Postpartum stress affects more than one in every ten women and is considered a common childbirth complication that can occur any time within a year of delivery.
Unfortunately, it can significantly impact a new mother’s physical and mental well-being. The increased sadness and anxiety associated with postpartum stress can make it even more challenging to care for yourself and your baby in their first few months of life.
On top of this, recent studies from Translational Psychiatry have found that maternal prenatal stress can also impact your baby’s development. Essentially, these studies conclude that your mental state and behavior can potentially impact your baby’s DNA and cognitive development both during pregnancy and after birth.
This means it’s vital to address this stress in a healthy way.
There are many methods to deal with postpartum stress, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and building a strong support system. You can also look at expert advice from a variety of resources.
To get the insights you need, one of the most effective and accessible means you’ll have at your disposal is the audiobook. Audiobooks allow you to listen hands-free while you handle the new tasks and chores that come with motherhood and can also be listened to during your downtime. Aside from helping you find helpful resources and topics, research published in the Journal of Documentation finds that the very act of audiobook listening can significantly help relieve stress and promote relaxation, benefits that can help moms postpartum.
New moms may benefit most from an audiobook subscription since it’s a more affordable and accessible way to get all the relevant titles you need for this new chapter in your life. Everand’s collection of audiobooks on wellness is available via subscription and full of rich material, with a dedicated Women’s Health section that can help you better navigate various aspects of health and wellness as a mother.
There are titles ranging from Self-Care for New Moms to Postpartum: Handling the Physical Changes, there’s something in there for moms of every demographic. Audiobooks on postpartum wellness are available on public library lending apps like Hoopla and Libby. However, since these titles are under a library license, you may have to wait in line to access them depending on the demand in your area.
With these resources easily available, you can easily find titles that offer some comfort as you struggle with postpartum stress.
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1. The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother
Written by Marisa Belger, Amely Greeven and Heng Ou; Narrated by Emily Durante
The postpartum period sees a lot of changes that affect a new mom’s body, particularly in ways that may make you feel less confident and even more anxious. Our previous article on postpartum hair loss shows just one of the many manifestations that happen because of the toll of birth and motherhood on a woman’s body. Your estrogen levels drop after birth, leading to more hair fall. Beyond that, this hormonal change may also increase anxiety and fatigue.
That illustrates just how crucial it is to incorporate new ways of nourishing yourself postpartum so your body can readjust and recover. The first forty days are a major period of healing, so this aptly-named audiobook can serve as a useful guide on how exactly to nourish the body through various recipes. Even beyond this phase, you can refer to it for comforting and nutritional meals perfect for fueling any mom navigating the challenges and hurdles that come after her baby is born.
2. Return to You: A Postpartum Plan for New Moms
Written by Natasha K. Sriraman, MD, MPH, FAAP; Narrated by Jeed Saddy
When struggling with postpartum stress and depression, it can start to feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself. Dr Natasha Sriraman’s audiobook considers both the mental and physical impact of this journey and aims to help mothers with that pivotal fourth trimester. While caring for your baby, listening to this title can help you learn all about taking care of, and focusing more on, yourself.
Return to You not only offers the emotional support needed for these trying times but also offers practical advice on issues that come up with your changing body. Be it pelvic floor issues, breastfeeding challenges, or sleep, Dr Sriraman covers it all with a plan you can easily integrate into your current lifestyle. That makes this audiobook a very insightful resource for taking care of your body in the three months after birth.
3. The Little Book of Support for New Moms
Written by Beccy Hands and Alexis Stickland; Narrated by Gemma Dawson
One of the reasons postpartum stress can be exacerbated is when moms don’t have a non-judgmental space to navigate their new journey of motherhood. Whether it’s your first child or not, this is a normal experience to have and requires support. With postpartum care in America hitting a decline, it’s even more important to find sanctuary in communities that are available and resources offering reassurance.
As its title suggests, The Little Book of Support for New Moms offers just that by way of boosting your confidence, calming your nerves, and finding ways to relieve both physical and mental aches that come with becoming a mother. Written by a doula and midwife, this audiobook offers valuable tips on handling postpartum challenges like muscle pain, swelling, depression, and isolation.
4. Not Your Mother’s Postpartum Book: Normalizing Post-Baby Mental Health Struggles, Navigating #MOMLife, and Finding Strength Amid the Chaos
Written by Caitlin Slavens, BAACS, MC, R. Psych and Chealsea Bodie, BSc., MACP, R. Psych; Narrated by Emily Durante
Even if you think you are prepared for motherhood, it can still throw many unexpected situations and emotions your way. This is why psychologists Caitlin Slavens and Chelsea Bodie have come together to guide you through, whether it’s only been hours or already a few years. With raw insight and a good helping of humor, Not Your Mother’s Postpartum Book goes into birth trauma, body image struggles, mom guilt, intimacy, and the stress that comes with raising a child.
In doing so, the audiobook goes into the complexities of this phase of motherhood and does so in a way that urges the listener to remember that these feelings and symptoms are not the end. Instead, it provides insight and comfort to help you reconnect with both yourself and those who matter to you.
5. What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood
Written by Alexandra Sacks and Catherine Birndorf; Narrated by Cynthia Farrell
Postpartum stress can be hard to navigate because it often comes with feelings of shame, guilt, and confusion. Fortunately, reproductive psychiatrists Alexandra Sacks and Catherine Birndorf collaborated on a resource that normalizes all these uncomfortable questions and provides the answers you didn’t know you needed.
The result is What No One Tells You, an audiobook that dives into aspects of motherhood that you may not have thought to question. It also provides insights in an inclusive way that you may not have received from other people or fellow mothers. While it also deals with the usual concerns that you may expect, this audiobook also breaks down various misconceptions, stigma, and the science behind many changes that impact your emotions from pregnancy to the time that comes after you’ve welcomed your new child.
More Postpartum Resources
Essentials for Postpartum Recovery
7 Tips for Fast Postpartum Recovery
Glad I found this! Thanks for sharing.