Theme	Sub-Theme	Participant Quotes
1. Overall opinion of program	1.1 Reasons for participation	I thought that it might help people. It’s a public health initiative and it’s a really serious issue, childhood obesity. It sets people up for a lifetime of chronic health conditions if they’re obese as babies and toddlers. Telephone call participant T1 Someone came to me, at the hospital, during one of my visits. They gave me a bit of background on the study. They sent up leaflets and pamphlets at a timely period for when having a baby … Being a first-time mom, I had no idea what I was doing. So, it was able to kind of tell me what to expect, which was great. Text message participant S1 Yeah, even if it’s with just the general, I was just getting a general level of information. I do feel like it made me feel a bit, well, connected … I think having an option for the phone contact or text message I think would probably be good for a lot of women. Because there are times that I get out, if they’re not going to leave the house to go to a mother’s group or community care then I think it’s a really good goal to have one person that can assist you with that sort of stuff. Control participant C1 I do not have my mother here … so I thought that they are experienced people, so they would definitely help me in looking after my baby … that is the thing which motivated me to … participate. Control Participant C3
	1.2 Information and support	That’s a really tricky thing in terms of the reliability of anything. Often, even from government publications, you can be getting conflicting messages and answers. Telephone call participant T1 After the support’s dried up and after your partner’s back at work, and how things are going later on. So many women I know have quite a really difficult first year. Yeah, I think the telephone consultations would be very useful if everyone had access to them ideally. Telephone call participant T1 If it is a government or a website of a government program, then you … know it is credible. Sources that don’t have that sort of backing like mother’s groups forums … just seeing what other people’s experiences are … and you know you are not the only one experiencing certain things. Telephone call participant T8 Some mothers do want some extra support and going to a GP is hard and you need to make an appointment, so this is over the telephone, it’s easier to access information. Text message participant S13 When I really needed help with breastfeeding or questions about solids or brushing teeth or developmental milestones I would need to either make an appointment with the early childhood health centre or call ABA or Tresilian or try to find a doctor. Control participant C4
	1.3 Feedback	It was like somebody holding your hand along the way. You knew that somebody knows that you are out there, that they know your baby’s name…rather than having to reach out for resources or information specific to you which you may not have time for or motivation…it is really nice to have an organisation in contact with you that knows where you are at. Text message participant S12 I just liked the fact that it kind of told you what to expect … if someone kind of gives you what to expect, then you anticipate these changes, and you can look out for them. So I really liked that quite a bit … I think what I found most useful was… some of the changes to expect … when to introduce solids, I don’t know any of it … it was all useful to me. Text message participant S1 I just think if you guys need government funding to get this program into new mothers’ hands, I think it is so important … I would highly recommend other mothers to be a part of this program. It has been useful and It has been a really great way of adjusting to being a new mother. Text message participant S1 I would like every, at least first-time mum, to experience all this. I think it’s a blessing to have such a program. Telephone call participant T12 Along the way sent little gifts as well … one in particular that we were given was a little bowl and spoon. it’s her favourite one, we use it every day. Text message participant S4 I think a lot kind of focus on looking after myself as well as her. I think that was the message that I took … and then the exercise which I was a bit more focused to do. Telephone call participant T9 I think I wasn’t quite the right demographic as most women, because I already had a lot of health support and health information … for example, I am breastfeeding and my mum breastfed me until I was three … since birth, they haven’t been useful. I haven’t really learned anything new … it’s more just kind of confirmation of what I’ve been reading. Telephone call participant T10 I had all the help possible. The nurse I dealt with, was really helpful … she was not very judgmental … my suggestion about the program would be … if there is funding … it would be really good to actually meet the nurse. just meet the person once. Telephone call participant T13 At four or five months, I was really unwell … I was in hospital for six weeks … I could not take my baby with me, so I had to stop breastfeeding … I kept getting SMSs in the time period saying ‘don’t forget to keep breastfeeding … which actually made me miserable. Text message participant S7 “Whenever I am worried about something, I text Healthy Beginnings … and they answer me straight away so I am really happy with it … they answer me as best as they can do … I can ask questions and they reply quickly, so it was even better.” Text message participant S8
