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Aston M, Price S, MacLeod A, Stone K, Benoit B, Joy P, Ollivier R, Sim M, Etowa J, Jack S, Marcellus L, Iduye D. Examining How Postpartum Videoconferencing Support Sessions Can Facilitate Connections between Parents: A Poststructural and Sociomaterial Analysis. NURSING REPORTS 2024; 14:99-114. [PMID: 38251187 PMCID: PMC10801463 DOI: 10.3390/nursrep14010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Postpartum support for new parents can normalize experiences, increase confidence, and lead to positive health outcomes. While in-person gatherings may be the preferred choice, not all parents can or want to join parenting groups in person. Online asynchronous chat spaces for parents have increased over the past 10 years, especially during the COVID pandemic, when "online" became the norm. However, synchronous postpartum support groups have not been as accessible. The purpose of our study was to examine how parents experienced postpartum videoconferencing support sessions. Seven one-hour videoconferencing sessions were conducted with 4-8 parents in each group (n = 37). Nineteen parents from these groups then participated in semi-structured interviews. Feminist poststructuralism and sociomaterialism were used to guide the research process and analysis. Parents used their agency to actively think about and interact using visual (camera) and audio (microphone) technologies to navigate socially constructed online discourses. Although videoconferencing fostered supportive connections and parents felt less alone and more confident, the participants also expressed a lack of opportunities for individual conversations. Nurses should be aware of the emerging opportunities that connecting online may present. This study was not registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Aston
- Faculty of Health, School of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (S.P.); (D.I.)
| | - Sheri Price
- Faculty of Health, School of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (S.P.); (D.I.)
| | - Anna MacLeod
- Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada;
| | - Kathryn Stone
- Department of Human and Social Development, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada;
| | - Britney Benoit
- Faculty of Science, Rankin School of Nursing, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5, Canada;
| | - Phillip Joy
- Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS B3M 2J6, Canada;
| | - Rachel Ollivier
- BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada;
| | - Meaghan Sim
- Research, Innovation and Discovery, Nova Scotia Health, Halifax, NS B3J 0E8, Canada;
| | - Josephine Etowa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada;
| | - Susan Jack
- School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada;
| | - Lenora Marcellus
- Department of Human and Social Development, School of Nursing, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada;
| | - Damilola Iduye
- Faculty of Health, School of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (S.P.); (D.I.)
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