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Parents' Experiences with Postpartum Support Groups using Videoconferencing: Perceptions of Safety in the Virtual Space

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Purpose To explore new parents' experiences with web-based videoconferencing as a mechanism of offering postpartum virtual support groups. Study Design and Methods Virtual support sessions and individual interviews were conducted to explore participants' experiences with virtual postpartum groups. Results Thirty-seven parents participated in seven virtual support sessions and 19 participated in individual interviews. Participant narratives centered on perceptions of safety when engaging in virtual support groups. Tools within the virtual space (camera; mute) created a relational paradox which provided safeguards but also hindered the building of trust. Participants described negotiating the fear of harm and judgment within virtual spaces alongside feelings of security in connecting from the safety of their homes. Clinical Implications The virtual environment provides a forum for new parents to access information and support and an avenue for engagement with maternal child nurses and care providers. Awareness of how parents perceive safety in the virtual environment is an important part of facilitating and structuring parent groups on videoconferencing platforms. Nurses should be familiar with videoconferencing technology and be able to guide parents. Experience facilitating virtual groups to ensure safety and security while providing needed support is a valuable nursing skill.
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March/April 2024 MCN 107
PARENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH
POSTPARTUM SUPPORT GROUPS
USING VIDEOCONFERENCING:
PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY
IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE
Sheri Price, PhD, RN, Megan Aston, PhD, RN, Anna MacLeod, PhD, Kathryn Stone, MA, Susan Jack, PhD, BScN,
Britney Benoit, PhD, RN, Rachel Ollivier, PhD, NP, Phillip Joy, PhD, PDt, and Damilola Iduye, MA, RN
Abstract
Purpose: To explore new parents’ experiences with web-based videoconferencing as a mechanism of offering
postpartum virtual support groups. Study Design and Methods: Virtual support sessions and individual interviews
were conducted to explore participants’ experiences with virtual postpartum groups. Results: Thirty-seven parents
participated in seven virtual support sessions and 19 participated in individual interviews. Participant narratives cen-
tered on perceptions of safety when engaging in virtual support groups. Tools within the virtual space (camera; mute)
created a relational paradox which provided safeguards but also hindered the building of trust. Participants described
negotiating the fear of harm and judgment within virtual spaces alongside feelings of security in connecting from the
safety of their homes. Clinical Implications: The virtual environment provides a forum for new parents to access
information and support and an avenue for engagement with maternal child nurses and care providers. Awareness
of how parents perceive safety in the virtual environment is an important part of facilitating and structuring parent
groups on videoconferencing platforms. Nurses should be familiar with videoconferencing technology and be able to
guide parents. Experience facilitating virtual groups to ensure safety and security while providing needed support is a
valuable nursing skill.
Key words: Parents; Postpartum period; Support group; Technology; Virtual systems.
Parents experience a range of emotions during postpartum from joy to exhaustion. Postpar-
tum has been described as exciting, stressful, difficult, and overwhelming. It is common
for new parents to access information and support during the first year after birth. Until
recently, postpartum support and education most often occurred in person. However, dur-
ing the pandemic era, many postpartum services ended or were offered virtually. Virtual modes of
connecting are becoming popular, such as online baby groups, chat forums, and blogs (Aston et al.,
2021). These are asynchronous ways of connecting, where one can log in at any time without audio
or video features. Less is known about videoconferencing as a tool for postpartum support, and
what makes it safe or helpful for new parents (Ndungu et al., 2022).
Background
Virtual chat spaces and social networking sites have benefited new parents (Robinson et al., 2019).
Participants in a closed Facebook support group for mothers felt they experienced safety in sharing
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108 volume 49 | number 2 March/April 2024
port in videoconference environments? and 2) How are
these practices personally constructed within wider social
and institutional discourses of new parenthood?
Study Design and Methods
This study used feminist poststructural (FPS) methodolo-
gies and sociomaterial perspectives to explore how new
parents’ experiences with technology were socially and
institutionally constructed, and technologically mediated
(Aston, 2016; MacLeod & Ajjawi, 2020). Using this lay-
ered approach allowed exploration of the human and
non-human elements that affect how participants engage
in a virtual platform postpartum. Moments of negotia-
tions were identified to understand how certain beliefs,
values, and practices were constructed and how power
was relational and complex, where individuals demon-
strated agency to “choose” how they interacted with vir-
tual platforms and people, such as turning their camera
on or off. FPS challenges positions commonly taken for
granted such as “parent” or “mother” as neutral subjects
(a common health discourse), and critically analyze dis-
courses of parenthood. We define discourse as a broad
social or institutional construction of meaning that is
both influenced by people and influences people itself.