2. Mode of delivery	2.1 Telephone calls	It was nice that the nurses on the phone, they listened a lot. They didn’t bully you or push you or anything like that, which was really nice … it’s nice just to have someone who listens and doesn’t criticise. Telephone call participant T10 It was always very difficult coordinating the phone call time … That’s the story of your life. Maybe because I don’t have a routine baby. I wouldn’t know for sure when I was going to be free on any day, so often I would call when it was a good time for me, but of course the nurses would be busy. Often, we’d play phone tag for weeks trying to get hold. Telephone call participant T1 I feel like if you were someone who had less support than I do, need something before the baby comes … need something that follows up after those three months … yeah I think the telephone consultations would be very useful if everyone had access to them ideally. Telephone call participant T1 I also found it useful just to engage with somebody else … sometimes you become isolated. It’s good to have somebody else check in on you now and then…I could actually discuss topics that reflected my need. Telephone call participant T2 The phone calls have been beneficial … individualised feedback … They would give very practical advice and very easily … they would explain things until I understood them myself and not just as if it was to a whole group of people. Telephone call participant T3 It was good to talk to a nurse … if you had concerns about something … I got to ask them a question via text message and they came back to me the next day with a response … it was comforting to know it had come from a health professional rather me having to go down to the doctor and probably get the same answer. Telephone call participant T13 I think those phone calls are great and I think they should be recommended to all. Telephone call participant T6
	2.2 Text messages	I didn’t really benefit very much from the text messages. I think the pamphlets were the best … I did look at the text messages. That’s not to say that the text messages weren’t useful. I just found the booklets more useful. If you were to get rid of the text messages, and keep the booklets. You do it the other way. I would definitely keep the booklets. You didn’t need … I feel like it was a nice addition, but I don’t feel like it’s necessary to get the text messages. Text message participant S1 I would be thinking about something was going on with breastfeeding or something and the next day I would get, just by chance a message … it kind of made me go, yes I am doing the right thing … I think I was probably happy with the text messages because I often didn’t have time for a telephone call. But maybe a mix of the two … Because text messages you are not as likely to remember it all, so may be a phone call or something might have built that … I think that everyone is different so I think you need to give kind of a choice … probably recommend a couple of phone calls in there. Text message participant S5 When I receive the text messages, when you are home alone … at home with the baby, when you get a message like that, it sort of brightens your day … oh, someone is thinking about me … It does help and they are just little hints to keep you going … just remind you of things you may have forgotten … reminds me of information I already knew. Text message participant S3 I think even that, if your hardest time is in the evening, if it takes 24 h for someone to respond to your text messages anyway … It’s nice to have, but it’s not really that beneficial. Text message participant S1 “One of the text messages was incredibly de-motivational … It always sounded just very sort of automated, a marketing message, not like you could have a two-way conversation.” Text message participant S6 If you are still breastfeeding, make sure you go and have some rest or something like that … I know the intention was good but probably a bit patronizing … I think, probably in a text message you can’t fit enough information. So it would probably be a link or something like that … because I think there just wasn’t enough information. Text message participant S9
	2.3 HB Booklets	It was interesting to read the literature (booklets) … there would be differences between what the literature … and what the other literature was saying … for example, do you start solids at four months or six months? Telephone call participant T1 Well, my husband’s family were pushing very strongly that I feed him things like custard, sweetened with honey and things like that. I was able to say, ‘Look, the research says we can’t give them honey and we should avoid milk, and stuff like that.’ It was handy to have a source of authority to say that this is why I’m not feeding him those things. Telephone call participant T1 Sharing the booklets with my partner … here’s everything that we have been talking about lately, in one place. Telephone call participant T8 I have always put the booklet in front of my partner and asked if he read it and we talked about it … He has been the only person really that I have shared my experience with … Telephone call participant T9 I think what I found most useful was like I said, just some of the changes to expect at the certain times for your child, and kind of when to introduce solids. I didn’t know any of it. So, it was all useful to me … my husband, he also found it really useful, so we both kind of have the same views on the content. Text message participant S1 The booklets sort of explains what to start feeding them, when the time is right and … just new things that they are going to be learning at that stage … I have lot of kids in my family, my siblings and that … but the booklets did help with what is really right for them at this stage.” (Participant T10) “It’s been pretty good. It’s kind of covered at each point along the way … the main milestones, any questions I had about breast feeding and that sort of thing were answered. Telephone call participant T11 The