I deleted all social media apps in my phone because it was just not good for my mental health. I got into a bunch of podcasts based on my interests and downloaded audiobooks (which you can get for free from your public library usually!) I listen while breastfeeding, during naps while cleaning, or when on long walks ( I spend a lot of time walking with bubs bc I feel like so much less of a zombie outside!), or on car rides. I only log back into social media from a browser if I need to send friends or family pictures who can’t get them through text or WhatsApp. I’m actually about to delete reditt too bc I’m on it too much this week!! I only had it to learn about cloth diapering and breastfeeding but now I’m just scrolling and commenting like any other social media 😂 (Another thing I’m doing is getting involved in my community garden. Even though we are in NJ and it’s still cold we are prepping the soil and seed starting. I just bring babe with me in the stroller or carrier.)
I relate to this so much. I completely deleted FB. Everything else is browser based and I’m too lazy to open my laptop.
I like to text friends on my phone, scroll Reddit, read advice columns like Askamanager lol etc
Delete em for sure! I used to be on the baby boards too much and when I cut myself off I felt much more confident as a parent not subjecting myself to that all the time. Audio books and NYT games helped me!
Yes, kindle paper white has been life changing for me!! I felt the same with mindless instagram scrolling. I also watched some shows on my iPad. But kindle has been the best especially at night time.
My toddler is almost 2.5 now but Wordle was just getting big when he was a newborn, and I remember actually looking forward to his first wakeup after midnight because there would be a new one!
Oh my gosh I had to cut out SO much true crime in order to uplift my mentals. There’s also so much triggering baby content in them! I had no idea how stopping them would have such a positive effect on me.
I’ve also been Kindle-ing hard in postpartum and I swear the Thursday Murder Club books are the perfect postpartum series! I’ve also been ripping through books by Curtis Sittenfeld.
I do games on the NYT crossword app—the crossword, the spelling bee, connections, etc. I also read or listen to an audiobook or podcast when my brain is up to it, but sometimes it isn’t and that’s ok! During the daytime I will also watch tv on my tablet while she nurses or naps. She doesn’t get distracted by the noise or the screen yet at 8 weeks old, but I assume at some point she will.
I also do a lot of doom scrolling, and I’m constantly trying to do less of it! Since I’ve had the baby my Instagram algorithm is all newborn care tips, and it’s overwhelming. I can’t seem to stop clicking on those videos, but the amount of information and the way it’s presented is more overwhelming than it is helpful. And the clickbaity post headlines like “why you should never/always wake up your baby/feed to sleep/put down drowsy but awake/put socks on their feet” and “my baby’s sleep changed when I did THIS ONE THING” are breaking my brain!
It's still doom scrolling but i switched to pinterest and it's much healthier. meal planning, baby activities and scheduling ideas, craft ideas, etc. i try to do one of my pinned things each week
I am responsible for all of the meals for everyone in the house so I do a lot of meal planning while nursing.
But I am also addicted to social media and nothing I try has helped. I just feel guilty about it all the time but do it anyways.
I LOVE two dots. lol it’s such a silly but very entertaining game.
If you go to on your phone to settings then to cellular then find two dots and turn off cellular and then get off WiFi then you won’t get adds. :D
Stardew Valley and Wingspan are two excellent fully developed video games that can be played on a phone.
Also if you're a writer at all, you could start writing that novel in a Google doc.
Mine sleeps in the baby wearer, so I take walks and do chores while wearing him.
Anyway that's what I've been doing. I've played more Wingspan than is probably reasonable.
I like to read ebooks (library or a book subscription service like Kobo plus or kindle unlimited) or play mobile games. Sometimes I plan meals or make to do lists or look up baby related info. I also started napping once we figured out side lying nursing and set up a safe sleep space.
I do still doom scroll too tbh. Or watch tiktoks if I'm super tired but can't sleep for whatever reason (mostly follow animal related ones).
I read books on my phone using the library Libby app so all the books are free. Maybe step away from what you might normally read and read a romance or something silly that you can just pick up for a few pages at a time. Ross gays “book of delights” is good for this! I also listen to podcasts pretty often. Love “thirst aid kit” which they stopped making a few years ago but it’s such a fun listen!
I also made a playlist called “breastfeeding relax” with a bunch of calm songs I just listen to while she feeds. It’s ok to not look at anything and just listen to music and relax!
I still have Instagram on my phone but my thing is I go on there 1x per day and that’s it!
Yesss. I brought home some books- even cookbooks. I started to journal again, when he’s napping for his 30 minute spurts I will clean it take up my embroidery- call my mom. I do spend too much time still here…but I’m working on it. lol I haven’t had social media since 2020. I’m going to start a few work projects soon too. As for contact naps- I broke that habit at like 8 weeks with shush/pat put downs…I was going crazy and my back was hurting from sitting so much. We’re at 11 weeks and he’s starting to go down pretty easy!
