Bump2Baby
Bump2Baby&Me+ (B2B+) is a European research project aiming to support women’s health during and after pregnancy, with a particular focus on preventing gestational diabetes and the later development of type 2 diabetes.
Prosject Period: 2025-2028
The project builds on Bump2Baby&Me (2020–2025), an EU‑funded research project in which a digital health app, combined with personalized follow‑up, was tested among pregnant women in several countries.
In the first project (2020–2025), women were offered support for healthy habits related to diet, physical activity, and lifestyle, from early pregnancy through the first year after childbirth. The results showed that many women benefited from the intervention, but also that some found it challenging to maintain use of the app and continued contact with the health coach in the postnatal period.
Bump2Baby&Me+ now takes this work further by testing how the intervention can function as part of routine healthcare services in practice. The aim is to explore how digital health services can be used in a meaningful and sustainable way within antenatal and postnatal care, and how women can receive support that remains relevant and useful over time.
The project is carried out in hospitals in Norway, Ireland, Poland, and Spain. Participating women are offered personalized guidance through a mobile app, combined with follow‑up from a health coach. The intervention is tailored to individual needs and covers topics such as diet, physical activity, weight development, mental health, sleep, and the postnatal period.
Bump2Baby&Me+ places particular emphasis on reaching women from diverse social and economic backgrounds. The goal is to contribute to more equitable healthcare services and to ensure that digital solutions are effective also for groups that may traditionally have had less access to follow‑up and support.
Through the project, the researchers aim to generate new knowledge on how health services can better support women during this critical life phase, benefiting both mothers and children.
Project management
The study is led by Professor Sharleen O’Reilly (University College Dublin). Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is project partner, national coordinator, and leader of the implementation work package (WP5).
National partners include Sørlandet Hospital (represented by consultant physician and researcher Linda Reme Sagedal) and the University of Agder (represented by Professor Nina Cecilie Øverby).
At Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, the following researchers are involved in the project: Associate Professor Hilde Kristin Refvik Riise (work package leader and national coordinator), Associate Professor Ragnhild B. Strandberg, Professor Timothy Skinner, Professor Marjolein M. Iversen. A PhD candidate will also be appointed as part of the project.
Funding
The project is funded by Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS), a European research partnership under Horizon Europe, through support from the European Commission and the Research Council of Norway (RCN).
External websites
Bump2Baby and Me- Weight Management During and After Pregnancy Bump2Baby and Me