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Approximately 70% of new mothers do not meet national guidelines for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The Nā Mikimiki (“the active ones”) Project (2008-2011) was designed to increase MVPA among women with infants 2-12 months old. Participants’ barriers to exercising and achievement of specific MVPA goals were discussed during telephone counseling calls over 12-months. Healthy, inactive women (n=115, mean age=31 ±5 years, infants’ mean age = 5.5 ± 3 months; 80% racial/ethnic minorities) received a total of 17 calls over 12 months, in three phases. During Phase 1 weekly calls were made for a month; in Phase 2 biweekly calls were made for two months, and in Phase 3 monthly calls were made for nine months. Across all Phases, the most frequent barriers to achieving MVPA goals were: time/too busy (25%), sick child (11%), and illness (10%). Goals for MVPA minutes per week were achieved or surpassed 40.6% of the time during weekly calls, 39.9% during biweekly calls and 42.0% during monthly calls. The least likely MVPA goals to be achieved (p < 0.04) were those which the woman encountered and for which she failed to overcome the barriers she had previously anticipated would impair her improvement of MVPA. This process evaluation demonstrated that telephone counseling somewhat facilitated the resolution of barriers and achievement of MVPA goals; thus, if clinical settings adopted such methods, chronic disease risks could be reduced in this vulnerable population of new mothers.

Self-compassion encompasses the three components of kindness, common humanity and mindfulness, and involves reducing one’s own suffering that can stem from personal inadequacies as well as the desire for one’s own health and well-being. The current investigation uniquely focused on the relevance of self-compassion to postpartum women coping with their changing bodies. Eighteen postpartum women participated in a one-on-one interview at the beginning and end of one month, and maintained journals between the two interviews. Themes emerged within the three components of self-compassion and an additional theme served as a motivational mechanism for taking care of one’s self through positive health behaviours (such as making exercise a priority). Kindness was described as being non-judgemental towards themselves and their bodies, along with having a self-focused moment or mental break. Common humanity was seen as the connection with other new mothers as well as people in general at the personal (interacting wit...