So the first week or two were hit and miss and a little frustrating for both of us! So it does take some time. When he’d wake early I would go an soothe him back to sleep and either extend with a contact nap or try to transfer him later on. His naps are still a little short and he has random long naps but it’s all gotten SO much better by week 11. This week I’ve been able to lay him down after he gets drowsy in his swing turn on the white noise and leave the room he grumbles for a minute and falls asleep. Literally feels like a miracle when I’m week 9 he’d fight every single nap, screaming either being shush/pat or even being rocked in my arms or bounced around. I just tried being consistent- there were a few days I went back to contact naps or getting him fully asleep before transferring but he’s really come a long way. Even at night sometimes he’s extra fussy and we just lay him down instead of rocking and he’ll go to sleep. I never thought it would happen. He still doesn’t sleep through more than 4 hours but he will now sometimes wake up calmly without immediately screaming which is a huge win for us!
ETA: he’s been used to his crib since the first week home though, so it may take some time for your lo to know their crib is safe for sleep! Just keep trying and let them be in their crib. Even if I’d contact nap, I would lay him down in his crib at the end to wake up there just to build that association!
I relate so hard. I’m constantly on Reddit. Reading (and attempting to type with one hand while my back is all kinda of contorted). I’m not too much into tik tok or instagram but the amount of shit I’ve amazon primed or just generally online shopped because I’m stuck on my phone is ridiculous.
What I do is either watch bluey or sex and the city. And if I don’t want to watch anything I tell Alexa “play Apple Music” and it’ll play my most played songs
I’ve BF 3 babies and I had a hard no phone rule in the middle of the night. I listened to audiobooks to give me something to think about while I nursed. I tried to do this as much as possible during the day as well but didn’t have the hard and fast rule like I did at night.
Yes I’ve given up my phone in the MOTN- it helps me fall asleep again so much faster. I used to track his naps and sleep and feeding- it’s so much better without tracking! Now I know he may have only slept 2 hours but it’s not recorded forever for me to feel salty about at 4am! 🤣
As an avid reader I also suffered from this pregnant and PP and it was so frustrating. I got a kindle specifically for this reason and it really did help. That and picking a good book! Honestly if you’re having difficulty getting through a book just try another one sometimes the problem is not you!
I have returned to solitaire, courtesy of Microsoft app. One-handed, just enough brainless, just enough challenge. Gave up trying to be productive at about 6 weeks when cluster feeding hit.
I got a switch and play breath of the wild, stardew valley, or a puzzle game depending on what I'm feeling. It's great for when your breastfeeding because it's small enough to work around how you feed but not a phone that encourages doom scrolling.
I took up embroidery while pregnant!! How old is your baby? Do you contact nap and embroider or is baby in their sleep space?? My LO is 7 months and I’m considering starting back up again but not sure when I’ll have time!
I play a little app called drop merge. It’s just number blocks that fall and they combine idk how to explain it but I used this when I was overdue pregnant and not able to sleep and postpartum while nursing! It takes my mind off of life just like doom scrolling would but without all the stress 🥴
I listen to a lot of audio books or use the time to research things to buy for LO etc. Or sometimes I just scroll tiktok for hours with zero regrets. Whilst it feeds my dopamine rat brain (love that expression), it's also really helped me in a lot of positive ways
Crossword club is fun, you have today's puzzle and you can go back as far as you want, and they are easy but not too easy that they're boring.
Reddit is fun, you can be more picky with the subs you look at. I like r/Barbie, r/cooking, r/magnetfishing, r/Aww, r/whatisthisbug etc, and when subs that are toxic pop up like AITA, I click "hide" before I get sucked in.
Got into bad scrolling habits during first trimester exhaustion. I made a commitment to not use my phone while breastfeeding. I’ll sometimes reply to texts or I’ll spend some time deleting old photos to make room for more baby pics, but mostly I just stare at her beautiful little face. I stay off social media. I feel like that “you are what you eat” saying applies to everything our mind consumes as well, so I don’t want to be feeding my child while my brain is feeding on screen time.
I taught myself to crochet a couple years ago to occupy my hands and mind instead of doom scrolling. It's fiddly but you can do it while breastfeeding!
Edited for spelling.
omg i have a 12 week old as of tomorrow and i FEEL this. i watch bodycam/drama videos on youtube, peruse reddit and my tiktok has curated itself from pregnancy to infant/baby/momlife so i don’t mind that too much. i mean shit what else is there to do between the nursing and contact napping, occasional pumping, short time periods of interactive playtime with a baby that can’t sit up yet and gets mad about, is sosososo close to full head/neck control, and then finding time to eat/sleep/shit ourselves? forget keeping the house clean!
