BACKGROUND: Retention of weight postpartum increases risk for long-term morbidity, including cardiometabolic disease. Although retained weight postpartum is a complex problem, interventions generally address individual diet and activity behaviors. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the impact of social-network factors on postpartum health behaviors and weight. DESIGN: We used an explanatory-sequential mixed-methods approach. This article reports our quantitative findings. METHODS: Childbearing people receiving care at university-based clinics were eligible if aged 18+, 12-15 months postpartum, with a pre-pregnancy BMI ⩾ 25 kg/m RESULTS: One hundred women completed both surveys
62% did not return to pre-pregnancy weight. Multivariable models found: (a) participants with lower postpartum weight ate meals with more people in their network (β = -0.173, CONCLUSION: Results revealed evidence for the role of social-network norms, support, and structure in postpartum health behaviors and weight. Understanding social environments' impact on postpartum health behaviors and weight is essential in approaching the problem from a multilevel/domain approach.