People can embrace, reject, and challenge discourses.
Sociomaterialism contests that virtual support and learn-
ing are always interwoven with social and material factors,
such as the materiality of videoconferencing tools. With
videoconferencing, traditionally embodied interactions are
information about their parenting journey (Gleeson et
al., 2022). Social networking sites allow for anonymity,
which was helpful for those who wanted to ask questions
they were not comfortable asking in person (Teaford et
al., 2019). Chat spaces can be empowering for new
mothers especially and may combat social isolation dur-
ing postpartum (Aston et al., 2021). However, there are
potential risks associated with online environments, in-
cluding feelings of judgment and bullying (Denton et al.,
2020; Price et al., 2017; Teaford et al., 2019). Ndungu et
al. (2022) reported it is much easier to bully someone in
a chat space rather than face to face and raised concerns
about how privacy and confidentiality would affect the
ability to build relationships online. Patients’ privacy
could be compromised by sharing devices which is ampli-
fied by the ability to record sessions in an online group,
something that is less likely to occur in person (Ndungu
et al., 2022). There can be barriers to psychological safe-
ty in online spaces such as how virtual interfaces interfere
with presentation and recognition of non-verbal cues,
body language, facial expressions, and eye contact (Dale-
Tam, 2021). Although the virtual environment presents a
valid opportunity to support parents remotely, further
research is needed.
The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ expe-
riences of postpartum videoconference support groups, fo-
cusing on how technology and social discourses affect ex-
periences using these questions: 1) How do parents, tools,
and spaces come together and experience learning and sup-
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March/April 2024 MCN 109
Data Collection and Analysis
All virtual support sessions were facilitated by the principal
investigator and the research coordinator. They lasted
60 minutes and focused on postpartum issues. Facilitators
first started by asking parents if there was anything they
would like to discuss but otherwise deferred to café conver-
sation discussion guides (mumsns.ca), which include broad
questions such as, “where do you get your information
from?”, which kick-started conversation. Facilitators took
extensive field notes after each session. At the end of each
session, participants were invited to email the research co-
ordinator with interest in a one-on-one interview about
their experience. The first two participants who emailed
were selected for an interview about their experience in the
support session. Interviews were semi-structured, conduct-
ed by phone, lasted 30 to 60 minutes, were audio recorded,
and transcribed verbatim. Key questions from the inter-
view guide included: “How would the session have gone
differently if it were in person?”, “How did you use your
camera throughout the session and why?” “How did the
session fit into your postpartum experience?”
A five-step guide on FPS informed by discourse analy-
sis (Aston, 2016) was used. Then, a sociomaterial lens
was applied, attending to the material aspects of the vir-
tual support sessions and exploring the roles of different
tools, such as the camera, mute button, and chat space.
At the end of each transcript, the principal investigator
and research coordinator created a list of notes focused
on the active roles of specifical technologies, which were
then integrated into final analysis. Analysis was an itera-
tive process. All team members contributed to analysis
documents, team meetings, and manuscript writing.
Results
Thirty-seven parents participated in seven virtual support
sessions and 19 of those participated in individual inter-
views. See Table 1 for participants’ demographic data.
Pseudonyms were assigned to each participant for repre-
sentation of direct quotes. Through analysis, a discourse
of postpartum virtual safety was identified and decon-
structed. This discourse created an environment where
some participants reported using caution, taking a while
to feel comfortable, and not wanting to divulge too much
personal information. The meaning of virtual safety was
more than the absence of virtual violence or threat of
harm but included feeling included, safe, welcome, and
free of judgment. Participants came to virtual support
sessions with their own experiences and beliefs on the
mediated by communication technologies, such as the mute
button, the microphone, the camera, and chat space
(MacLeod & Ajjawi, 2020; MacLeod et al., 2015). Using
sociomaterialism required a broadening analysis beyond the
human contributors in the environment to attend to the
active role of things in shaping experiences. Using both
methodologies guided data collection methods, number of
participants recruited, semi-structured interview guides, and
analysis. For example, participants were asked about how
the support session made them feel and how the session fit
into their broader postpartum experience, but were also
asked specific questions about their devices, mute buttons,
and cameras.
Ethics
Ethics approval was obtained from several units across
Canada that participated in the research. All participants
provided verbal consent during a phone call with the
research coordinator prior to participating in virtual
support sessions and before one-on-one interviews. Video
recordings were only shared with the research team.