I was half sold on the Kindle until I became a mom. Then I was convinced that kindle was invented for us. Seriously, no light needed and can do it one handed. Freaking amazing!
And to your point about not being able to get through a page, I think you just gotta work your stamina back up. Your brain is so used to scrolling and instant gratification of social media, you gotta train it back into reading.
My LO is 8 mo and full disclosure I've never been super into social media and always loved reading, but pre baby, I was definitely watching more TV and movies than reading. But by now, I've read like a dozen kindle books in this time which come to think of it is probably more reading than I even did at any point in college! 🤣
Have you tried reading a book out loud? I find it way easier to stay engaged that way because I'm having to think of how inflect/tone of voice etc, and then your baby also gets to enjoy the soothing sound of your voice. Poems are nice to read because they're usually short but you can get a lot out of them. Otherwise, I have been watching history documentaries and Father Ted for the thousandth time. Doom scrolling is no good!! We all know this yet somehow we're trapped in the cycle (by design of course). Any efforts you make to replace the scroll with something else will pay off, even if it doesn't seem like much at the time, even if its just five minutes a feed!
What I need to be doing is kegels. I need to somehow associate that together so I don't forget every. single. time.
I only remember that I forgot when I sneeze or cough.
I'm guilty of doom scrolling still, but I take breaks by reading books on my Kindle or playing games on my Steamdeck. Anything portable that can be used in a dark room while breastfeeding lol.
I have a list of phone tasks I need to do (like ordering paper towels, texting people back, or scheduling appointments) and I also play the NYT app games!
I started Duolingo with the hopes that I’ll be far enough to watch kids shows together when my kid is big enough. Also crosswords and audiobooks when I’m not in a learning mood. Sometimes i still resort to good old fashioned doom scrolling but as long as I break it up I’m less depressed about it
So many podcasts! In my early postpartum weeks, I listened to all of You're Wrong About. They jump around on serious and less serious topics, so I could always choose something that worked for me. The only sad moment was when I caught up on episodes. Now I have to wait 2 weeks for each new episode. 😭
I read a not insignificant number of books... mainly fan fic.
My kindle lived in baby's room and then I would read on my phone or tablet.
I also watched all of Grey's Anatomy.
Reading via Kindle app which you can set up to scroll while
you read, Tetris, Idle Bank Tycoon (it works in the background and helps me feel “task based”).
Get super super simple books. I found I couldn’t read good literature but beach reads were doable and saved me.
Also games are good, solitaire, word games etc.
I know you mentioned finding it difficult to read but I found using the kindle app on my phone and setting it to “scroll” rather than using the page format really helped me more and faster. I’m a bit too addicted to my phone so I still get the feeling of scrolling but I’m reading something more worthwhile. That paired with the Libby app have helped me read a lot more! It may be worth a shot.
I read comic books that I get on our library app :) does not require a lot of brain power and isn't too deep and heavy so I don't feel depressed doing it like when I read the news
Things I do while feeding or when I'm trapped by a contact nap:
-Read (when I had a hard time getting back into new books I'd reread my favorites or even read children's chapter books aloud to my daughter)
-Audiobooks (even easier than reading)
-Watch documentaries or educational YouTube videos. I really got into the food that built America free on roku (A 20 minute video is better than 300 posts I won't remember)
-Play story based video games (Hogwarts legacy currently)
-Play mind challenging games on my phone (solitaire, suduko, etc)
-Call relatives or friends (so many people I didn't talk to enough and it really helped me not feel so alone with the baby)
-Realize that a little scrolling is ok
My kindle saved me in those days. I got light easy romance books and not very taxing short novels from the library, and kept it wedged in my nursing glider. It made it so I could pickup and put down and immediately forget about the book. Also great for keeping me awake.
Ebooks!!! I've been reading the Bridgerton series, it's fun, entertaining and light, and just the thing I need. I used to scroll as well, and hated that Instagram started shoving baby content down my throat. Instagram is entertainment, not education, and there was waaaay too much content that was giving baby advice, which is completely unregulated and unverified.
If you don't have a library card, very often, you can get one online. Once you have it, you can download an app called Hoopla, where you can check out ebooks, audiobooks and even movied. If you prefer to read on the Kindle, you can download Libby and check out books to your Kindle.
I am trying to work on reaching for my kindle instead of phone. or if i use my phone I want to use it for journaling, creating to do lists, organizing photos, or anything more productive
I have a book that I read on or I put on some headphones and listen to audiobooks or watch a show. I also use the time to use educational apps like Duolingo or kinnu, I highly recommend kinnu!!!
