‘I’m looking for support, solidarity, and anecdotes from anyone who has been through something similar’: A content analysis of parents seeking or sharing advice on breastfeeding via Reddit

Parents are increasingly turning to social media for breastfeeding-related information. Reddit, which allows users to anonymously discuss with individuals around the world, has recently increased in popularity among parents. Given breastfeeding’s importance, it is imperative to examine the behaviours of information-seeking parents to ascertain what information is being sought out and shared. The purpose of this study was to explore parents’ use of Reddit to seek out and share breastfeeding-related information. The Naturalistic Inquiry method was employed to explore data extracted from the breastfeeding SubReddit (i.e. a forum of a particular topic where users can post/discuss the topic; /r/breastfeeding). Via thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (1) breastfeeding-related challenges; (2) ‘normal’ behaviours for age/development of infant; (3) weaning; and (4) returning to work. An increased understanding of the factors involved in parents’ decisions to seek support online, rather than from professionals, may provide important insights into breastfeeding support gaps.