Facebook community groups became the saving grace of social media – 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝔼𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪

But, as is the way with Facebook, there is always a “but”. As the group grew to more than 7000 members, so too did the number of annoying posts. For every curious question, there was a four-paragraph response to whether someone’s husband is in the wrong for refusing to do a 2am drive to McDonald’s. And with a significant portion of the group being American, the rise in anti-vaccine misinformation tied to the “Make America Healthy Again” movement has also been noticeable.

There are community guidelines, and group administrators intervene in more serious breaches such as medical advice, whether by removing comments or interrupting a heated discussion to remind members of the rules. But given they are just regular expecting parents like the rest of us, posts and comments fall through the cracks.

For many people, there is no topic more divisive than how you’ll manage your pregnancy or raise your children. I scroll past posts that aren’t aligned with my personal beliefs, so in this way, it’s not dissimilar to what you might encounter in a real-life mother’s group, or any other corner of Facebook. Of course, I steer clear of seeking medical advice. When I’m concerned about a symptom, I reach out to my hospital midwife or GP – when I want to voice my fears about childbirth, I share with the group.

But that’s the confounding thing about community groups. They can be frustrating and concerning places. The June 2025 Babies Due group isn’t the online oasis it was during my first trimester, but with almost four months left to go, there is still treasure to be found among the trash.

Serving as a makeshift virtual mother’s group, this place helps women navigate all aspects of the antenatal journey, not just the part where you have the baby and don’t know what to do with it. And on the days when pregnancy has me feeling low, I still find myself gravitating towards it. The support is still there, even if you do have to scroll past some MAHA posts to get it.

Melissa Mason is a freelance writer and podcaster based in Sydney.

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