Table 2 Women’s perspectives: themes and subthemes

1. Experiences of the intervention

1. Enduring memories of benefits of a positive experience Antenatal

a. From useful to brilliant

b. Route to information

c. Receiving support

d. Being known

2. Things that made it not so useful

a. Experiencing it as hard or unrealistic or hard to process at the time as overwhelmed by pregnancy or feeling unwell

b. Not attending postnatal peer facilitation

3. What got in the way of implementing their plan

a. Services not available

b. Other commitments

c. Pregnancy related illness

4. Relationship with peer facilitator

a. Warmth

b. Efficiency

c. Continuity of person and feeling known

2. How when and for whom the intervention should be provided

1. Intervention timing

a. Antenatal -Early pregnancy

b. Postnatal- After 6 weeks

2. Who should be offered the intervention

a. Universal with self-determined access

3. How should it be organized

a. Fine the way it was

b. Other suggestions

c. Lay person should conduct intervention

3. Research study participation

1. Motivations for participating

a. Perceiving own vulnerability

b. Wanting to help

c. Wanting information

2. Experience of the study

a. Not recalling all information processes but this was fine

b. Able to ask all questions needed

c. Completing baseline questionnaire was fine

3. Attitudes toward being involved in the study

a. Being involved was fine

b. Too intrusive

4.Use of resource booklet

1. Looked at it

2. Looked at it & used it

3. Didn’t look at it or use it

Overarching theme: Bringing Mum into focus