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9 Reasons Audiobooks are the BEST Way to Ease Your Newborn Night Feedings

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Night feedings are one of the hardest parts of having a newborn. There is no tired that is quite like the tired a mom feels during those first few months during night feeds.

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Am I right?

Not only are you dead tired, but you’re also experiencing a wild spectrum of emotions: joy, anxiety, depression, uncertainty, and loneliness, among others. Being a new mom is a wild ride!

There’s just something about that 3am feeding that can feel very isolating. Sometimes you feel like you’re the only person in the world awake.

I’m here to tell you exactly why audiobooks are my absolute favorite way to ease those night feedings. (If you’re not a reader–guess what, that’s okay! You don’t have to be a reader to enjoy audiobooks or experience the benefit of listening to audiobooks).

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1. They’re hands-free & portable

Let’s be real–it is very hard to do anything else while feeding a newborn. You need ALL the hands.

With audiobooks, you can just download them to your phone and listen out loud (or using ear buds). You don’t have to hold your phone or a book or anything besides your baby.

They’re portable! You can take your phone anywhere you go and listen.

2. They keep you awake

mother asleep with baby in her arms
Photo by Sarah Chai: https://www.pexels.com/photo/young-mom-with-cute-baby-and-dog-sleeping-on-bed-7282913/

I’ll never forget my mom telling me about how, when she was nursing my newborn baby sister, she woke up to sis slowly sliding down her body because she fell asleep. (sorry, Mom!! You may not love me sharing that story, but it’s definitely relatable! Also, sis was fine–Mom did catch her).

My sister was appalled at hearing that story as an adult, but I’ll always remember my mom’s response:

“When you’re tired, you’re TIRED.”

Listen, my mom is an amazing mom, and she always has been. I envy her ability to juggle us three girls as kids. But like I said, there truly is no tired quite like that 3 am newborn feed tired. There just isn’t.

Not only are you sleep-deprived, but your body is still healing from labor. Not to mention, you’ve just taken on the biggest mental and emotional transition of your LIFE–being a mom.

So, if you’ve felt yourself nodding off during those night feeds, know that you are not alone. It happens.

Enter: audiobooks!!!

smiling woman listening to audiobook
Photo by Joyce Busola on Unsplash

Audiobooks are a fantastic way to keep you awake during those late-night feeds. Why? Because they help keep you entertained and invested.

As long as you’re listening to a book that you enjoy or a topic that is interesting to you, it keeps you focused on something other than how TIRED you are. It keeps you invested so that you want to keep listening, and staying awake for a bit longer doesn’t seem so bad. You gotta find out what happens next!

(Check out this list of psychological thriller audiobooks that will keep you on the edge of your seat).

Plus, audiobooks provide entertainment that you can look forward to catching up on later in the day.

3. They lift your mood

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Photo by Madison Oren on Unsplash

This is a huge one. It can be very easy to experience depression and anxiety and feelings of loneliness as a new mom, especially in the wee hours of night.

Audiobooks are a great way to boost your mood. This is because they allow you to slow down those negative thoughts, and eventually to be able to focus those thoughts on something else.

It can be more difficult to do this when reading a physical book, because it takes more effort to quiet those thoughts and channel them into the book. Whereas, when you listen to an audiobook, the narrator is reading out loud for you. It can be very soothing, and listening to a good narrator or just a good book in general can be such a welcome distraction.

They can also provide feelings of companionship. Listening to someone tell you a story can do wonders to combat feelings on loneliness.

For more on the mental health benefits of audiobooks, visit this article by Psychology Today and this article by Anxiety UK.

4. Stress reducer

relaxing nature scene with cairn
Photo by nicollazzi xiong: https://www.pexels.com/photo/four-rock-formation-668353/

You don’t have to be experiencing depression or anxiety to appreciate the calming effects of listening to an audiobook. This can be a very relaxing experience for anyone, especially if you’re listening to a soothing narrator.

If you’re nursing, this can help with let-down. Anything that helps you relax is a bonus while breastfeeding.

Audiobooks provide an excellent form of escapism. Even if you’re just feeling a bit stressed about having to get up for the second time in one night, listening to a book can take your mind away from that and into the story.

If you’re a reader, you know that books can take you literally anywhere. That’s sort of the magic of books, isn’t it? For a list of some fantastic books to listen to during these night feedings, check out this article on the best lighthearted romance audiobooks specifically for this purpose. Many of them are pure escapism.

5. White noise for baby

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Photo by Zach Vessels on Unsplash

Not only does the sound of audiobooks benefit you, but it also benefits your baby. With the exception of maybe some action-packed thriller books, most audiobooks are just as soothing for baby as they are for you.

Because they provide a constant stream of words at varying pitches and tones, audiobooks can act as white noise to help put baby to sleep. This worked REALLY well for my daughter.

The faster baby gets to sleep, the faster mommy gets to sleep.

6. Exposes baby to reading

mother and child reading a book
Photo by Lina Kivaka: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-reading-book-to-toddler-1741231/

Another way listening to audiobooks benefits your baby is because you’re basically reading to them. You may not be the one reading out loud, but someone is, and they are hearing it.

Listening to someone reading out loud benefits baby because they’re listening to someone talking to them. They’re hearing words, lots and lots of words, and that’s what develops their language skills.

Sure, it’s a little early to try and work on talking, but its truly never ever too early to read to your baby. And I know it can be hard to sit down with a fussy baby and try to get them to focus on a book. At least, that was my experience with my colicky baby.

It’s a totally different experience to simply feed your baby while an audiobook is playing in the background. You just sit back, relax, and let the narrator do the work for you.

