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.