Miscarriage Support Groups: In-Person, Online, and By Phone

Why Support Groups Work for This Kind of Grief

Miscarriage is common — ACOG estimates that early pregnancy loss occurs in about 10% of clinically recognized pregnancies — and simultaneously invisible. Most people don't tell anyone they're pregnant until the second trimester, which means most people don't tell anyone when that pregnancy ends. The result is a grief that has no public acknowledgment, no funeral, no casserole brigade at your door.

A support group provides the one thing your social circle usually can't: evidence that someone else survived exactly what you're going through. You don't have to talk. Many people attend for weeks before saying anything. The exposure alone — hearing someone articulate the thought you assumed was yours alone — is what makes it work.

In-Person Groups (United States)

SHARE Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support The largest in-person network in the U.S. SHARE chapters hold monthly meetings in hospitals, churches, and community centers across the country. Groups are facilitated by trained bereaved parents. Free. Find a chapter at nationalshare.org.

Compassionate Friends Primarily serves parents who have lost children at any age, including through miscarriage and stillbirth. Local chapters hold monthly meetings in every U.S. state. Free. Find a chapter at compassionatefriends.org.

M.E.N.D. (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death) Focused on pregnancy loss and neonatal death. Its in-person chapters are in Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Washington; it also offers a nationwide online support group and a monthly Pregnancy After Loss group. Find current locations and meeting details at mend.org/local.

Hospital-based groups Many hospital labor and delivery departments run their own bereavement support groups. Ask your OB-GYN's office or the hospital social worker. These are often the most accessible because they meet at the hospital where you delivered, the staff knows your case, and they're free.

Online Communities

Postpartum Support International (PSI) Online Groups PSI runs free, facilitated online support groups specifically for pregnancy and infant loss. Sessions are on Zoom, scheduled weekly, and limited in size so everyone gets a chance to speak. Register at postpartum.net.

Reddit r/Miscarriage and r/BabyLoss These are peer communities, not facilitated groups — so the quality varies. But the volume of lived experience is enormous, and the anonymity allows people to say things they can't say anywhere else. The moderation is active and compassionate.

Still Standing Magazine An online magazine and resource hub built by and for loss parents. It publishes essays and stories from bereaved parents across different types of pregnancy and infant loss. stillstandingmag.com.

Glow Community's Pregnancy & Child Loss group Glow Community has a group for pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth, and child loss. It is one group in the broader Glow community, not an app designed only for loss. Find it at glowing.com/community.

Phone Hotlines

Sometimes you need a human voice at 2 a.m. and a text thread won't do.

Postpartum Support International Helpline: Call 1-800-944-4773 (#1 for Spanish, #2 for English); text in English at 1-800-944-4773 or in Spanish at 971-203-7773. The helpline is available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time and is not a crisis line. It connects callers with a trained volunteer who can listen and help find local resources.

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. Free, 24/7, 365 days a year. Provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community organizations. Covers mental health and substance use.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988. If grief has become a safety concern — suicidal thoughts, self-harm ideation, inability to care for yourself — this is the number.

International

United Kingdom Miscarriage UK (miscarriageuk.org) offers a telephone helpline, live chat, and support groups. Sands (sands.org.uk) serves families after stillbirth and neonatal death with local support groups, an online forum, and a helpline (0808 164 3332).

Canada The Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network (pailnetwork.sunnybrook.ca) offers peer-led group and individual support to families who live in Ontario. Bereaved Families of Ontario (bereavedfamilies.net) offers both peer support and professional counseling.

Australia Red Nose Australia (rednose.org.au) provides grief and loss support after the death of a baby or child, including a 24/7 support line at 1300 308 307 and online or in-person groups. Bears of Hope (bearsofhope.org.au) provides peer support and memory-making resources; call 1300 11 HOPE for support information. Its number is not a 24-hour line.

New Zealand SANDS New Zealand (sands.org.nz) has parent-run regional groups, online support chats, and phone support. Call 0508 726 372 or email info@sands.org.nz to find a local group; services differ by group.

How to Choose

If you want structure and facilitation: PSI online groups or SHARE in-person chapters. A trained facilitator keeps the conversation from spiraling and ensures quieter members get heard.

If you want to lurk first: Reddit or Still Standing Magazine. No commitment, no registration, no pressure to participate.

If you need immediate crisis support at any hour: Call or text 988. The PSI helpline is a support line, not a crisis service, and is available 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time.

If your loss was recent (within weeks): Hospital-based groups are often the best starting point. They know your medical context and can coordinate with your care team.

If your partner is grieving differently: Some organizations (SHARE, Compassionate Friends) offer separate groups for partners or couples groups. Grieving differently doesn't mean grieving wrong — but it's easier to hear that from someone who's been through it.

Beyond the Group

The Grief During Pregnancy guide includes a resources directory organized by type of support (medical, legal, financial, emotional) and by country, plus communication scripts for asking your care team and employer for what you need.