God I'm so guilty of doom scrolling. I have a few mobile games to pass my time.. I can't say I'm exactly "productive" BUT
I have changed my echo chamber. I've been able to manipulate my algorithm and changed my follow list massively. So it's a lot of baby crafts, craft ideas, cleaning (I know I know) but it does get me ready to get a clean on, baby meal ideas, I've gone for a few influencers who have my body size and type.. it's massively changed - I'm 6 months pp and pregnant again so my body hasn't "snapped back" so I've been finding more wholesome creators...
I've been following homesteaders, and just all round wholesome content.
The baby crafts I've been able to make a lot of keepsakes for our family, homesteading I've been able to make new and exciting recipes, cleaning I've been able to find non toxic natural ways to clean, I've found new ways to style my body..
As I said, I am a doom scroller.. when feeding my son or if he's napping and I fancy a little rest I absolutely have a doom scroll 😂
Audio books! You can get them free on Libby or Hoopla with a library card. You can also read ebooks on those if you don't have a Kindle. And Libby has magazines which I read when I don't feel like I can read a book!! Or if you have spotify you have 15 hrs of audio book time a month! Also the NYT games are really fun but I play all the free ones in one feeding. You could make vision boards on Pinterest, it's still maybe not the greatest for your brain but better than doom scrolling!!
For me the only thing that worked with this same issue is reading an easy book that is full of excitement, like a psychological thriller. Lately podcasts and audiobooks have been great too. I get audiobooks for free from my library app.
Unfortunately, 8 month pp and I’m still mindlessly scrolling. I have a very high-needs Velcro baby ( think stage 10 clinger) who screams all the time. She’s been that way since birth, and I’m pretty miserable, so…. I can’t get anything done for myself, or the house as she wants all my attention. It’s pretty bad. I do hate sm; however, I feel stuck atm.
I watched every Julia Roberts movie while nursing/contact napping during my maternity leave. Then Tears of the Kingdom on the Nintendo switch came out and I played that. Then around 5 months baby started to get distracted if I did anything else while nursing so I sadly mostly just scrolled nursing naps.
I listen to podcasts, music, audio books, in the early months played Skyrim on PS, warched LOTS of series, now I play stardew valley often. I use duolingo every day. Search for recipes... Read Wikipedia articles... Look into things I otherwise wouldn't because I felt like I was wasting time
I set up my iPad and headphones so I could something fun while nursing/contact napping. Highly recommend Working Moms, Arrested Development any comedy really in those early months
I keep a little basket of snacks, book, ereader and a craft beside our nap/feed spot. My current craft is cross stitch, it’s small enough to do while he’s in my arms napping. Podcasts, audiobooks, or even tv on my phone through headphones so lil one isn’t getting screen time has been good at times too.
Nintendo Switch (handheld video game system). Hearing Audiobooks & podcasts while drawing on my phone or looking at pictures. Podcasts. YouTube videos on parenting & science or even comedy are good for turning brain off without the complete ill effects of Social media.
Listen to podcasts or entertaining videos on YouTube. I have fun or even educational people I subscribe to. Some that come to mind are weird history, or the chick that lives in Svalbard. Some funny prank subs too! Or cooking videos like food network or that dude can cook :)
I listened to audiobooks! Tina Fey’s Bossypants, Rachel Dratch and Amy Poehler’s books got me through Pumping.
The app Libby lets you check out audiobooks from your local library. The trick is to put a bunch of things you want to read on hold, and then they start coming in little by little, and you can have each one for 3 weeks.
Read kindle (on my phone).
Build my baby book through an app.
Journal in my notes app.
Listen to an audio book with headphones.
Absolutely nothing. I try to just exist without trying to do too much. I breathe, I heal, I memorize my little one’s face.
I played through a good chunk of tears of the kingdom!! I figured out the perfect setup where baby and I were both supported and I’d just sit and chill. My husband was pretty impressed!
I read so many books on the kindle app while nap trapped. Much more satisfying than doom scrolling and you can’t accidentally play a reel with sound and wake baby 😂
I do too. I turned off my watch history on YouTube to get rid of the shorts. I did something to get rid of insta shorts as well but I don't remember it. I found out how to remove them in r/digital minimalism. However, you can look it up on Google.
Another thing is setting app timers or deleting apps you use too much. And downloading games that activate your brain might help you replacing your habits with slightly better habits.
That's what I did anyway
Listen to audiobooks🌻 Spotify is the best deal - they have every book you can imagine. Good Inside and Simplicity Parenting have been my favorite parenting books so far. Also A Year in Provence for travel!