Transcripts were de-identified and pseudonyms were
assigned to participants to protect their identities.
Setting and Recruitment
Participants were recruited across Nova Scotia from
October 2021 to April 2022. Researchers are situated
and conduct most research in this province which is
largely rural and had significant public health mandated
distancing restrictions prior to and during data collection
due to COVID-19. A variety of paid and unpaid supports
were available to parents at the time of data collection,
such as family resource centres (free) and lactation con-
sultants (paid). Participants were recruited using a poster
circulated via social media (research Instagram and Twit-
ter accounts), in local baby stores, postpartum in-patient
units, family resource centers, and lactation consultant
clinics. Participants were told that the group would be
relaxed and focused on connecting and chatting with
other parents about anything related to postpartum.
Inclusion criteria were parent or guardian of a baby from
0 to 12 months old, live in Nova Scotia, and be able to
connect to the Zoom platform. Although our recruitment
posters invited parents and guardians, including mothers,
fathers, grandparents, etc., who had birthed, adopted, or
were caring for a baby, the majority (33) identified as
mothers and female, one identified as non-binary, and
one preferred not to say.
TABLE 1. DEMOGRAPHICS
Age Ranged from 28 to 41, with average of 32 years
Race/ethnicity Two of African descent, one of Latin descent, one of Métis descent, one South Asian, one
Mi’kmaq, 31 White or European ancestry
Gender identity 1 non-binary, 1 preferred not to say, and 35 women
Sexual orientation 4 Queer, 33 heterosexual
Annual household income Ranged from $80,000 to $210,000, with average of $141,813
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110 volume 49 | number 2 March/April 2024
One participant shared; you could potentially not know
who was in the room [with another parent]. Similarly, Sui
shared: The virtual environment, you don’t necessarily
know who is behind the screen and so there’s an element
of not trusting right that comes with that? Or uncertainty
with who is there or what their agenda is right? Although
they may not have personally experienced harm online,
general knowledge that has been socially constructed
about virtual interactions appeared to influence partici-
pants’ cautions when connecting online.
The camera was analyzed to be a complex virtual tool,
as participants said it could contribute to them feeling
safe (withholding identity) or unsafe (being unable to see
others who can see you). Even though participants liked
the option to control their video, some participants found
it unsettling to engage with others who had their cameras
off. As Devon shared: there was one woman who had her
video off and audio off and I kept looking at that screen
and it felt a little uncomfortable having someone just
kind of listening in and not participating. Not knowing
who was listening and watching was discursively con-
structed as uncomfortable and potentially unsafe. As
Samira shared: Seeing people’s video kind of makes it a
little less creepy, exemplifying how the camera can con-
struct feelings of safety or creepiness.
Participants had an understanding there was risk as-
sociated with virtual interactions and thus exercised cau-
tion. Even if the participants came to know each other in
a virtual environment, they described using safeguards
based on an expressed belief that you cannot truly know
who people are online. As Petra shared: If we did decide
to go from online to in person, I definitely would not
meet a single one of them unless it was in a group setting,
in a public place. Although participants did not specifi-
cally identify the harm that could come to them from
engaging online with strangers, the discourse of virtual
connection as potentially unsafe was a central theme to
their experiences.
Fear of Judgment
Fear of judgement is a common theme within postpartum
and parenting research that extended into this analysis.
Participants’ past exposure to negativity and judgment
within online venues made them hesitant to engage on
virtual platforms. Several parents discussed how chat-
based spaces are especially judgmental. Mia noted: it’s all
very polarizing instead of feeling listened to, you’re feel-
ing like someone is yelling at you with all the contradic-
tory information of things you are doing wrong. Riley
also stated: I find them [moms Facebook groups] all to be
very, very negative spaces. Pauline noted that in online
forums there is no camera, so people feel free to write
judgmental or mean things to others: Where there’s no
face or no video and it’s just you writing a message, there
are some hateful things that people can write on some
mom groups. I don’t find it’s like that if I can see your
face, whether it’s online or in person, I find people watch
what they say more. Virtual spaces such as Zoom, where
there is real-time interaction with cameras and audio,
virtual environment which informed how they used their
camera, shared information, and participated overall.
Virtual platforms were familiar to the participants, espe-
cially since the start of the pandemic, and several partici-
pants described their use of this platform in other set-
tings, notably the workplace. Although most participants
decided that they felt safe within the virtual support
group, and some even felt safer than in person, the con-
cept of virtual safety was central to their experiences.
