Community-Wide Meet-ups
Monthly online meet-ups for anyone navigating pregnancy loss, baby loss or infertility
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Pregnancy & Parenting After Loss Meet-ups
Monthly online meet-ups for people who are pregnant after loss or parenting a rainbow baby
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Seasonal and Specific Support
Experience and seasonal sessions such as TFMR meets, and meets at tough times like Mother’s Day
“Branch made me feel seen and heard... and probably saved me from slipping into depression following our losses. Branch’s online meet-ups and WhatsApp groups have given me much-needed support and understanding.”
— Branch Community Member
Branch’s other events include:
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Informal, in-person walks, coffees and catch-ups across the UK
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Wellbeing activities such as yoga, Pilates and breathwork
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Regular runs where members can “move in memory” of their babies
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Remembrance and collaborative events including wave of light
Making lasting friendships
Connecting in our WhatsApp groups before and after our online or in-person meet-ups and events can make attending for the first time feel less daunting. It also means conversations can grow into genuine, lasting friendships - with many members becoming friends for life.
Workplace Support
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Workplace Support ~
Training, talks and workplace support
The understanding — or lack of it — that someone encounters at work, in healthcare settings and in everyday life can make a huge difference to how supported they feel following pregnancy loss, baby loss or infertility.
Our training, talks and toolkits equip employers and healthcare professionals with the understanding and practical tools to better support staff and patients through these experiences - helping them thrive, not just survive.
Branch provides talks, training and resources for:
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Employers, HR teams and managers
helping workplaces respond to infertility, pregnancy loss and baby loss with greater confidence, compassion and consistency
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Charities, universities and organisations
through awareness sessions, research partnerships and co-produced events and support resources
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Healthcare professionals
strengthening understanding of bereaved families’ experiences and improving care and communication
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Bereaved parents and families
offering shared insight and practical tools to help navigate loss, grief, pregnancy after loss and parenting after loss
Trusted by the NHS, Sands and Tommys
Our work combines lived experience, the collective insight of our community and professional expertise.
We’ve delivered talks and training for organisations including the NHS, NatWest, University of Manchester and Salford University. We’ve trained hundreds of student midwives in bereavement care, and presented at the Tommy’s National Rainbow Clinic Conference led by Professor Heazell (Director at Tommy’s Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre and Professor of Obstetrics at University of Manchester).
If you’re looking for support for yourself, your team, or your patients, we’d love to hear from you.
The Impact of Connection
Peer support can’t take away what’s happened. But being able to talk openly, be understood and find others at a similar point in their journey can make grief feel a lot less isolating and make life after loss much more manageable.
In our latest survey of 68 members:
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98%
found the Branch WhatsApp community helpful
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97%
felt less isolated in their experience of baby loss or infertility since joining Branch
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95%
said Branch was as or more helpful than other forms of support, including counselling
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87%
felt Branch helps bridge a gap in the support currently available
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100%
said they would recommend Branch to someone going through something similar
Meet Laura and Ellie
Laura and Ellie first connected through several Branch groups after they had both experienced TFMR. They met in person during the Branch UK Relay and discovered that they lived only ten minutes apart. They later had their rainbow babies just days apart, attended each other’s baby showers and spent their maternity leave together. They’re now firm friends.
Meet Zoe and Rachel
Zoe and Rachel met through Branch and went on to have their rainbow babies in the same hospital, just one day apart. They recovered together in adjacent postnatal rooms and went on to support each other through parenting after loss.
Meet Nick and Karl
Nick and Karl met in Branch’s group for bereaved dads. After discovering they live closeby, they went on to meet for regular walks and runs, and took part in one of Branch’s “Move in Memory” fundraisers together in memory of their babies.
From shared experience to lasting friendship
Across the UK - and wider world - Branch is bringing together bereaved mums, dads, partners, kids and wider families to form lasting friendships with others who understand.
“What feels like such a sad and lonely time turned out to be one of the times I’ve felt most seen and supported.”
— Branch Community Member
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