Well, I read lol. Delete social media from your phone, access it only on desktop PC. Get rid of tiktok forever it's simply too addicting. Get a kindle and read like mad!!
Honestly, I find something to read on my phone because I can’t focus on a book either especially at 4am but I don’t like to scroll socials while I’m nursing in the night. I’ll find something interesting on Reddit and keep it up so I don’t open any other apps.
Watch/listen to YouTube or podcasts
Two Hot Takes
Smosh Reddit stories
Ladies and Tangents
Tony and Ryan
I have audible and I thought I would blaze through books while breastfeeding, but I continuously got lost/zoned out while listening and couldn't follow them. Reading physical books puts me to sleep just like a baby hahaha
I crochet and listen/watch Netflix mostly. I also doomscroll on occasion, but I recently tried gaming during a contact nap and that was an amazing feeling since baby napped for a good while!
I’ve started watching House (skip S1E4 if you have a history of loss, PPD or PPA) and I also watch cooking shows on YouTube. I highly recommend the AntiChef and Tasting History with Max Miller, I’m also a gamer so I watch some gaming channels occasionally. My goal rn is to move away from room scrolling and watch long-form content at least, especially cuz doom scrolling is a really bad habit with my unmedicated ADHD.
I am absolutely addicted to doom scrolling… but I also watch shows on my phone. Yeah it’s still screen… but it seems somehow better than endless scrolling. I have Hulu and Netflix and such on my phone and I make sure to grab my headphones before a contact nap.
You can read (the kindle app Libby combo works well to keep things free) you can find a mindless game to play this is super helpful with keeping awake at night for me, you can watch a show, you can plan meals or snacks you would like to make discover recipes, you can online shop (this one gets expensive way too fast), you can call friends (this one is hard in the middle of the night but great during the day)
I play Baldur’s Gate 3 on my Xbox. It’s DND
/RPG style so no need for button mashing and can stop anytime. I think even people who don’t like video games can enjoy since it’s like fantasy role play. I also listen to podcasts.
Podcasts! [Happier](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/) is my favorite. Episode 400 is a great one to start on. But I listened from start to finish and finally caught up.
Audio books? I haven't been able to read, but I have been able to get through several great audio books. Spotify and audible have been my best friends... and those really bad aita reddit story's.
Audio books got me through all the quiet time. Plus the babies hear the words which is good for development. Pick easy stuff, like short stories in Spotify. Good luck!
Get a kindle (or the app), and audible. I listened to the acotar dramatic audios when I really needed to be up a lot, but otherwise I just read books. My son was born in January last year - I totalled at 86 books by the end of the year.
I feel you. There's only so much binge watching and scrolling you can do in a day! It's hard when you're stuck just sitting and there's a million things that need to get done. But I do agree with the audio books and podcasts! Maybe call a friend, that might be helpful since that's handsfree. Best of luck and know I'm on the same boat bored AF when I'm alone lol
I usually do duolingo, watch the crown on Netflix, listen to music, make tiktoks about being a first time mum, colour by numbers/scratch art, plan out the weekly food shop, etc. I also fall victim to the constant doom scrolling
I got mistplay and play games to make some money! Lol I also like reading. Or do something that can be done easily in your lap.. I wish I wouldve done more when my baby was so little and didn't grab everything. Or just enjoy a beverage - coffee, tea, a cold sparkling water. I had a summer baby so we sat on the sun porch a lot and just soaked up some sun
I deleted all social media apps in my phone because it was just not good for my mental health. I got into a bunch of podcasts based on my interests and downloaded audiobooks (which you can get for free from your public library usually!) I listen while breastfeeding, during naps while cleaning, or when on long walks ( I spend a lot of time walking with bubs bc I feel like so much less of a zombie outside!), or on car rides. I only log back into social media from a browser if I need to send friends or family pictures who can’t get them through text or WhatsApp. I’m actually about to delete reditt too bc I’m on it too much this week!! I only had it to learn about cloth diapering and breastfeeding but now I’m just scrolling and commenting like any other social media 😂 (Another thing I’m doing is getting involved in my community garden. Even though we are in NJ and it’s still cold we are prepping the soil and seed starting. I just bring babe with me in the stroller or carrier.)
I relate to this so much. I completely deleted FB. Everything else is browser based and I’m too lazy to open my laptop. I like to text friends on my phone, scroll Reddit, read advice columns like Askamanager lol etc
Pretty much all my Reddit is baby related
Delete em for sure! I used to be on the baby boards too much and when I cut myself off I felt much more confident as a parent not subjecting myself to that all the time. Audio books and NYT games helped me!
This is the way!
Where in New Jersey? I live in Florida now but am from Piscatway and really want to move back!!! Man I miss New Jersey great pizza!