booklets are really helpful … even if you have support, this booklet also comes in as additional support … I would say if anyone doesn’t understand what happens in the first three months, or three to six months how a baby should grow, I think the booklets supposed to clarify the doubt which is good. Telephone call participant T12 Easy to understand, it was really helpful … particularly the ones that have a little bit of information about the routines, feed and sleep … it was kind of nice how it arrived at the time that you needed it. Text message participant S4 Because it is over a period of time and it is small pieces of information that are relevant to the stage of your baby it is something that you can take in and refer back to, but without it being a huge amount of information at once … I have referred back to it a lot about food and things like that. Text message participant S5 If you were to get rid of the text messages, and keep the booklets. I would definitely keep the booklets … Text message participant S1 Probably the thing I’ve found most useful is the booklet that comes because they just give quite a good overview of what’s happening in those months … Probably didn’t find the text messages as helpful. Text message participant S2 I didn’t find the booklets as useful … It just wasn’t information I needed … The booklets just had a lot of information that wasn’t specifically relevant to me … They just weren’t relevant to me. I’m sure they’re helpful for other people … I found it useful just to engage with somebody else … Telephone call participant T2 The booklets, some of it was common sense, but nothing was ground-breaking or new, but it was just confirmation of what we already had read from other sources … a few of the dietary things were interesting for example, having no salt for the baby’s food … Telephone call participant T10 I’m a second time mother. I forget from the first one … The booklet is new information for me. May be the first one I do the wrong thing, you know … so this one is good for me … The booklet is useful … it’s easy and then. because my English is not very good … the booklet is easy, I can understand … I can see exactly what I want inside. Telephone call participant T5 I didn’t have enough time to sort of go online and read through but I did read through the booklets because it was there, in my hand. Telephone call participant T6 I’m usually someone that is not into paper … at least the booklet, I always put it next to my bed … it was there visible, so I could pick it up and read it and look at it … I found the booklets very useful. Text message participant S4 I have found the booklet quite helpful, I would sit down and read that whilst eating lunch or having a coffee or something. Text message participant S12 I can understand English, so it was easy. It was described in a very easy way, the booklet … in terms of the nurses calls may be sometimes a little bit of tension but it’s fine. Telephone call participant T7 I have a little folder of them … brochures that you sent. tip sheet from may be Tresilian or Karitane, that I referred to several times … some kind of department of health brochure about healthy eating and screen time.” (Participant T14) I did have a couple of books that had been recommended or people had given me … I did actually buy a book called Baby Love … I rarely even needed to look at it because of the information that was provided by you guys. Text message participant S4 I think they could have been delivered a bit earlier, because my baby came a few weeks early with my preeclampsia. It felt like by the time the booklet has arrived, I’d already researched that stage. Maybe if they’d come a month earlier it would have been more helpful. Telephone call participant T1 In a couple of instances there was some general information that I might have seen it somewhere else … it reminded me when it came … Control participant C1 The information in the booklets was fine but it wasn’t necessarily information that I couldn’t have found anywhere else … it’s very basic information that people are probably getting from other places. Control participant C4
3. Intervention contents	3.1 Breastfeeding	It’s been really helpful … I had some questions related to breastfeeding and weaning … I tried to go to Breastfeeding Australia but they’re very anti-weaning, which isn’t particularly helpful when you just need advice on how to do it properly … I found the nurse was able to provide me with really good, helpful advice that meant that weaning was a painless experience for both the baby and myself. Telephone call participant T2 Because of … whatever reasons, my milk stopped after one month … I was like sad that I couldn’t give the best to my son … the nurse’s call really helped me to overcome the stress … sometimes you can feel guilty if you are not giving best to your child. I think the nurses did give quality thoughts and how other mums may be suffering. Telephone call participant T12 I stopped breastfeeding … at five months old … I felt the booklet was encouraging me to continue to breastfeed her … but I felt a little bit of pressure … we had breastfeeding issues … so I kind of felt like, if I didn’t breastfeed her that I was being judged. Text message participant S1 I saw a lactation consultant and I also went to the breastfeeding drop-in clinic. I also went to a twins breastfeeding class at RPA. Text message participant S2 I was having trouble breastfeeding … when he was first born, so I actually had to physically go see a lactation consultant … I think telephone or text messages wouldn’t have been enough … physically going to the lactation consultant was I think more helpful. Control Participant C5
