Abstract
It is established that access to ongoing informational, emotional and social support from trained health professionals including midwives assists mothers in meeting their breastfeeding goals. Social media is increasingly being used to offer this support. Research has demonstrated that support via platforms such as Facebook can improve maternal knowledge and self-efficacy and ultimately breastfeeding duration. One specific form of support that is under researched is the use of Breastfeeding Support Facebook (BSF) groups that are aimed at supporting women in specific local areas, often with links to face to face support. Initial research highlights that mothers' value these groups but the role that midwives play in offering support to local mothers through these groups has not been examined. The aim of this study was therefore to examine mothers' perceptions of midwifery support for breastfeeding delivered through these groups, specifically when midwives played an active role in being a group 'moderator' or leader. An online survey was completed by 2028 mothers who were part of local BSF groups comparing the experiences of those participating in groups moderated by midwives versus other moderators such as peer supporters. Moderation was an important factor in mothers' experiences, with trained support associated with greater engagement and more frequent visits, impacting on perceptions of group ethos, reliability and inclusivity. Midwife moderation was uncommon (5% of groups) but valued: midwife moderators offered a high level of support to mothers in their groups, with 87.5% having received midwife support often or sometimes and 97.8% rating this useful or very useful. Access to a midwife moderated group was also associated with viewing local face to face midwifery support for breastfeeding more positively. This is a significant finding, highlighting that online support complements face-to-face support in local settings (67% of groups were linked to a physical group), and improves continuity of care (14% of mothers who had midwife moderators received care from them). As such midwife moderated or supported groups have the potential to add value to local face to face services and improve breastfeeding experiences in communities. The findings have important implications to support the development of integrated online interventions to improve public health.