Experiences of At-Risk Women in Accessing Breastfeeding Social Support During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Only seven women were analyzed, and two were lost to follow-up. The study took place at a physician-led urban postpartum clinic in Southwestern Ontario, so it may not represent other settings or provinces. All participants were selected for lack of breastfeeding social support or other at-risk criteria, so the findings do not describe at-risk women with strong support networks. Participants were clinic patients, which increases the likelihood of social desirability response bias. Interviews were conducted by phone, so non-verbal cues and observational context were not collected. Data were collected while Ontario COVID-19 cases were decreasing and services were reopening, so experiences during stricter lockdown may differ. The study did not assess barriers outside the pandemic or compare experiences before and after lockdown. The study did not ask participants about their gender or sex identity. Qualitative themes describe women's experiences; they do not show that any support service caused better breastfeeding outcomes.

The first three authors were students at the time of manuscript preparation. The authors received financial support for participant honorariums from the 15K Challenge from Women's Xchange, as part of the broader EMBRACE project.

Do not read this as evidence that online breastfeeding support is ineffective for all at-risk women or that pandemic restrictions caused poor breastfeeding outcomes. The study used a small qualitative sample from a single clinic, interviews rather than measured support effects, and no before-and-after comparison.