Complementary feeding practices promote healthy eating habits and food preferences later in life. Little is known about how US pediatricians communicate infant feeding practices to caregivers or how caregivers respond to this information. The purpose of this study is to explore mothers’ experiences and perceptions of the complementary feeding recommendations they receive in primary care settings. English- and Spanish-speaking mothers of infants were recruited from Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children offices in Rhode Island, US, and snowball sampling. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to investigate mothers’ discussions with pediatricians about complementary feeding and their overall impressions of wellness visits. Thematic analysis was informed by the Fundamentals of Care theoretical framework. The mean age of the sample (n = 13) was 30.5 years and 62% self-identified as Latina. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) wellness visits are mostly positive experiences, (2) not all infant feeding recommendations are easy to follow, (3) alternative sources of infant feeding recommendations can be just as helpful, and (4) there is room for improvement at wellness visits. Improving the content, delivery, and cultural relevance of infant feeding recommendations in primary care settings with more specific and tailored information may promote adherence to evidence-based practices.

Objective: To explore mothers’ experiences and perceptions of the complementary feeding recommendations they receive in the primary care setting. Methods: English- and Spanish-speaking mothers of infants were recruited from WIC offices in Rhode Island and through snowball sampling. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to investigate mothers’ discussions with pediatricians about complementary feeding and their overall impressions of wellness visits. Thematic analysis was informed by the Fundamentals of Care theoretical framework. Results: The mean age of the sample (n=13) was 30.5 years and 62% were Latina. Overall, mothers reported being satisfied with wellness visits and that they trusted pediatricians (theme 1). However, most also felt that pediatricians’ feeding recommendations are vague or incompatible with their child’s behaviors or their own cultural preferences (theme 2), and that they are comfortable relying on alternative sources for advice (theme 3). Mothers described ways to improve wellness visits, most notably through additional take-home materials (theme 4). Conclusion: This sample of mothers did not always perceive pediatricians’ infant feeding recommendations as comprehensive enough to meet their needs.