#Parentlife : A feasibilty study to explore a novel early parenting programme

Background/rationale:: Negotiating a healthy transition to parenthood is a primary concern for new parents, acknowledging that positive experiences can contribute to their confidence and ability to master new roles. However, with the length of postnatal hospital stay reduced, there are challenges in the provision of care to mothers. It has been recommended that there is a need for a more holistic approach to postnatal care which should include a focus on education and support. While a variety of parenting programmes exist for new mothers, these programmes are often not accessed immediately. This article reports on a novel virtual early parenting programme called #Parentlife. The aim of #Parentlife is to engage parents early and facilitate a safe online environment where they can access support, knowledge and social interaction.

Aims and objectives:: The aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the programme, to explore what aspects participants found useful and build on learnings for ongoing development and implementation.

Ethics:: Ethics approval was provided from the University of South Australia Human Research Ethics, Application ID: 202070.

Methods:: This study utilised a pre- and post-survey design incorporating the Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) to ascertain parental confidence and a range of Likert scale and open-ended questions to explore satisfaction with the #Parentlife programme.

Results:: Six participants completed the pilot programme. The KPCS showed an overall mean increase from pre- to post-test scores and 60 per cent of participants stated it significantly or moderately contributed to their confidence. Themes identified from the open-ended responses included 'provides connection and support', 'provides a forum to talk and learn' and 'content can be triggering at times'.

Conclusion:: This pilot study demonstrated an acceptable virtual programme that offers early support to new parents. It provided a safe space to connect and share experiences. There are key learnings that will contribute to adapting and reworking some of the content further with the view to evaluating the programme in a larger and more diverse sample.

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