The Experience of Dual Maternity: Analysis of Social Medias of Couples of Moms who are Digital Influencers

Abstract

Dual maternity refers to the construction of shared motherhood by couples of non-heterosexual women, a family configuration that still faces a scenario of little visibility and prejudice. The aim was to investigate how the experience of dual maternity is approached by mothers in digital spaces. To this end, the analysis was based on posts by moms who are influencers on Instagram. The research involved 431 posts from 5 profiles, with data collected and analyzed according to the criteria of Thematic Analysis. Five categories were created: preparation for pregnancy; pregnancy; delivery; postpartum period and first year onwards. Dual maternity is presented in a spontaneous way and within the same environment of love, discoveries and challenges that commonly mark reports about being a mother. However, the experiences reported are always crossed by the idiosyncrasies of being a mother in a same-sex relationship and, therefore, a family that "escapes" the heteronormative reference. It was possible to perceive the tension of stereotypes linked to parenthood and the constitution of family ties. Digital narratives allow these reports to be disseminated and influencers to assume a role of reference, while recognizing themselves and finding a safe space for exchange.