ArticleWomen and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives2021
A qualitative study of first time mothers' experiences of postnatal social support from health professionals in England.
Article in Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The perinatal mental health experiences of black immigrant mothers in the UK: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Social support as a coping resource for psychosocial conditions in postpartum period: a systematic review and logic framework.BMC psychology · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of postpartum clinical guideline on maternal outcomes in iranian women: a randomized controlled clinical trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Trial
- Factors Associated With Midwives' Perceived Difficulty in Supporting Couples With Older First-Time Mothers by Workplace Type in Japan.Japan journal of nursing science : JJNS · 2026Article
- Associations between formal social support in early postpartum, parenting self-efficacy, and parent-infant bonding: A cross-sectional survey.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2026Article
- Breastfeeding Practices, Insomnia Symptoms, Anxiety, and Depression Among Lebanese Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study.Food science & nutrition · 2026Article
- Contesting authority in breastfeeding support: Maternal negotiation of professional and embodied knowledge.Journal of health psychology · 2026Article
- Impact of Community Midwifery Care (CMC) on maternal and neonatal wellbeing in postnatal period: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Lived experiences of first-time mothers receiving postpartum social support at Banadir Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia: a phenomenological qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Postpartum needs and experiences of young and first-time mothers in northwestern Tanzania.International journal of public health · 2026Article
- "Lost in translation?": A qualitative exploration of digital perinatal mental health resource use among migrant women.International journal for equity in health · 2025Article
- Using mHealth to Support Queensland Mothers and Children From Birth to Two Years: A Longitudinal Study of Connecting2u.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2025Article
- Breastfeeding education and training for hospital-based nurses and midwives: a scoping review protocol of global evidence.BMJ open · 2025Article
- The role of the support network in a vulnerable mother's personal, emotional and professional life.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P · 2025Article
- Article
- Evaluation scale and behavioral model construction for intention to use postpartum exercise rehabilitation mobile application based on user experience.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- COVID-19 Public Health Restrictions and New Mothers' Mental Health: A Qualitative Scoping Review.Qualitative health research · 2024Article
- Postnatal social support experiences in primiparous women in Korea: a phenomenological study.Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea) · 2024Article
- Postnatal quality of care measures for mothers and newborns at home: A scoping review.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Maternal Perspectives on and Preferences for an Enhanced Neonatal Jaundice Education Program: An Evaluation Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.Patient preference and adherence · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
problemMany women experience the transition to motherhood as stressful and find it challenging to cope, contributing to poor emotional wellbeing.
backgroundPostnatal social support from health professionals can support new mothers in coping with this transition, but their social support role during the postnatal period is poorly defined.
aimTo explore how first time mothers in England experienced social support from health professionals involved in their postnatal care.
methodsA qualitative descriptive study, theoretically informed by phenomenological social psychology, based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 32 mothers from diverse backgrounds. These were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, with themes subsequently mapped on to the four dimensional model of social support (emotional, appraisal, informational, practical).
findingsThere were nine themes connected to social support, with the strongest mapping to appraisal and informational support: for appraisal support, 'Praise and validation', 'Criticism and undermining', and 'Made to feel powerless'; for informational support, 'Is this normal?', 'Need for proactive information', and 'Confusion about postnatal care'; for emotional support, 'Treated as an individual and heard' and 'Impersonal care and being ignored'; for practical support, 'Enabling partners to provide practical support'.
conclusionsHealth professionals can play an important role postnatally in helping first time mothers to cope, develop confidence and to thrive, by taking every opportunity to give appropriate and personalised appraisal, informational and emotional social support alongside clinical care. Training and professional leadership may help to ensure that all health professionals are able and expected to offer the positive social support already offered by some.
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