Milk Man
Getting men talking about breastfeeding
Our Partners
Dads support their partners’ breastfeeding, but they need support too
Research shows support of the partner is one of the most critical factors in a mother’s breastfeeding success. Fathers want to support their partners, but often lack information and support themselves.
The PIFI study sought to provide this information and support via a new mobile app designed specifically for fathers. The Milk Man app used social connectivity, push notifications and gamification (badges, points and a leaderboard) to engage men with information - and each other - as they began their journey as fathers.
A comprehensive, collaborative design process
With a substantial randomised controlled trial at stake, it was critical to get Milk Man right. We undertook a detailed design process involving key stakeholders, domain experts, health professionals and end users.
Reach HPI director Dr James White has more than 25 years of experience in design, including interaction design and user experience. This is a key in our ability to guide partners through the design process, using a range of tools such as low-fi wireframes and interactive prototypes, to create beautiful, functional and effective mobile apps.
A unique style and tone, Milk Man hit the mark for fathers
We developed a quirky, custom design and a distinctive voice for the app content, written by Reach HPI director Dr Becky White, in collaboration with domain specialists. This led to a distinctive app, finely tuned for the target audience.
Visual design is sometimes overlooked in mHealth interventions. We believe that apps developed for research should be as delightful to use as any other apps on a participant’s device. To achieve engagement, participants should want to use our apps, not just because they’ve consented to for research, but because they are great apps.
“Milk Man is fantastic. Becky, James and the team at Reach took our ideas and ran with them, creating an app and platform that exceeded our wildest expectations.”
- Professor Jane Scott Chief Investigator, PIFI Curtin University
Publications and presentations
The Milk Man app was rigorously evaluated both during the design and development phase, and as part of the large scale PIFI trial. PIFI (the Parent Infant Feeding Initiative) was the largest male partner-focussed breastfeeding randomised controlled trial ever, run over 18 months, with more than 1400 West Australian couples.
This study has provided rich insights into the provision of parenting information and support for new parents, and in general, the effective use of a mobile app for health behaviour change.
Find out more about the PIFI study, and the Milk Man app, on the PIFI website
Measuring User Engagement with a Socially Connected, Gamified Health Promotion Mobile App
B. White, S. Burns, R. Giglia, S. Dhaliwal, J Scott. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022
Impact of a Face-To-Face Versus Smartphone App Versus Combined Breastfeeding Intervention Targeting Fathers: Randomized Controlled Trial
JA. Scott, S. Burns, YL. Hauck, R. Giglia, AM. Jorgensen, B. White, A. Martin, S. Robinson, S. Dhaliwal, CW. Binns, BR. Maycock. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2021
How New and Expecting Fathers Engage With an App-Based Online Forum: Qualitative Analysis
B. White, R. Giglia, J. Scott, S. Burns. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018
Designing evaluation plans for health promotion mHealth interventions: a case study of the Milk Man mobile app
B. White, S. Burns, R. Giglia, J. Scott. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 2016
A study to prolong breastfeeding duration: design and rationale of the Parent Infant Feeding Initiative (PIFI) randomised controlled trial
B. Maycock, J. Scott, Y. Hauck, S. Burns, S. Robinson, R. Giglia, A. Jorgensen, B. White, A. Harries, S. Dhaliwal, P. Howat, C. Binns. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2015
Investigating maternal perspectives on Milk Man, a breastfeeding mobile app targeting fathers
J. Scott, B. White, S. Burns, R. Giglia. International Conference of the International Society for Research In Human Milk and Lactation, Kanagawa, Japan. 6-11 October 2018.
Milk Man: Investigating the impact of a father-focused breastfeeding app on exclusive breastfeeding duration
B. White, S. Burns, S. Dhaliwal, R. Giglia, J. Scott. 4th CBC Digital Health Conference: Behaviour Change for Health: Digital & Beyond, London, UK. 21-23 February 2018.
Engaging fathers with a breastfeeding app: Preliminary process evaluation from the Milk Man mobile app intervention.
B. White, S. Burns, S. Dhaliwal, R. Giglia, J. Scott. Digital Health Behavior Change Conference, London, UK. 22-23 February 2017.
Milk Man, a breastfeeding smartphone app for fathers
J. Scott, B. White, R. Giglia, S. Burns. Proceedings of the Nutrition and Nurture in Infancy and Childhood Conference, Cumbria, UK. , 10 ‐ 14 June 2017
Process Evaluation Of The Milk Man Mobile App: A Breastfeeding App For Fathers
B. White, S. Burns, R. Giglia, S. Dhaliwal, J. Scott. 15th World Congress on Public Health, Melbourne. 3-7 April 2017.
Digital technologies to support breastfeeding. More breastmilk for more babies; from physiology to practice. (Keynote speaker)
J. Scott, B. White. Philips Avent Scientific Symposium Royal College of Surgeons, London. UK February 2017.
Making Milk Man: The theory-based development of a breastfeeding mobile application for men.
B. White, S. Burns, R. Giglia, J. Scott. Australian Health Promotion Association Conference, Perth, Australia, 19-22 June 2016.