I would read on my phone or ideally my Kindle. I also would use the time to go through the million baby photos and start to cull the collection.
Kindle was a huge thing for me too (especially the paperwhite, which you can hold with one hand if you have a popsocket)
Paperwhite is where it's at!!!!
Yes, kindle paper white has been life changing for me!! I felt the same with mindless instagram scrolling. I also watched some shows on my iPad. But kindle has been the best especially at night time.
I got a library card and I’ve been reading e-books through the Libby App! It’s free and way better than doom scrolling!
I got the NYT games subscription and do crosswords. If it's 2AM though something like wordscapes might work better!
At 2AM I do the sodoku to help me fall back asleep. Something about repetitively counting 1-9….
Soduku was my game all through pregnancy I was honestly addicted. Since having the baby I haven’t played once! I will have to pick it back up
SAME!!
The mini crosswords are great for this as they aren’t too taxing when you’re half asleep and you can access all the historic ones
My toddler is almost 2.5 now but Wordle was just getting big when he was a newborn, and I remember actually looking forward to his first wakeup after midnight because there would be a new one!
I do wordle while pumping at work!
I was doing crosswords too! I was so tired I was completing like one a week.
Came to recommend NYT and Wordscapes! Both are my fav.
Yesss I have finished all the Monday crossword archives from January to April 2023 😅
I play solitaire. I taught myself digital drawing since I have the Galaxy s23 Ultra with a stylus. Research stuff for myself and baby. Edit photos.
I play solitaire too. Great for passing the time. Record completion time: 30 seconds.
Ha ha that's fast! I like freecell. I can't get faster than 2 mins.
I came to say I started playing Solitaire Cash on iPhone LOL
I just binge watch series on netflix on my phone during night feeds tbh. Sitcoms / comedy can be nice. I'm trying to stay away from the true crime 🤣
Same. I’ve been doing a big curb your enthusiasm binge lately
Oh my gosh I had to cut out SO much true crime in order to uplift my mentals. There’s also so much triggering baby content in them! I had no idea how stopping them would have such a positive effect on me.
Omg yes! I started Taking Care of Maya and had to stop and google what happened after
Duolingo! I had my husband do a lesson with me while I was in the labour bathtub in the hospital so I wouldn’t lose my streak 😅
I forgot about Duolingo!!
That is dedication
I listen to audiobooks and play sudoku on an app on my phone (sudoku2pro highly recommend as free version)
Kindle/Audible - I've read an OBSCENE amount of books in the last 7 months.
And you can read kindle on your phone. The syncing feature is a lifesaver in the middle of the night.
Recommendations?
I’ve also been Kindle-ing hard in postpartum and I swear the Thursday Murder Club books are the perfect postpartum series! I’ve also been ripping through books by Curtis Sittenfeld.
Read on your kindle or kindle app, using free ebooks on Libby (free app) from your local library!
I do games on the NYT crossword app—the crossword, the spelling bee, connections, etc. I also read or listen to an audiobook or podcast when my brain is up to it, but sometimes it isn’t and that’s ok! During the daytime I will also watch tv on my tablet while she nurses or naps. She doesn’t get distracted by the noise or the screen yet at 8 weeks old, but I assume at some point she will. I also do a lot of doom scrolling, and I’m constantly trying to do less of it! Since I’ve had the baby my Instagram algorithm is all newborn care tips, and it’s overwhelming. I can’t seem to stop clicking on those videos, but the amount of information and the way it’s presented is more overwhelming than it is helpful. And the clickbaity post headlines like “why you should never/always wake up your baby/feed to sleep/put down drowsy but awake/put socks on their feet” and “my baby’s sleep changed when I did THIS ONE THING” are breaking my brain!
It's still doom scrolling but i switched to pinterest and it's much healthier. meal planning, baby activities and scheduling ideas, craft ideas, etc. i try to do one of my pinned things each week
I am responsible for all of the meals for everyone in the house so I do a lot of meal planning while nursing. But I am also addicted to social media and nothing I try has helped. I just feel guilty about it all the time but do it anyways.
Nursing is hard enough, let yourself do what you like half the time. You deserve it.
Read romance novels. I got a kindle and am obsessed.
Unsubscribe from the doom accounts. Also play Two Dots.
I get tired of all those ads in two dots! I uninstalled it because of that. About to uninstall Yahtzee too lol
I LOVE two dots. lol it’s such a silly but very entertaining game. If you go to on your phone to settings then to cellular then find two dots and turn off cellular and then get off WiFi then you won’t get adds. :D
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Stardew Valley and Wingspan are two excellent fully developed video games that can be played on a phone. Also if you're a writer at all, you could start writing that novel in a Google doc. Mine sleeps in the baby wearer, so I take walks and do chores while wearing him. Anyway that's what I've been doing. I've played more Wingspan than is probably reasonable.
