New Mothers' Experiences with Online Postpartum Forums

Purpose: To explore women's experiences with an online forum during the postpartum period. Study Design and Methods: All women involved in an online postpartum “birth club” on Babycenter.com during the first 6 months postpartum were invited to participate in the study. Participant characteristics and baseline mental well-being data were obtained along with their response to three open-ended questions about their experiences participating in an online mothers group. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used to analyze data. Results: Women (N = 393) who responded to open-ended questions were 29.2 (SD = 5.3) years old, Caucasian (85%), married or in a committed relationship (81%), and lived in the United States (75%). Ninety percent (n = 354) completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screening Scale, of whom 18% (n = 65) scored ≥13, indicating risk of developing postpartum depression. Data analysis revealed five themes. The themes were integrated under the holistic concept of community and included 1) social support; 2) anonymity; 3) in-groups; 4) drama; and 5) entertainment/pastime. Clinical Implications: Findings suggest online forums can provide social support for new mothers. They can facilitate sharing of information, act as a source of entertainment, and provide a sense of community for participants who might otherwise feel isolated due to the demands of new motherhood. Nurses working with childbearing women should be aware of th...
Source: MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing - Category: Nursing Tags: Feature Source Type: research