	3.2 Introduction to solids	I thought the dietary reminders and recommendations are helpful … best thing that I have gained from the program Telephone call participant T9 Information on ‘introduction to solids’ was useful because I have no idea what to give the baby when he can start solids … In terms of feeding solids may be some more information is better because … I am still feeding him by the spoon. So may be some more information on how to let him eat by himself. Telephone call participant T4 You guys had some extra … leaflets in the one that came, solids. That was really useful. I’m not sure, if that was from you or the local health centre, but they also sent a booklet that showed how to prepare the food. So, what consistency for what age. That was good. Text message participant S1 I got it from a range of places … solid information session at the clinic, baby book, internet, clinic…few trusted books. Telephone call participant T8 I introduced meals formally to her at six months … I took a class on starting solids with the early childhood centre and I was also given some information from my doctor…i also spoke to friends and things like that. Control participant C7 My GP was very strongly pushing (to start solids) from four months but I was worried that once he went to solids my baby wouldn’t want to breastfeed anymore. Telephone call participant T1 I have to say for that bit, I was a little bit confused because there were so much conflicting advice I was getting … I actually because I had so much milk, I did exclusively breastfeed her until six months and the started solids at six months … I felt like there was a lot of conflicting advice out there about when I should have started her on solids. Text message participant S4 Feeding him little taste of things at about four months … so he probably started eating solids at about five months … I did get it from Baby Love … I looked at both the Allergy Association and the Breastfeeding Association website … one says start at four months and the other one says start at six months … so I think I just kind of went somewhere in between. Control participant C1 Sometimes it was a little frustrating to get so many mixed messages from different professionals … I had my husband’s grandma giving me lots and lots of advice on what to do to help him feed … so you had to stick to your guns and in other things you had to be flexible. Telephone call participant T10 The nurse said don’t give solids to the baby at three months … The reason why nurse said not to bring in solids is because his digestive system was just growing … I just told them (family and friends) my husband doesn’t prefer it … because my husband spoke more with the nurse. It was easy for me to just follow my husband … My husband is more into my child’s pattern than me. He introduced solids only after eight months I think. Telephone call participant T12 I did ask the nurse and she just recommended to give him the solid food more and to reduce his milk … after she recommended and I think he is eating the solid food more and his poo is normal… I think that resolved the problem … I think this is better, it’s natural way. Telephone call participant T12 The only thing that really stood out was the breastfeeding fine until six months and start solids. I didn’t do that with my other children. I only done it with this one because I read it in the book. I done it a lot earlier. Text message participant S10 It wasn’t really going into great detail that kind of allows you to make up your own mind what vegetable you are going to feed … but it was just good for things like making sure that you can get the whole family to eat at the same time … sort of more general stuff. Text message participant S12 I am from Russia and we have a very different solid tradition … I think that in Australia it is much better for children, so I actually adopted the one that I found in your booklet … This is the thing that you probably should include in your booklet. I started solids with rice cereal as recommended … I probably made a mistake … I had a problem with poo … and then I read that it is not very good thing to start from rice cereal. Text message participant S13 I would have liked to have someone to discuss the food and stuff like that … I thought they would have guided in what food … what is good and what is energy and everything. Control Participant C2
	3.3 Tummy time	Sometimes mothers know a lot of things but when someone talks to them about tummy time … it’s kind of like a reminder … oh no, that’s right, we’ve got to do that today. Telephone call participant T6 The booklets reminded me about tummy time and I really got onto tummy time … I am sure it’s because I got a booklet and it told me what to do … I knew I should be doing tummy time but the booklets reminded me … the booklet is a good reminder. Telephone call participant T14 Tummy time, my son does it by himself. I think may be two months I tried to put him over the tummy but then he was on his tummy by himself most of the times. Telephone call participant T12 I don’t do it a lot actually, just because I was so busy. Text message participant S2 At every point from that health net news, from the community … mothers’ group … then I remember seeing it in the pamphlet … started at two weeks … Control participant C1
