About this trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum (MB-EAT-P) program can improve infant feeding practices and maternal eating behaviors. Researchers will compare participants who receive the MB-EAT-P program immediately to those who receive it after an 8-week waitlist period. Participants in the intervention group will attend weekly 2-hour MB-EAT-P sessions for 8 weeks and practice mindfulness and mindful eating at home. Participants in both groups will participate in a recorded mealtime observations with their infant and complete surveys and dietary recalls at baseline, midpoint, and post-intervention. This study is patient-oriented and co-developed with a Parent Advisory Committee to ensure relevance to postpartum individuals.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Age between 19 and 45 years.

Have started or plan to start solid foods for their baby by the time of enrollment

Have an infant aged 6 to 12 months

Willing to participate in a recorded mealtime observation for the study

Disqualifiers

Planning to move in the next two months

Medically diagnosed with an active eating disorder (e.g., Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder)

Diagnosed with an unmanaged chronic medical condition affecting diet (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, celiac disease, severe GI disorders, kidney disease, sleep apnea, PCOS)

Diagnosed with unmanaged postpartum depression or anxiety

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum
Behavioral
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum (MB-EAT-P) is an 8-week, patient-oriented intervention co-developed with a Parent Advisory Committee. Designed for postpartum individuals, it integrates mindfulness practices, responsive feeding education, and experiential learning. Weekly sessions include guided meditations, mindful eating exercises, infant feeding strategies, and reflective journaling. Activities cover hunger/satiety cues, emotional balance, cultural feeding practices, and light physical activity. MB-EAT-P stands out for its postpartum-specific design, parent-led development, and holistic approach to maternal-infant well-being. The intervention group receives the full program following the baseline visit, in an in-person group setting.
Waitlist Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum
Behavioral
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum (MB-EAT-P) is an 8-week, patient-oriented intervention co-developed with a Parent Advisory Committee. Designed for postpartum individuals, it integrates mindfulness practices, responsive feeding education, and experiential learning. Weekly sessions include guided meditations, mindful eating exercises, infant feeding strategies, and reflective journaling. Activities cover hunger/satiety cues, emotional balance, cultural feeding practices, and light physical activity. The control group will not receive any components of the intervention until after the final clinical visit. MB-EAT-P stands out for its postpartum-specific design, parent-led development, and holistic approach to maternal-infant well-being. The control group will then receive the full program post-study via the MMMM website in a self-guided format with recorded sessions, scripts, and worksheets.

Treatment groups

72 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Group A: InterventionExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: ControlActive comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Infant Responsive Feeding

Responsive Feeding is defined as a caregiver's ability to recognize and appropriately respond to their infant's hunger and satiety cues in a timely, supportive, and developmentally appropriate manner. It includes offering food when the infant shows hunger, allowing self-regulation, and avoiding coercive feeding. Infant cues will be assessed using the Responsiveness to Child Feeding Cues Scale (RCFCS), an observational coding system rating hunger and satiety cues (early, active, late), engagement, affect, and physical disposition. Cue strength is rated 1-5, with late cues coded present (1), absent (0), or can't tell (6). Responsiveness reflects how accurately and promptly caregivers respond to these cues, rather than cue strength alone. Composite measures include infant receptiveness (balance of hunger vs. fullness cues) and feeding engagement (percentage of time engaged with feeding). Trained coders will code video-recorded meals using the standardized RCFCS manual.

Time frame

Baseline, at 4 weeks, at 8 weeks after enrollment and 3 months post-intervention

2

Maternal Mindful Eating

Mindful Eating is defined as non-judgmental awareness of physical and emotional sensations during eating, including hunger, satiety, taste, and emotional triggers. In this study, maternal mindful eating will be assessed using two validated tools: the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) and the Mindful Eating Behavior Scale (MEBS). The MEQ evaluates dimensions such as awareness, disinhibition, and emotional eating, with scores ranging from 1 to 4, where higher scores reflect more mindful eating. The MEBS measures behavioral engagement in mindful eating practices, with scores from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater mindful eating behavior. Together, the MEQ and MEBS provide a multidimensional understanding of how postpartum individuals engage with food and feeding in a mindful, intentional way, capturing both attitudinal and behavioral aspects of mindful eating.

Time frame

Baseline, at 4 weeks, at 8 weeks after enrollment and 3 months post-intervention

Secondary outcomes

1

Dietary Quality

Dietary quality is defined as the overall nutritional adequacy and alignment of food intake with dietary guidelines. Maternal dietary quality will be assessed using the Healthy Eating Food Index (HEFI) based on ASA24 dietary recalls, which evaluates intake across food groups and nutrients. HEFI scores range from 0 to 80, with higher scores reflecting better alignment with recommendations. Infant dietary quality will be assessed using the WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Indicators, which capture dietary diversity (0-7 food groups), meal frequency, and breastfeeding status. Together, the HEFI and IYCF provide a comprehensive assessment of maternal and infant nutritional behaviors and adherence to recommended feeding standards.

Time frame

Baseline, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks after enrollment.

2

Behaviour Change Constructs

The investigators will examine whether MB-EAT-P improves behaviour change constructs (e.g., knowledge, confidence, self-efficacy) assessed using the Maternal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Solid Feeding (MSEQ-SF) and the InFANT Program Questionnaire. The MSEQ-SF captures maternal confidence and self-efficacy across three domains: (1) responsive feeding (ability to recognize hunger/satiety cues; range 0-20), (2) capability to feed (providing healthy food and encouraging intake; range 5-25), and (3) food-related decisions (confidence in making appropriate feeding choices; range 0-8). The InFANT Program Questionnaire assesses nutrition knowledge (12 items scored on a 4-point agreement scale, dichotomized into correct/incorrect) and parental confidence in promoting healthy eating, limiting unhealthy foods, and providing healthy settings (scored on a 5-point confidence scale).

Time frame

Baseline, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks after enrollment.

3

Sleep Quality

The investigators will examine whether MB-EAT-P improves sleep quality in mothers. Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.

Time frame

Baseline, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks after enrollment.

4

Weight Control Strategies

The investigators will examine whether MB-EAT-P improves weight control strategies. Weight control strategies will be assessed using the Weight Control Strategies Scale (WCSS). The WCSS includes subscales for dietary choices, self-monitoring, and physical activity, with scores ranging from 0 to 4 per item; higher scores indicate more frequent use of weight control strategies.

Time frame

Baseline, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks after enrollment.

Mindful Moms, Mindful Meals (MMMM) Study

About this trial

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Disqualifiers

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

Treatment groups

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts