Investigation of Digital Technology Use in the Transition to Parenting: Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background The transition to parenting—that is, the journey from preconception through pregnancy and postpartum periods—is one of the most emotionally charged and information-intense times for individuals and families. While there is a developing body of literature on the use and impact of digital technology on the information behaviors of children, adolescents, and young adults, personal use of digital technology during the transition to parenting and in support of infants to 2 years of age is relatively understudied. Objective The purpose of this study was to enhance our understanding of the ways digital technologies contribute to the experience of the transition to parenting, particularly the role these technologies play in organizing and structuring emerging pregnancy and early parenting practices. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to understand new parents’ experiences with and uses of digital technology during 4 stages—prenatal, pregnancy, labor, and postpartum—of their transition to becoming a new parent. A purposive sampling strategy was implemented using snowball sampling techniques to recruit participants who had become a parent within the previous 24 months. Focus groups and follow-up interviews were conducted using semistructured interview guides that inquired about parents’ type and use of technologies for self and family health. Transcribed audio recordings were thematically analyzed. Results A total of 10 focus groups and 3 individual interviews were completed with 26 participants. While recruitment efforts targeted parents of all genders and sexual orientations, all participants identified as heterosexual women. Participants reported prolific use of digital technologies to direct fertility (eg, ovulation timing), for information seeking regarding development of their fetus, to prepare for labor and delivery, and in searching for a sense of community during postpartum. Participants expressed their need for these technologies to assist them in the day-to-day demands of preparing for and undertaking parenting, yet expressed concerns about their personal patterns of use and the potential negative impacts of their use. The 3 themes generated from the data included: “Is this normal; is this happening to you?!”, “Am I having a heart attack; what is this?”, and “Anyone can put anything on Wikipedia”: Managing the Negative Impacts of Digital Information. Conclusions Digital technologies were used by mothers to track menstrual cycles during preconception; monitor, document, and announce a pregnancy during the prenatal stage; prepare for delivery during labor/birth stage; and to help babies sleep, document/announce their birth, and connect to parenting resources during the postpartum stage. Mothers used digital technologies to reassure themselves that their experiences were normal or to seek help when they were abnormal. Digital technologies provided mothers with convenient means to access health information from a range of sources, yet mothers were apprehensive about the credibility and trustworthiness of the information they retrieved. Further research should seek to understand how men and fathers use digital technologies during their transition to parenting. Additionally, further research should critically examine how constant access to information affects mothers’ perceived need to self-monitor and further understand the unintended health consequences of constant surveillance on new parents.

“Let me know when I’m needed”: Exploring the gendered nature of digital technology use for health information seeking during the transition to parenting

“…text messaging, video streaming services, social media sites such as Facebook or Snapchat, and search engines), and apps (e.g. Period Tracker, What to Expect, Bump, O Mama, Safety First, and Baby Tracker); for details regarding the type of devices used see Donelle et al 10 Participants primarily used digital technologies to (1) seek health information for a variety of issues including ovulation tracking, fetal development, infant feeding, infant health and developmental milestones, and maternal health at different stages along the transition to parenting – and (2) establish and maintain social and emotional connections. As participants described, the nature of such health information work was markedly gendered and was categorized by two dominant themes.…”

“…Mothers and fathers frequently cite the Internet as a source of health information commonly consulted during the transition to parenting, however, they often report being overwhelmed by the amount of information available online. 7 , 10 To overcome anxiousness associated with seeking health information online, new and expecting parents often consult individuals with expert or tacit knowledge of their health concern. For example, new and expecting mothers tend to actively seek health information from a variety of formal and informal sources, including physicians, midwives, family, and friends as their most trusted sources for health information related to the transition to parenting.…”

“…Understanding how digital technologies are used during their transition to parenting would allow health service providers to tailor health information delivery methods to better meet the needs of new parents. Drawing on findings from a larger study which aimed to understand how digital technologies influenced parenting practices during the transition to parenting, 10 this paper specifically examines how such technologies were used according to gendered norms among new and expectant parents seeking health information during this transition.…”

Parents' Perceptions About Future Digital Parental Support—A Phenomenographic Interview Study

“…In addition, expecting mothers seek information online concerning their specific sociocultural needs for information and support (14). Donelle et al (29) described the parental transition as a period filled with intense emotions, especially when reaching information for individuals and families, discussing normality, social communication, and trustworthiness of digital health information. They suggest that digital sources are applicable for areas of parents' empowerment together with self-management of antenatal and postpartum care.…”

New Moms Use of Media Technology in Parenting

“…The transition into parenthood begins from conception to postpartum and it is a long-term restructuring process from the time of birth till after birth (Donelle, et. al., 2021& McDaniel, Coyne & Holmes, 2011.…”