Helping Moms to be Healthy After Baby

Low-income and minority women are at increased risk for postpartum weight retention (i.e. retaining weight after pregnancy) and consequent persistent obesity. Women who are obese pre-pregnancy are 3-5 times more likely to gain weight, rather than lose weight, in the postpartum period than non-obese women. Obesity science supports that weight loss interventions should be multi-component with regular points of contact. Building upon this, we have designed a multi-component intervention that considers the demands on women in the postpartum period and utilizes technology for both provider decision support and for virtual contact with participants. The intervention will address diet, physical activity, and social support through the use of in-person meetings with WIC staff, text messaging, phone coaching, self-monitoring, and Facebook.