First time mothers social networking sites

Section A: This section presents a systematic review of the literature base pertaining to first-time mothers’ use of social networking sites (SNS) and the impact. The methods used to conduct the electronic literature search are detailed. The ten retrieved studies are critiqued and synthesised. This review highlights future research recommendations and gaps in the literature. This review considers the clinical implications and presents recommendations.

Section B: This section presents empirical research exploring first-time mothers’ experiences of using social networking sites (SNS) and how they make sense of the impact of SNS on their sense of identity and meaningful relationships. The research design involved an interpretative phenomenological analysis of individual semi-structured interviews conducted with purposively sampled self -identified first-time mothers with experience in using SNS. This research discusses the process of conducting interpretative phenomenological analysis and the resulting overarching themes. The research links the themes to the extant literature. The research then considers the clinical and research implications of the research findings.