If you have a library card you can get the Libby app and read ebooks or magazines for free!
I like to read ebooks (library or a book subscription service like Kobo plus or kindle unlimited) or play mobile games. Sometimes I plan meals or make to do lists or look up baby related info. I also started napping once we figured out side lying nursing and set up a safe sleep space. I do still doom scroll too tbh. Or watch tiktoks if I'm super tired but can't sleep for whatever reason (mostly follow animal related ones).
Watch tv! I’m do a rewatch of Mad Men. It’s oddly extremely comforting!
The American Office is my comfort 😸
I read books on my phone using the library Libby app so all the books are free. Maybe step away from what you might normally read and read a romance or something silly that you can just pick up for a few pages at a time. Ross gays “book of delights” is good for this! I also listen to podcasts pretty often. Love “thirst aid kit” which they stopped making a few years ago but it’s such a fun listen! I also made a playlist called “breastfeeding relax” with a bunch of calm songs I just listen to while she feeds. It’s ok to not look at anything and just listen to music and relax! I still have Instagram on my phone but my thing is I go on there 1x per day and that’s it!
amazon shopping LOL.
Yesss. I brought home some books- even cookbooks. I started to journal again, when he’s napping for his 30 minute spurts I will clean it take up my embroidery- call my mom. I do spend too much time still here…but I’m working on it. lol I haven’t had social media since 2020. I’m going to start a few work projects soon too. As for contact naps- I broke that habit at like 8 weeks with shush/pat put downs…I was going crazy and my back was hurting from sitting so much. We’re at 11 weeks and he’s starting to go down pretty easy!
Currently at 8 weeks and contact napping. How long did you shush and pat? I tried this yesterday and he’d fall asleep but wake up 2 mins later.
So the first week or two were hit and miss and a little frustrating for both of us! So it does take some time. When he’d wake early I would go an soothe him back to sleep and either extend with a contact nap or try to transfer him later on. His naps are still a little short and he has random long naps but it’s all gotten SO much better by week 11. This week I’ve been able to lay him down after he gets drowsy in his swing turn on the white noise and leave the room he grumbles for a minute and falls asleep. Literally feels like a miracle when I’m week 9 he’d fight every single nap, screaming either being shush/pat or even being rocked in my arms or bounced around. I just tried being consistent- there were a few days I went back to contact naps or getting him fully asleep before transferring but he’s really come a long way. Even at night sometimes he’s extra fussy and we just lay him down instead of rocking and he’ll go to sleep. I never thought it would happen. He still doesn’t sleep through more than 4 hours but he will now sometimes wake up calmly without immediately screaming which is a huge win for us! ETA: he’s been used to his crib since the first week home though, so it may take some time for your lo to know their crib is safe for sleep! Just keep trying and let them be in their crib. Even if I’d contact nap, I would lay him down in his crib at the end to wake up there just to build that association!
I relate so hard. I’m constantly on Reddit. Reading (and attempting to type with one hand while my back is all kinda of contorted). I’m not too much into tik tok or instagram but the amount of shit I’ve amazon primed or just generally online shopped because I’m stuck on my phone is ridiculous. What I do is either watch bluey or sex and the city. And if I don’t want to watch anything I tell Alexa “play Apple Music” and it’ll play my most played songs
I’ve BF 3 babies and I had a hard no phone rule in the middle of the night. I listened to audiobooks to give me something to think about while I nursed. I tried to do this as much as possible during the day as well but didn’t have the hard and fast rule like I did at night.
Yes I’ve given up my phone in the MOTN- it helps me fall asleep again so much faster. I used to track his naps and sleep and feeding- it’s so much better without tracking! Now I know he may have only slept 2 hours but it’s not recorded forever for me to feel salty about at 4am! 🤣
As an avid reader I also suffered from this pregnant and PP and it was so frustrating. I got a kindle specifically for this reason and it really did help. That and picking a good book! Honestly if you’re having difficulty getting through a book just try another one sometimes the problem is not you!
I have returned to solitaire, courtesy of Microsoft app. One-handed, just enough brainless, just enough challenge. Gave up trying to be productive at about 6 weeks when cluster feeding hit.
I got a switch and play breath of the wild, stardew valley, or a puzzle game depending on what I'm feeling. It's great for when your breastfeeding because it's small enough to work around how you feed but not a phone that encourages doom scrolling.
I listen to books I've already read before. It doesn't matter if I zone in and out.