Virtual Stranger Danger
Participants used a variety of descriptions that reflected
the concept of stranger-danger, such as noting that it
could feel creepy engaging with strangers online. The ex-
plicit reference to not knowing who is behind the screen,
and their intentions, reflects a discourse of the virtual en-
vironment as unsafe. Perception of risk had implications
for whether participants shared personal information or
details. As Petra noted: I’d definitely be a lot more cau-
tious of the information I share in the beginning for sure.
Everything would be really general and […] not descrip-
tive. […] people can be creepy on the internet, have a
whole alter ego for years. This reflects withholding per-
sonal information and keeping the conversation general
as a safeguard against malicious intentions.
The online space provided participants with more
agency and control over what they shared and how they
managed the risks of interacting with strangers, a power
that may not exist within in-person encounters. Some
participants chose to manage the risk of potential harm
by not showing their baby on camera. As Maria shared,
it is almost taboo when online to give away too much
information about yourself. Yet, more control over what
is shared can create less knowledge of other participants.
The online environment can provide the
tools to facilitate needed support and social
interaction for new parents; however,
perceptions of risk and harm in being online
can affect access and participation.
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March/April 2024 MCN 111
look like. And then some people sharing their experienc-
es and through them sharing their experiences and just
being honest with that and sharing their vulnerability
(made the group feel safe). That this group included only
new parents provided a common ground for the partici-
pants. Martina shared: I thought it’s just a bunch of oth-
er moms and other babies hanging out, so I just felt it
was a relatively safe environment to just be present with
my baby, exemplifying how participants subjectively po-
sitioned themselves in similar or different ways to others.
Mia noted that because the group was made up of par-
ents who had their babies during COVID-19, they were
aware of harmful narratives online which made them a
conscientious group: We are used to that online dynamic
of judgement and criticism and quick answers that don’t
take into account nuance or your particular situation.
And so even though there were people in that group that
had very different views, nobody said anything negative
or [judgmental]. The small group size also seemed to
evoke feelings of safety, as Samira shared: it’s just like
when there is a smaller group it’s easier to connect to
everyone and feel a little safer.
Several participants expressed that group facilitation by
trusted people contributed to the perception of safety. One
participant noted that because all participants were vetted
before the session, she felt more secure connecting with
strangers. Similarly, Martina commented on the informed
consent process with privacy information: based on all the
information that you all had given us I felt it was pretty
safe and secure from a privacy perspective. Pauline said
that they are part of two Facebook groups that feel safe
and comfortable because they are highly monitored and
have strict group guidelines for not being judgemental, ex-
emplifying the importance of the facilitation role.
A few participants mentioned Zoom tools that con-
tributed to safety such as ease of clicking to exit a virtual
event if they were not feeling comfortable. Petra noted:
you can escape if you want, I can just hit exit and I’m
gone. But if I go to a community center and it’s hosted by
somebody, meeting up with all these moms, hard to just
hit escape. Cameron noted that turning her camera off
occasionally felt like a break: (camera off) feels a bit less
pressure and I can still listen to people but I don’t have to
be looking like I’m listening […] I don’t have to look like
I’m making eye contact. Cameron notes that being on
video can be difficult with a baby: it can be fatiguing to
always be on video and look like you’re actively listening
and not seem distracted […] It’s hard to not continually
look at myself and my baby in the video so that’s a bit
draining. The nuances to safety that participants de-
scribed have implications of nurses wishing to facilitate
videoconferencing postpartum support groups.
Clinical Nursing Implications
Feeling safe is a central theme to participants’ virtual en-
gagement and participation. The online environment can
provide the tools to facilitate needed support and social
interaction for new parents when isolation is required for
any reason. However, the perceptions of risk and harm in
may present a safer option for virtual postpartum sup-
port than chat spaces.
Inclusion was a vital part of virtual safety. As one non-
binary participant discussed, they disliked the seemingly
only online options called mommy groups, as this was not
aligned with their identity as a queer parent and they are
often misgendered. Yet, they recognized their need to talk
with other birthing parents. They navigated this by ques-
tioning the exclusivity of available supports and attempt-
ing to find ways to talk with other parents on their own.
