JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The transition to parenthood requires physical, emotional, and social adjustment to new norms and expectations. While there is significant focus on the transition for birthing parents (person with uterus), non-birthing parents (parents who do not give birth, including fathers, adoptive parents, or non-gestational co-parents) are less supported in the transition to parenthood. Preventative education via text messaging can fill a health service gap and provide timely, standardized, evidence-based information. The Essential Coaching Postpartum program includes six weeks of evidence-based daily text messages on topics such as infant care, normal development, parental mental health, and self-care with streams designed for birthing parents (Essential Coaching for Every Mother) and non-birthing parents (Essential Coaching for Every Partner).

Objective:

The primary objective of this study is to compare the impact of Essential Coaching Postpartum on parenting self-efficacy, mental health, and parenting outcomes among first-time non-birthing parents in Nova Scotia compared to standard care. Secondary outcomes are to compare the impact of Essential Coaching Postpartum on parenting self-efficacy, mental health, and parenting outcomes among first-time birthing parents in Nova Scotia compared to those who receive standard care. Finally, explorative objectives are to compare the impact of Essential Coaching Postpartum on parenting self-efficacy, mental health, and parenting outcomes among first-time parent dyads (i.e., both birthing parent and non-birthing parent) in Nova Scotia compared to parent dyads who receive standard care.

Methods:

This will be a randomized controlled trial. A total of 166 first time birthing parents and 166 non-birthing parents from Nova Scotia will be recruited and randomized to the intervention or control arm. The intervention arm will receive standard care plus the Essential Coaching Postpartum digital health solution, which consists of twice daily messages for the first 3 weeks and daily for weeks 4 through 6. The control group will receive standard care. Messages are personalized based on the infant’s age and the parent’s self-selected feeding preference (i.e., breast/chest feeding, formula feeding, combination feeding). The first message is designed to start the second evening after birth, with parents being eligible to enroll up to 7 days postpartum. The number of actual messages received may vary, based on timing of enrolment and the infant’s date of birth. Participants complete questionnaires assessing self-efficacy, mental health, and parenting at baseline (enrollment after birth), and 6 weeks (post-intervention), and 6 months postpartum (follow-up).

Results:

Recruitment for this study is anticipated to start Spring 2025.

Conclusions:

We anticipate that providing parents with text messages (i.e., Essential Coaching Postpartum) during the 6-week postpartum period to complement usual care will improve parenting self-efficacy, mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression), and parenting outcomes (e.g., relationship satisfaction, co-parenting). Clinical Trial: ClincalTrials.gov Protocol ID: 1031429, NCT TBC