Postpartum Weight Retention

The Postpartum Weight Management Study is a true community-academic collaboration, bringing together Maternity Care Coalition (MCC) staff and the investigator, Dr. Charmaine Smith Wright from the University of Pennsylvania to address the needs of postpartum moms. The project is an innovative intervention to help moms lose weight after the birth of their baby. Helping mothers control their weight during pregnancy and beyond can help both mother and baby avoid later obesity and cardiovascular disease. Although all women are at risk for retaining the weight gained during pregnancy, this problem is amplified for low-income, minority women. The holistic approach aims to prevent postpartum weight retention and increase breastfeeding duration with a multi-component, low-cost intervention that provides: 1) Motivational appeals delivered in text message format; 2) Environmental aides, such as a baby carrier to combine exercise with infant care, and a pedometer to accurately measure exercise at home; 3) Enhanced peer support, including home visits and group classes with other mothers; and 4) Task-oriented professional support from nutrition and lactation experts, who assist women in developing a personalized health plan. The effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated using a randomized control methodology among clients of MCC.

Regular care as provided by the community based organization from which the convenience sample is recruited with one year of assessments only

6 week challenge with 1 year of home visits: health texting, in home exercise supports, social support, healthy eating and feeding classes

6 week challenge with 1 year of home visits: health texting, in home exercise supports, social support, healthy eating and feeding classes

6 week challenge with 1 year of home visits: health texting, in home exercise supports, social support, healthy eating and feeding classes

Infant weight for length percentile at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention (weight in pounds and length in inches converted to weight for length percentile using World Health Organization software support http://www.who.int/childgrowth/software/readme_stata.pdf?ua=1)

Using validated nutrition knowledge scale at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post intervention, difference from baseline

Dichotomous (yes/no) variable describing whether the subject returned to pre-pregnancy weight (difference between 1 year post and self-reported pre-pregnancy weight at baseline time point survey=0) or not

Continuous (difference in 1 year post-intervention weight and self-reported pre-pregnancy weight reported at baseline time point survey) variable describing the change in weight over time

Inclusion Criteria: All women who speak English, and are within six weeks of delivering a live, term, single infants Exclusion Criteria: Women who have multiple births or preterm (<38 weeks gestation) infants

Wright C, Mogul M, Acevedo G, Aysola J, Momplaisir F, Schwartz S, Shea J. Preparing for a trial to test a postpartum weight retention intervention among low income women: feasibility of a protocol in a community-based organization. BMC Womens Health. 2018 Jan 25;18(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12905-018-0517-0.