The "Beyond the Mother" study introduces a new method for collecting real-time data on infant feeding and social support through the Baby Buddy app, offering a user-friendly tool to gather detailed insights from a diverse group of mothers.
Our study aimed to develop a new way to collect data on infant feeding and social support using a mobile health (mHealth) approach through the Baby Buddy app. We integrated a daily survey feature into Baby Buddy, which supports new parents and caregivers from pregnancy through their child’s first birthday.
The study focused on creating a user-friendly, real-time data collection tool that could gather detailed information from a diverse group of mothers.
Understanding the importance of social support for mothers
Social support is thought to protect and assist mothers as they face the challenges of infant feeding, which in turn benefits child outcomes and maternal mental health. Breastfeeding rates improve when mothers receive the support they need.
But many women do not breastfeed, and it is not always the best option for them and their babies. A focus on breastfeeding means the experiences of formula-feeding mothers, and those mixed-feeding, are currently poorly understood.
While we know social support is important, there is limited evidence on what kinds of support are crucial in different situations and how best to provide this support.
Traditional research methods, which often collect data after events have happened, have limitations such as recall bias and sampling issues, which do not accurately represent wider society.
Collaborative and human-centred design process
Our research project stands out due to its collaborative nature with the charity Best Beginnings and its development following a co-produced and human-centred design approach. By working closely with mothers, app developers, and researchers, we created a user-friendly way of collecting high-resolution data.
In this study, we present a case study showcasing the development of a data collection methodology designed to address these challenges.
In April-May 2022, we co-produced and piloted a mobile health (mHealth) data collection methodology linked to a pre-existing pregnancy and parenting app in the UK (Baby Buddy), prioritising real-time daily data collection about women's postnatal experiences. In 2025, this project is moving into the second-stage pilot in which the feature is rolled out to 500 women in Birmingham and London to further improve it.
To explore the potential of mHealth in-app surveys, we report the iterative design process and the results from a mixed-method four-week pilot, which included explorative data analysis of usage data and content analysis of interview data.
Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project
Dr Abigail E Page - Dr Page studies human reproduction, parenting, childrearing and early child development from an evolutionary and behavioural perspective. She is an interdisciplinary scientist, bringing together theories and perspectives from the Behavioural Ecology, Anthropology, Psychology, Archaeology and Demography. Her work is cross-cultural, working with both subsistence level groups across the world as well as UK based work.
Related Research Group(s)
Culture and Evolution - Evolution and culture are the two most fundamental and powerful influences on human behaviour, and their effects are what we study at the Centre for Culture and Evolution.
Partnering with confidence
Organisations interested in our research can partner with us with confidence backed by an external and independent benchmark: The Knowledge Exchange Framework. Read more.
Project last modified 10/02/2025