Mindful Moms, Mindful Meals (MMMM) Study

NCT07282964 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: REB 2025-126
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Nutrition in Early Infancy; Nutrition Habits; Postpartum Nutrition; Mindful Eating Intervention

Keywords

Infant; Feeding Behavior; Postpartum Period; Diet; Mindful Eating; Nutrition

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• 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.

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

• 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.

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

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Dietary Quality

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

• Behaviour Change Constructs

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

• Sleep Quality

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

• Weight Control Strategies

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

• Mental Health

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

Study Arms (2)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will take part in an 8-week, tailored Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum (MB-EAT-P) program. Weekly sessions will include mindfulness meditations, training in hunger and satiety awareness, responsive feeding education, light-intensity physical activity, and food tasting experiences. In addition to the group sessions, participants will be encouraged to engage in at-home practices, including mindfulness meditations, mindful eating, responsive feeding techniques, and journaling their experiences to support reflection and integration of the training into daily life.

Behavioral: Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum

Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the control group will receive access to the Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum (MB-EAT-P) program following the initial 8-week period. This self-guided version of the program will be delivered through the MMMM website and will include recorded sessions, meditation scripts, worksheets, and all core components of the intervention. These components encompass mindfulness meditations, hunger and satiety awareness training, responsive feeding education, light-intensity physical activity guidelines, and food tasting guidance.

Behavioral: Waitlist Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training Postpartum

Interventions

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.

Intervention

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.

Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 19 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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
• Willing to complete an 8-week MB-EAT-P intervention, including homework assignments
• Have an infant born at or after 37 weeks of gestation.

You may not qualify if:

• General
• 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
• Diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia with extreme fatigue or weakness
• Substance use disorder (e.g., alcohol or drug addiction)
• Cognitive impairments affecting memory, attention, or comprehension (e.g., dementia, brain injury)
• Following a strict formal diet or weight loss program
• Enrolled in a weight loss or mindfulness-based program in the past 12 months
• Recovering from major surgery or experiencing an acute medical crisis (e.g., bariatric surgery)
• Experiencing recent trauma or untreated PTSD

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of New Brunswick: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of New Brunswick

Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 4J9, Canada

RECRUITING

Related Publications (12)

• Kao TA, Ling J, Alanazi M, Atwa A, Liu S. Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on obesogenic eating behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2025 Mar;26(3):e13860. doi: 10.1111/obr.13860. Epub 2024 Nov 3.

  PMID: 39489689 BACKGROUND

• Ayyala MS, Coughlin JW, Martin L, Henderson J, Ezekwe N, Clark JM, Appel LJ, Bennett WL. Perspectives of pregnant and postpartum women and obstetric providers to promote healthy lifestyle in pregnancy and after delivery: a qualitative in-depth interview study. BMC Womens Health. 2020 Mar 4;20(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12905-020-0896-x.

  PMID: 32131832 BACKGROUND

• Madray C, Richardson J, Hornsby P, Grello C, Drake E, Kellams A. Exploring the Unmet Needs of Postpartum Mothers: A Qualitative Study. J Perinat Educ. 2022 Apr 1;31(2):71-81. doi: 10.1891/JPE-2021-00009.

  PMID: 35386495 BACKGROUND

• Brassard D, Elvidge Munene LA, St-Pierre S, Guenther PM, Kirkpatrick SI, Slater J, Lemieux S, Jessri M, Haines J, Prowse R, Olstad DL, Garriguet D, Vena J, Vatanpatast H, L'Abbe MR, Lamarche B. Development of the Healthy Eating Food Index (HEFI)-2019 measuring adherence to Canada's Food Guide 2019 recommendations on healthy food choices. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2022 May;47(5):595-610. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2021-0415. Epub 2022 Jan 14.

  PMID: 35030038 BACKGROUND

• Manafo E, Petermann L, Vandall-Walker V, Mason-Lai P. Patient and public engagement in priority setting: A systematic rapid review of the literature. PLoS One. 2018 Mar 2;13(3):e0193579. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193579. eCollection 2018.

  PMID: 29499043 BACKGROUND

• Leahy K, Berlin KS, Banks GG, Bachman J. The Relationship Between Intuitive Eating and Postpartum Weight Loss. Matern Child Health J. 2017 Aug;21(8):1591-1597. doi: 10.1007/s10995-017-2281-4.

  PMID: 28176035 BACKGROUND

• Ward K, Herekar A, Wang P, Lindsay KL. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mindfulness-Based Smartphone App among Pregnant Women with Obesity. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Apr 6;20(7):5421. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20075421.

  PMID: 37048035 BACKGROUND

• Vieten C, Laraia BA, Kristeller J, Adler N, Coleman-Phox K, Bush NR, Wahbeh H, Duncan LG, Epel E. The mindful moms training: development of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce stress and overeating during pregnancy. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018 Jun 1;18(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s12884-018-1757-6.

  PMID: 29859038 BACKGROUND

• Tylka TL, Eneli IU, Kroon Van Diest AM, Lumeng JC. Which adaptive maternal eating behaviors predict child feeding practices? An examination with mothers of 2- to 5-year-old children. Eat Behav. 2013 Jan;14(1):57-63. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.10.014. Epub 2012 Nov 10.

  PMID: 23265403 BACKGROUND

• Roberts LT, Carbonneau N, Goodman LC, Musher-Eizenman DR. Retrospective reports of childhood feeding in mother-daughter dyads. Appetite. 2020 Jun 1;149:104613. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104613. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

  PMID: 31987877 BACKGROUND

• Furman D, Campisi J, Verdin E, Carrera-Bastos P, Targ S, Franceschi C, Ferrucci L, Gilroy DW, Fasano A, Miller GW, Miller AH, Mantovani A, Weyand CM, Barzilai N, Goronzy JJ, Rando TA, Effros RB, Lucia A, Kleinstreuer N, Slavich GM. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med. 2019 Dec;25(12):1822-1832. doi: 10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

  PMID: 31806905 BACKGROUND

• Faria-Schutzer DB, Surita FG, Rodrigues L, Turato ER. Eating Behaviors in Postpartum: A Qualitative Study of Women with Obesity. Nutrients. 2018 Jul 10;10(7):885. doi: 10.3390/nu10070885.

  PMID: 29996489 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Infant and young child feeding. World Health Organization
• Government of Canada CIHR. Patient engagement - CIHR

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Feeding Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior, Animal; Behavior

Study Officials

• Dr. Maryam Kebbe, PhD, CLC

  University of New Brunswick

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Dr. Maryam Kebbe, PhD, CLC

CONTACT

+1-506-451-6872; maryam.kebbe@unb.ca

Jasleen Kaur Dev, PhD Candidate

CONTACT

+1-778-385-6814; jasleen.dev@unb.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Parallel Waitlist-Control Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 12, 2025
• First Posted: December 15, 2025
• Study Start: September 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2028
• Last Updated: February 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Locations

CA (1)