	3.4 Screen time	My baby watches TV … I know she shouldn’t … I need to do things like go to the toilet, or cook dinner … it’s just in the background … she doesn’t sit and watch it, she plays, dances and does different stuff. Text message participant S1 I thought that you shouldn’t really give them any screen time until they were two or something … I think I looked up recommendations. Control participant C1 A lot was stressed on tummy time and about screen time, and I’m glad I wasn’t doing screens anyway … I usually didn’t have any screen time with my daughter. Telephone call participant T6 If I need to go to the bathroom, the only way I can go to the bathroom … is by putting her in a chair in front of the TV … may be 15 min a couple of days a week when I am with her alone. Telephone call participant T8 I don’t give them any screen time except when they are going totally crazy. Text message participant S2 I don’t give my baby all the gadgets, no tablets, iPads but she, every kid is born with that, she does watch laptop, YouTube for about an hour a day, that’s all … in the entire day she watches around one hour. That’s fine, she is already 14 months. She is learning out of it. Control participant C3
	3.5 Sleep and settling	We ended up going to Karitane and getting some sleep help. Maybe the content was the same, but I think with the position of being really sleep deprived, and having a child that doesn’t settle, just what you’ve got in a booklet, you kind of need some hands-on help. Text message participant S1 The nurses used to tell me how many hours our baby should sleep and how to put the music on or try to give them the environment where he can sleep more without disturbing. Telephone call participant T12 Mine’s not really good at self-settling at all so we do a lot of co-sleeping … The booklets did help. I think they made me feel like it was normal. Text message participant S3 I definitely supplemented especially the sleep parts with some other books that I had … that was the one thing she struggled with unfortunately … Tresillian even came out to help us as well … I think I needed a bit more information on that. Text message participant S4 Regarding sleep pattern I actually didn’t follow because my young one … he needs to wake up to have some breastfeeding at night … To my knowledge many Chinese, we just follow the child’s sleeping pattern and didn’t force the child to do any changes for his sleeping. Text message participant S11
	3.5 Mother’s self-care	And how difficult it is to actually do anything with the baby, and how I need to have it planned, and all that sort of stuff … that probably would have been helpful but it also would have been, yes, have him call. Tell him. Control participant C1 The practicality of exercising, that didn’t happen … but what I did do is I changed my whole diet … It’s all about trial and error. I didn’t think there is anything wrong with their recommendations, it’s just that it wasn’t practical at the time to do something. Telephone call participant T6 To be honest, I don’t remember. I don’t know how many of them you might have sent, but I don’t remember … I think I definitely tried to do some exercise … Text message participant S4
	3.6 Goal setting	I liked how they had goals, I think that was good … I like how they summarised the call and sent you emails with your goals written down. Sometimes I would pass those emails on to my family just to let them know what stage I was up to … One of my goals for exercise was to get back into the dancing and I haven’t been able to reconcile it with my responsibilities as a mother. I just have to wait till the kids have grown up and then try it. Telephone call participant T1 One of the goals I had was to reduce the breastfeeding, and my nurse gave me strategies in order to reduce the breastfeeding, I was able to do that. Telephone call participant T2
4. Contextual/psychosocial issues	4.1 Demands on motherhood	I probably struggled initially to adjust to the life change. Maybe if there was more information at the beginning that was around … a lot of women feel the same way … adjusting to being a mother is really hard … It is really hard to be a mum. Text message participant S1 I guess the one thing that I probably struggled with was there’s a lot of expectations on mothers … Trying to balance expectations in terms of returning to work, having a healthy baby, giving them the right food. The advice that you get in terms of … it’s incessant. Telephone call participant T2 At four or five months, I was really unwell … I was in hospital for six weeks … I could not take my baby with me, so I had to stop breastfeeding … I kept getting SMSs in the time period saying ‘don’t forget to keep breastfeeding … ’which actually made me miserable. Text message participant S7
	4.2 Competing issues	In four to five weeks I’ll be going to work … so that is the major concern at the moment. That is one of my biggest challenges … separation anxiety as well. It’s like a big storm for me at the moment … that’s my biggest concern. Telephone call participant T6 I am back at work now. We had financial troubles when I was going through with my maternity leave, but none of it prevented me from the program. Telephone call participant T11 It just so happened that just after my daughter was born, my mum got cancer … a lot of support needed … being directed at thinking about her rather than looking after the baby … it was just bit of a hard slog for a few months trying to manage it all. Control participant C4
	4.3 Emerging health issues	Baby had late-onset group B Strep … She was in hospital for two weeks … she had really severe reflux, and I was trying to breastfeed her and I got mastitis twice. Telephone call participant T2 When your baby is not really adapting well to the guidelines, it is more how to deal with the deviation … what can I do instead … people’s experiences would be so varied … you wouldn’t be able to fit that all in. Telephone call participant T8 I found all of that kind of information (feeding and eating) frustrating for me personally because I wasn’t able to follow it due to swallowing difficulties … I’d feel like my kid was really delayed because he couldn’t do the things … in the literature or he couldn’t do the things other kids were doing. Telephone call participant T10