Examination of the Feelings and Experiences of Postpartum Mothers Engaging with Social Media: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: This study examined how postpartum mothers experience social media within the context of mothering and their postpartum body.

Methods

A subsample of 20 mothers (age 23-42) of infants aged 0-6 months who were exposed to body-focused social media posts as part of an experimental study designed to test social media's impact on body dissatisfaction took part in semi-structured interviews. We used thematic analysis to identify themes and subthemes generated from the data.

Results

We identified three themes in the study: (i) Social media provides a sense of connection with family and friends as a source of support, and connecting with others to gather information related to mothering and child-rearing; (ii) social media led mothers to engage in comparison regarding their bodies, lifestyles, and baby's development; and: (iii) mothers do not always recognize the influence of social media on their feelings.

Conclusions

Findings can help guide prenatal and postpartum interventions and equip healthcare professionals with the information needed to support postpartum mothers in maintaining a positive body image and mothering experience when engaging online.