Abstract
In March 2020, the ABA launched ‘Breastfeeding with ABA (Australian Breastfeeding Association)’, a national closed Facebook group aimed at offering peer encouragement and support in breastfeeding and parenting. The group currently has around 3000 members and in excess of 15 posts a day.
The Breastfeeding with ABA research project continues the online ethnographic analysis of breastfeeding social networks established by Dr Bridges by exploring the impact of participation in the ABA’s new national closed Facebook group, Breastfeeding with ABA has on:
• Breastfeeding mothers – both ABA members and non-members
• ABA trainees completing 10280NAT Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education
• ABA volunteers – both counsellors and community educators
The research explores the following lines of inquiry:
• In what ways can a Facebook group support breastfeeding mothers to overcome breastfeeding challenges, access up-to-date information and feel supported by an inclusive, mother-to-mother community that is led by qualified peer support volunteers, trained in the provision of evidence-based breastfeeding support?
• What value do trainees currently completing 10280NAT Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education consider the group to be offering, to themselves as trainees, and to breastfeeding mothers?
• Do the volunteer administrators and other ABA volunteers active in the group, consider it to be a valuable volunteering venture?
The Breastfeeding with ABA research project continues the online ethnographic analysis of breastfeeding social networks established by Dr Bridges by exploring the impact of participation in the ABA’s new national closed Facebook group, Breastfeeding with ABA has on:
• Breastfeeding mothers – both ABA members and non-members
• ABA trainees completing 10280NAT Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education
• ABA volunteers – both counsellors and community educators
The research explores the following lines of inquiry:
• In what ways can a Facebook group support breastfeeding mothers to overcome breastfeeding challenges, access up-to-date information and feel supported by an inclusive, mother-to-mother community that is led by qualified peer support volunteers, trained in the provision of evidence-based breastfeeding support?
• What value do trainees currently completing 10280NAT Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education consider the group to be offering, to themselves as trainees, and to breastfeeding mothers?
• Do the volunteer administrators and other ABA volunteers active in the group, consider it to be a valuable volunteering venture?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | Conference Presentation |
| Publisher | Lactation Consultants of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) |
| Publication status | Published - 20 May 2022 |