“I did a lot of Googling”: A qualitative study of exclusive breastfeeding support through social media

Alianmoghaddam, Narges; Phibbs, Suzanne; Benn, Cheryl

doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2018.05.008

Cited by 81 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…This study showed that women were finding this support online, both from trained breastfeeding peer supporters who were affiliated with local groups and from women in an untrained capacity. This finding confirms the results of previous studies on online breastfeeding support that found emotional support to be a key theme (Cowie, Hill, & Robinson, 2011;Burman, 2012;Alianmoghaddam, Phibbs, & Benn, 2018;Bridges et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Experiences of online breastfeeding support: Support and reassurance versus judgement and misinformation

Regan

Brown

2019

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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Breastfeeding support is integral to many women's successful breastfeeding experiences. However, cuts to professional and peer support services, distance from family, and a predominant formula‐feeding culture mean that many women in the United Kingdom do not receive the support they need. Turning to online support is an increasingly popular means of gaining both informational and emotional support, but research into online breastfeeding support groups is sparse in the United Kingdom. Data from Australia and the United States tend to focus on the positives: Women value such groups, finding information, reassurance, and a feeling of belonging. This study explored 14 women's experiences of using online support for breastfeeding in the United Kingdom, using semistructured interviews to understand their motivations and positive and negative experiences. Mothers were drawn to online support due to a lack of professional, familial, and partner support. Online support was reassuring, empathetic, and available around the clock and less daunting than attending a face‐to‐face group. Many attributed their continued breastfeeding to the support they received. However, women also experienced negativities: judgement for using formula, polarised debate, and a lack of regulation, meaning that unhelpful information was sometimes posted. The findings have important implications for those working to support mothers. These groups provide a safe space for breastfeeding mothers, but moderation is needed of such groups to ensure information is accurate and debate respectful. Online support groups are currently plugging a gap in funded support; they should be in addition not in replacement to professional and trained peer support services.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Experiences of online breastfeeding support: Support and reassurance versus judgement and misinformation

Regan

Brown

2019

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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“…Breastfeeding information and support should be given to both new mothers and significant members of their families to create a supportive environment in the home. With recent advances in internet platforms, it has been suggested that professional health advice and support be offered to postpartum women at home using an internet health platform operated by the relevant hospital or community health centre [48].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…New mothers usually have beliefs about nutritional supplements that differ from those of their mother or mother-in-law. The mothers prefer to obtain their information from social media and to receive support from their peers and professionals [48]. Therefore, breastfeeding diets and physical recovery may also need to be included in future breastfeeding education in China.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Without such support, they often found themselves searching the internet for information or seeking support from friends, but they sometimes received contradictory information that confused them. Recent randomized controlled trials found that mhealth-based interventions were effective at promoting the exclusive breastfeeding rate at 6 months and the breastfeeding duration [48]. This might be considered a potential breastfeeding education format in the future.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“The sweet and the bitter”: mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding in the early postpartum period: a qualitative exploratory study in China

et al. 2020

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Background: In China, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months was only 20.8%. In promoting breastfeeding for newborns, a number of strategies have been initiated by Chinese government. These actions facilitated a high breastfeeding initiation of 77 to 99.9% in different regions. However, the exclusive breastfeeding rates remained low at 6 months resulting from a high rate of perceived insufficient breast milk and complementary feeding during the early days after childbirth. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of women in Shenzhen with regard to breastfeeding in the first 6 weeks after giving birth, to identify the facilitators and barriers impacting their breastfeeding decisions and to identify their perceived support needs that might facilitate breastfeeding in the future. Methods: This was a qualitative exploratory study. Data were collected in November 2018 through semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews. A purposive sample of early postpartum women was recruited from a postpartum clinic of a tertiary maternal hospital in Shenzhen, China. The dataset was analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: A total of 22women were interviewed within the first 6 weeks after delivery. Three themes related to breastfeeding were identified from the transcribed interviews: "breastfeeding facilitators," "breastfeeding barriers," and "recommendations for breastfeeding promotion." Conclusions: Women experienced both joy and suffering in their journey of breastfeeding. Insufficient knowledge of breastfeeding, discomfort, intergenerational disagreements regarding nutritional supplements, and a lack of professional support contributed to difficulties and the threat of discontinuation. A supportive environment for breastfeeding is crucial for women's decision on exclusive breastfeeding and the psychological wellbeing of breastfeeding women. Interventions that target to promote exclusive breastfeeding should include both new mothers and significant family members. Future studies could test the effectiveness of breastfeeding training for home visit nurses to promote exclusive breastfeeding in the early postpartum.

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“…Breastfeeding support is no exception. In a qualitative study among New Zealand mothers, most participants reported seeking breastfeeding advice online and "weak ties" on Facebook (i.e., low proportion of overlapping friend networks) were notable information sources (Alianmoghaddam, Phibbs, & Benn, 2019). Instagram also represents a platform for a supportive breastfeeding environment, gleaned from an analysis of 4,089 Instagram images and 8,331 comments on breastfeeding, which were primarily positive (Marcon, Bieber, & Azad, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breastfeed4Ghana: Design and evaluation of an innovative social media campaign

Harding

Aryeetey

Carroll

et al. 2019

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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Although targeting health behaviour change through social media campaigns has gained traction in recent years, few studies have focused on breastfeeding social media campaigns. Within the context of rising social media utilization and recent declines in exclusive breastfeeding practices in Ghana, we implemented Breastfeed4Ghana, a Facebook‐ and Twitter‐based breastfeeding social media campaign. This study determined feasibility of implementing Breastfeed4Ghana and evaluated its impact on breastfeeding knowledge in Ghana. Key performance indicators of the campaign were monitored on social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter. An online cross‐sectional survey conducted across three time points (n = 451) assessed breastfeeding knowledge, campaign exposure, and understanding and acceptability of Breastfeed4Ghana among Ghanaian adults. Modified Poisson models were used to assess the relationship between campaign exposure and breastfeeding knowledge, adjusting for survey time point, sex, and parenthood status. The campaign acquired 4,832 followers. Based on follower demographics collected from Facebook and Twitter analytics, the target population was successfully reached. Campaign exposure among survey participants was 42.3% and 48.7% at midline and endline, respectively. Campaign acceptability was high (>90%), and >44% of those exposed to the campaign also shared the campaign with others. However, 61.0% of those exposed did not know or could not remember the purpose of the campaign. Campaign exposure was not associated with higher breastfeeding knowledge (APR [95% confidence interval] = 0.96 [0.73, 1.26]). Breastfeed4Ghana was highly feasible. However, campaign understanding yielded mixed findings and may explain the limited impact on breastfeeding knowledge.

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“I did a lot of Googling”: A qualitative study of exclusive breastfeeding support through social media

Cited by 81 publications

References 40 publications

Experiences of online breastfeeding support: Support and reassurance versus judgement and misinformation

Experiences of online breastfeeding support: Support and reassurance versus judgement and misinformation

“The sweet and the bitter”: mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding in the early postpartum period: a qualitative exploratory study in China

Breastfeed4Ghana: Design and evaluation of an innovative social media campaign

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