Sometimes, online spaces were constructed as less-judg-
mental places. Elena recognized the physical realities of
in-person support in a discussion about judgment, where
virtual environments create an opportunity to have some
things about you remain unknown and therefore decreases
likelihood of judgment: So, if I drove, or if I walked or like
what kind of car I drive or any of those things, people just
wouldn’t know. Online, they’re just getting me, from the
shoulders up so I feel less judged by people. Elena high-
lights the several ways in which people can be judged in
person, while noting the agency parents have online to
control what others know about you. Martina discussed
the social pressures associated with in-person encounters
that she feels are less present online: I always feel there’s a
little bit of pressure to be your best self and put your best
foot forward and seem like you’ve got it all together […] I
don’t find that pressure is as intense in an online environ-
ment because you know I feel very secure in my own
home. Conversely, Sui believed that the online space could
create a distance between individuals which could enable
judgment that would not occur face to face. The distance
present in a virtual space is perceived differently by par-
ticipants, but the shared meaning is that the most support-
ive environment is one that is safe from judgment.
Establishing Safety (Safe at Home)
The virtual environment was narrated as one that is ac-
cessible from the safety of one’s home. Several partici-
pants noted that they felt safer participating in virtual
postpartum support as opposed to in person. For some,
this was because they were in a familiar and comfortable
space (their own home). As Martina shared: I’m in my
own environment where I feel safe and secure, and I’m
able to meet the needs of my kiddos without doing much.
I feel confident that I can do all things that I need to do
easily in the environment that I’m in. Rachel noted:
Knowing that I could be in the comfort of my own home,
it was totally o.k. to leave for a second to put her [baby]
down. In these instances, the virtual environment al-
lowed participants a space that felt safe, secure, and com-
fortable. Elena noted that she probably would not have
participated in an in-person session and mentioned that
online support is a good way to get your feet wet.
The group dynamic and composition were central to
the feeling of safety. Sui noted that the group dynamics
portrayed itself as a safe place. Sui elaborated by noting
how the group was organized, who facilitated, and who
shared: [The organizer] starting the call off and just kind
of talking about the goals and what this was going to
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at home and should be aware of what to do if a partici-
pant unexpectedly logs off or is no longer feeling safe to
share (Jack et al., 2021). Nurses must be aware of the
ways in which parents might be fearful of or hesitant to
share and be on virtual platforms.
Perceptions of harm and fear of participation are im-
portant considerations. Engaging with strangers is some-
thing that we are cautioned about in society, and this was
reflected by our participants. How participants come to
know each other virtually is different than in person. Par-
ticipants feared not being able to discern the truth about
someone and their agenda for attending a virtual gather-
ing, and therefore practiced discussing only general infor-
mation. This can contribute to a relational paradox
where withholding of information as a safeguard can
also prevent relationship development (Edwards, 2018).
It is concerning that participants were unable to name
specific ways that the virtual environment might hurt
them because if we cannot articulate and name a harm, it
can be invisible and remain unresolved. There are broad
discourses in society stemming from real events that tell
us the internet might not always be a safe place, espe-
cially for women and children (Hill, 2017), which is im-
portant to consider for virtual postpartum groups.
Feeling judged is a common concern for many parents.
Several participants noted that asynchronous, chat-based
forums could be judgmental; therefore, they decided not
to participate in those spaces, which has been evidenced
in literature (Denton et al., 2020; Teaford et al., 2019).
Some participants believed that the synchronous, video-
conference environments provided the opportunity to be
judged less. Zoom technologies allow participants to
control what others see and hear, whereas in person all
other participants would know what you are wearing,
what car you drive, and other details that could poten-
tially trigger judgment. The mute button and camera op-
tions afforded participants the power to create different
kinds of safety that was important to them, whether that
be keeping their camera on or not showing their baby.
Nurses must be aware of how potential fears and judg-
ments are presented in the virtual world, and how they
can be affected by technology.
Mitigating Risks, Harms, and Creepiness
Our participants noted that certain tools and ways of be-
ing in the virtual space can enable safe connection and
support. For example, groups that are facilitated by
trusted professionals can be a strategy for mitigating per-
ceptions of risk (McCarthy et al., 2020). Group size can
also affect perceptions of safety, with smaller groups be-
ing more desirable. Presence is already difficult to achieve
through screen relations (Weinberg, 2020) and engaging
with others online who having their camera and micro-
phone off can lead to feelings of creepiness. Group rules
of engagement can be used to mitigate these concerns
(Pawaria, 2021). For example, facilitators could encour-
age group introductions where the camera is used by all
to establish presence and can also discuss the camera and
microphone as tools to support participant and group
being online can affect access and participation. Nurses
and other professionals who are positioned to facilitate
these types of supports can mitigate the risks by acknowl-
edging participant hesitation about being online and how
different things such as the camera, other participants, and
facilitators might contribute their experience.