Here are some of the benefits of reading out loud to your baby:

  • It teaches them language skills by simply exposing them to different words.
  • It teaches them communication skills as they hear the narrator speaking with different emotions, expressions, and inflections.
  • It improves cognitive skills and memory.
  • Over time, it helps build vocabulary.
  • It provides a great bonding experience between you and your baby.

For more on the benefits of reading to your baby, check out this article at Kid’s Health and this article at NY Metro Parents.

7. Variety

stack of books
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/pile-of-books-159866/

We all find different things soothing. The good thing about audiobooks is the enormous variety. There is literally something for everyone. As a librarian, I’m a firm believer that for every reader, there is a book.

I personally found lighthearted, uplifting books to be soothing at night. It was comforting to listen to something happy. In doing so, I listened to a lots of lighthearted romance audiobooks during my night feeds. Check out this list of my favorites.

For others, maybe psychological thrillers or other page-turners might be your thing. If you find romance boring, you may like something with more suspense to really capture your attention and grab your interest right away.

Or, maybe faith-based books are what you’re looking for. There is a wealth of faith-based audiobooks out there. Books on prayer or mindfulness may be very helpful. Did you know even the Bible is recorded as an audiobook?!

For many, humorous books are the PERFECT mood boost. There are TONS of funny audiobooks, even ones written and narrated by comedians. Check out this list of hilarious parenting audiobooks.

If you prefer non-fiction, there’s a whole world of audiobooks out there for you, too. If you want to listen to a how-to on car repair, want to learn about the solar system or listen to a history book, there’s plenty. If you want to REALLY multitask and listen to a parenting audiobook, check out this list

8. Education

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Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clear-light-bulb-355948/

While you’re soothing yourself and baby with an audiobook at 3am, guess what? You’re also learning. You don’t have to be listening to a book on engineering or history to be learning.

Even if you’re listening to a fluffy romance book like I did, you’re still learning. Fiction teaches you about other peoples’ experiences. You learn about different cultures, people who think in a different way than you do, why people do the things they do. Heck, I even learned about sailing in one of my favorite romance books I listened to.

Again–that’s the magic of books. You’re learning even when you don’t realize it.

9. Multitasking

man with many arms holding varying tools
Image by Serena Wong from Pixabay

This leads me to my last point…multitasking. Listening to an audiobook is one of the ultimate forms of multitasking.

There’s no other way you can read a book, feed your baby, soothe yourself AND your baby, and learn something new, all at the same time.

Audiobooks=multitasking. That’s it. That’s the bottom line.

Okay, but where do I find them?

You’re probably wondering at this point, where do I even find audiobooks?

Luckily for you, a librarian is writing this article.

  1. Your local library
  2. Audible

Library

library scene with people reading
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/full-length-of-man-sitting-on-floor-256431/

Check out your local library and ask what digital resources they offer. You can get audiobooks completely for free through your library. Here are a few common apps used by libraries for digital audiobooks:

  • Libby is one of the most popular library apps and typically has the widest selection. You may have to wait for your book to become available.
  • Hoopla tends to have a bit less variety, but there is no wait for titles.
  • Boundless (formerly known as Axis 360) is less popular, but another great option with plenty of variety.

Audible

Audible is the largest retailer of audiobooks. They have THE largest selection. There are a few reasons to use Audible instead of your library:

  • No wait time. This is one of the biggest reasons.
  • Sometimes your library won’t carry a specific book you want to listen to, and you can only get it through Audible.
  • Many books are ONLY published on Audible, and can’t be purchased by libraries.
  • If you have an Audible account, there are tons of books offered for free, and these are updated monthly.
  • Variety. There are THOUSANDS of titles available on Audible.

For a free trial of Audible, click here. But, know that the purpose of this article is not to simply promote Audible. I will receive a small commission if you sign up through my link (100% free to you), and I will be totally up front about that.

However, I am SO passionate about the benefits of audiobooks, and I’m an avid listener and library user. Trust me when I say that I truly want you to know how they can help YOU in YOUR life, and not simply make a small commission.

Conclusion

Night feedings are rough, for so many reasons. Audiobooks are a great way to ease those feedings because they are hands-free & portable, keep you awake, are a mood booster, are stress reducer, help baby sleep, expose baby to reading, offer a wide variety to please any reader, are educational, are the ultimate form of multitasking.

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Good luck, mama!!

xoxo

Related:

Sources

Jaggers, Abigail. How can audiobooks help anxiety? Anxiety UK, October 10, 2017.https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/blog/can-audiobooks-help-anxiety/

Lewis, Kandia N. Ph. D. (reviewer). Reading Books to Babies. Nemour’s Kids Health, August 2019.https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/reading-babies.html

Multari, Colleen D. 4 proven benefits of reading out loud to your baby. NY Metro Parents, January 23, 2017. https://www.nymetroparents.com/article/4-proven-benefits-of-reading-to-your-baby

Rayner, Sarah. How can audiobooks boost mental health? We’re all ears! Psychology Today, April 30, 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/worry-and-panic/201804/how-can-audio-books-boost-mental-health-were-all-ears

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9 Comments

  1. I couldn’t agree more!! With my first, I listened to audio books. With my second, I listened to podcasts. Both helped me feel like a normal person during a very crazy period. Thanks for writing!!

  2. What a fantastic idea! I am now a Mimi (Grandma) so a bit late for me, however, I am passing this info along to my children and their friends! A great way to stay awake (as it is sometimes VERY hard) while breast feeding and also great white noise for the baby….brilliant!

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