Step away – while staying connected to your career.
Join a Branch Antenatal Cohort for women preparing to go on maternity leave
As leave gets closer, it's natural to feel both excitement and apprehension. For many women, this is the first time they’ve stepped away from the career they’ve built.
In this cohort, you’ll map what matters to you, meet others on the same path, and build a plan you can take with you into leave and beyond.
How it worksJoin a Branch cohort — your professional antenatal group
Form relationships with women on the same journey.
Each cohort brings together a group of women preparing to go on leave. You’ll connect in pairs and small groups to support one another and create new relationships for this next chapter.
Build a plan to step away, while staying connected
Over five sessions, Branch facilitators guide you through conversations and practical tools. We cover everything from effective handovers and structuring your leave, to identity shifts and future ambitions.
Join a network of women building careers and families.
Your cohort is just the beginning of your Branch membership. You’ll join a growing alumni network of women who have navigated this transition and continue to support one another.
What the experience looks like
A five-week remote journey with a Branch facilitator, guiding you through our playbook for stepping away and staying connected.
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Five weekly sessions led by a Branch facilitator. Cover everything from handing over well to thinking ahead about the career you want to come back to.
~1 hour per week diary commitment
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Your go-to guide through the practical and emotional side of stepping away. From structuring your leave to managing your professional identity while you're off, it's everything we wish someone had given us before we went on leave.
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Stay connected with your cohort throughout the programme and beyond. A peer group that complements your antenatal network, with one crucial difference: everyone's also figuring out who they are at work.
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We facilitate 1:1 introductions across the cohort and wider network. Our members find huge value in using Branch to connect with women in similar roles and industries.
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Branch membership connects you to a wider network of women building careers and families through our directory and member events.
Member Testimonial“What made it truly special was the strong community of women who were all navigating similar challenges. I felt connected, supported, and it reminded me that I wasn’t alone.
— Felicia Oon, Private Equity Business Development at Amazon Web Services
Antenatal cohorts
For women preparing to go on maternity leave.
When
18th May to 19th June 2026
Online sessions held on Wednesday lunchtimes
When
20th July to 21st August
Online sessions held on Wednesday lunchtimes
When
19th October to 20th November
Online sessions held on Wednesday lunchtimes
Frequently Asked Questions
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Branch is for career-minded women navigating the transition into working motherhood.
Our members care deeply about their work and want to continue building meaningful careers while starting or growing their families.
Women join from a wide range of industries, including consulting, law, technology, finance, media, government and startups.
What they share is a desire to build both a career and a family with intention.
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You can join at either transition point:
Antenatal cohorts are designed for women in the months leading up to maternity leave.
Return-to-work cohorts are for women about to return to work or within the first six months of being back.
If you’re slightly outside these windows but feel the programme would be valuable, you’re very welcome to join.
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Yes! Branch cohorts are fully remote, so women can join from anywhere.
Sessions are designed to fit around working schedules and parental leave, and many members join from across the UK and internationally.
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Each cohort runs for five weeks, with one ~60-minute online session per week, usually held at lunchtime.
Alongside the live sessions, there are a few light-touch ways to stay engaged with the cohort:
A WhatsApp group for informal conversation and support between sessions
Short themed playbook content shared by email each week
Opportunities to connect with other members in your cohort
There’s no expectation to do everything. The aim is to create a supportive rhythm across the five weeks, without adding pressure to an already busy stage of life.
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Branch cohorts are led by experienced facilitators who have first-hand experience of returning to their careers after maternity leave.
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The majority of members have their place funded by their employer as part of professional development or parental leave support.
If helpful, we can provide information you can share with your organisation.
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The Member Directory helps Branch members discover and connect with one another.
You can use it to find women across industries, roles and locations within the community. The network can help whether you’re looking for advice, collaboration, or simply to meet others on a similar journey.
If you prefer not to be listed, you can leave the directory at any time.
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Yes, members can choose to join both transition cohorts.
You can sign up for both at a combined rate. If you have previously joined a Branch cohort, we can also offer an equivalent discount for returning members.
Just contact us, and we’ll share the details.
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We include more information about this in our funding guide.
For people who cannot secure employer funding, we can offer a reduced rate. Please contact us to find out more.