Primary researchers: Gretel Finch, Peter Rogers, Jeff Brunstrom

Collaborators: Dani Ferriday 

The purpose of this research is to investigate factors which affect food and drink choices and eating behaviour during the time before pregnancy and during the early postpartum period. This research will be carried out on mothers using quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting information on eating behaviour, including a computerised task measuring ideal portion size.

This research has implications for understanding weight control and appetite and its potential impact on obesity. Health challenges such as obesity management in the postnatal period are highlighted in recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The findings from this research will help us understand the impact of eating and drinking behaviour on maternal nutrition, and how different maternal feeding behaviours and pre-conceived perceptions may influence postpartum weight management in terms of energy expenditure and energy balance. Additionally, this research will develop our understanding of factors that contribute to postpartum snacking behaviour, particularly of energy dense foods, during a time period where eating patterns may have greater variability and higher levels of energy intake in some mothers.