Several participants mentioned creepiness, reflecting
how the concepts of online harm and risk have been tak-
en up in society. Women, especially, may relate to dis-
courses of online risk and creepiness due to being dispro-
portionately affected by harm in virtual spaces including
negative online dating experiences, being sexualized on-
line, sent (or asked to send) unsolicited pictures, or being
recorded without knowing or consenting (V, 2021).
Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and members of the
queer community experience an increased risk of vio-
lence online (Asmelash, 2022). Although no parents dis-
cussed a lack of privacy or safety at home, facilitators
must know that some parents may not experience safety
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Use of videoconferencing has increased exponentially
due to COVID-19-related distancing restrictions. Parents
are increasingly seeking virtual options for postpartum
support. Nurses can use the virtual environment as an
important, emerging location of care and support for
parents regarding any parenting topic during postpartum
(e.g., infant care, feeding, postpartum isolation, etc.).
Nurses should be familiar with how parents conceptual-
ize safety online and how they navigate their use of the
camera and mute button accordingly. Some may be
fearful to show their home or baby, whereas some need
to see others to feel safe. Recognizing that parents may
have past instances of virtual harm can help nurses
address these complexities. Nurses should consider that
some parents may feel more comfortable connecting
from their homes than in person.
As nurses are trusted, and knowledgeable professionals,
their presence and moderation of virtual postpartum
support groups could improve safety. Nurses should use
their position to facilitate feelings of safety in virtual
spaces for parents.
Nurses should be educated about and familiar with
videoconferencing technology to effectively facilitate
virtual groups on pregnancy and postpartum topics such
as labor support, childbirth preparation, postpartum
isolation, infant care, feeding, and misinformation. Skills
in facilitating use of online tools such as cameras, mute
buttons, chat space, reaction or emojis buttons, and
break out rooms are required for nurses leading these
types of groups.
Facility infrastructure and technology support is required
to ensure safety and security.
Virtual patient groups facilitated by nurses for various
aspects of maternity care are becoming a common part
of serving this patient population.
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March/April 2024 MCN 113
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safety. Some participants feel more comfortable and safe
participating from home, which challenges the discourse
of online creepiness to one that is more empowering. Cy-
berfeminism, a concept wherein the virtual environment
enables women to combat social isolation through an ac-
cessible, supportive, online community (Valtchanov et
al., 2014), emphasizes opportunities for technology to
enhance women’s lives and enable networking. This dis-
course of virtual environments as empowering was evi-
dent; participants assessed the risks and adapted their
practices accordingly to ensure safety and support, em-
bracing the opportunities provided by technology.
Conclusion
The study findings reflect an understanding of partici-
pants’ experiences with videoconference postpartum sup-
port and safety and contributes to the emerging literature
on virtual postpartum support and the impact of technol-
ogy in shaping parent experiences. Nurses should be
aware of the options that virtual spaces can provide for
new parents as well as how safety is perceived differently
in these environments.
Acknowledgment
The study was funded by the Social Sciences and Human-
ities Research Council Grant number: 435-2021-0535;
Principal investigator: Dr. Megan Aston.
The authors thank Masoumeh Gholampour, RN and Neda
Akbari Nassaji, MA, RN for their support and contributions
to this work.
Sheri Price is a Professor in the School of Nursing at Dal-
housie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dr. Price
can be reached at Sheri.price@dal.ca
Megan Aston is a Professor in the School of Nursing at
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Anna MacLeod is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine
at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Kathryn Stone is a Research Coordinator in the School
of Nursing at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada.
Susan Jack is a Professor in the School of Nursing at
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Britney Benoit is a Professor in the School of Nursing
at St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia,
Canada.
Rachel Ollivier is a Nurse Practitioner and Clinician
Scientist and BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Phillip Joy is an Assistant Professor at Mt St Vincent
University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Damilola Iduye is an Instructor in the School of Nursing
at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights
reserved.
DOI:10.1097/NMC.0000000000000987
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Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
... The other two themes can be found in two other publications. The first is Zoom etiquette [10], and the second is online postpartum safety [11]. ...
... Of the 37 participants who participated in the virtual support sessions, 19 individuals consented to complete an in-depth interview. Connecting through videoconferencing was a major theme in our study that built upon two other themes: Zoom etiquette and virtual safety [10,11]. Participant discussions are summarized under the sub-themes of connecting through the camera and connecting through the microphone. ...
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