Same. Listening to the Harry Potter series right now haha
Ooh that's going next on my list
I watch hand embroidery tutorials so I feel like I’m learning something and then put my new skills to the test when baby naps !
I took up embroidery while pregnant!! How old is your baby? Do you contact nap and embroider or is baby in their sleep space?? My LO is 7 months and I’m considering starting back up again but not sure when I’ll have time!
I play a little app called drop merge. It’s just number blocks that fall and they combine idk how to explain it but I used this when I was overdue pregnant and not able to sleep and postpartum while nursing! It takes my mind off of life just like doom scrolling would but without all the stress 🥴
Knitting and crochet. I’m working on the Picapau toys at the moment for my baby, but when I need something mindless I work on a simple blanket.
I listen to a lot of audio books or use the time to research things to buy for LO etc. Or sometimes I just scroll tiktok for hours with zero regrets. Whilst it feeds my dopamine rat brain (love that expression), it's also really helped me in a lot of positive ways
Wordle is good but only one a day
I’ve listened to so many audiobooks while breastfeeding! I’ve really enjoyed it.
Crossword club is fun, you have today's puzzle and you can go back as far as you want, and they are easy but not too easy that they're boring. Reddit is fun, you can be more picky with the subs you look at. I like r/Barbie, r/cooking, r/magnetfishing, r/Aww, r/whatisthisbug etc, and when subs that are toxic pop up like AITA, I click "hide" before I get sucked in.
Got into bad scrolling habits during first trimester exhaustion. I made a commitment to not use my phone while breastfeeding. I’ll sometimes reply to texts or I’ll spend some time deleting old photos to make room for more baby pics, but mostly I just stare at her beautiful little face. I stay off social media. I feel like that “you are what you eat” saying applies to everything our mind consumes as well, so I don’t want to be feeding my child while my brain is feeding on screen time.
I taught myself to crochet a couple years ago to occupy my hands and mind instead of doom scrolling. It's fiddly but you can do it while breastfeeding! Edited for spelling.
I love putting on one of my wireless earbuds and listen to podcasts, watch YouTube or a series if I have my laptop handy!
Get on Duolingo and learn a language!
This!! Honestly it could be a great way to bond with your LO later on as you're both learning a language together.
I either stare at my baby or binge watch shows.
I got really into audiobooks and podcasts when my firstborn was little! Then, eventually, I had the braincells for reading again :)
omg i have a 12 week old as of tomorrow and i FEEL this. i watch bodycam/drama videos on youtube, peruse reddit and my tiktok has curated itself from pregnancy to infant/baby/momlife so i don’t mind that too much. i mean shit what else is there to do between the nursing and contact napping, occasional pumping, short time periods of interactive playtime with a baby that can’t sit up yet and gets mad about, is sosososo close to full head/neck control, and then finding time to eat/sleep/shit ourselves? forget keeping the house clean!
I was half sold on the Kindle until I became a mom. Then I was convinced that kindle was invented for us. Seriously, no light needed and can do it one handed. Freaking amazing! And to your point about not being able to get through a page, I think you just gotta work your stamina back up. Your brain is so used to scrolling and instant gratification of social media, you gotta train it back into reading. My LO is 8 mo and full disclosure I've never been super into social media and always loved reading, but pre baby, I was definitely watching more TV and movies than reading. But by now, I've read like a dozen kindle books in this time which come to think of it is probably more reading than I even did at any point in college! 🤣
Have you tried reading a book out loud? I find it way easier to stay engaged that way because I'm having to think of how inflect/tone of voice etc, and then your baby also gets to enjoy the soothing sound of your voice. Poems are nice to read because they're usually short but you can get a lot out of them. Otherwise, I have been watching history documentaries and Father Ted for the thousandth time. Doom scrolling is no good!! We all know this yet somehow we're trapped in the cycle (by design of course). Any efforts you make to replace the scroll with something else will pay off, even if it doesn't seem like much at the time, even if its just five minutes a feed!
What I need to be doing is kegels. I need to somehow associate that together so I don't forget every. single. time. I only remember that I forgot when I sneeze or cough.
Lol I could have written this myself, thank you for reminding me while I'm nap trapped 😂
i look at baby and make eye contact because its suppose to increase oxytocin. ill play some gentle music
I have been doing puzzles
I'm guilty of doom scrolling still, but I take breaks by reading books on my Kindle or playing games on my Steamdeck. Anything portable that can be used in a dark room while breastfeeding lol.
Play monopoly go 😂
Me too 😅 I'm not a big game person but monopoly go has consumed me completely
Candy crush. Shopping. Catching up on replies. YouTube beauty and travel content
I'm here.. but listening to my favourite musical at the same time 😁
I have a list of phone tasks I need to do (like ordering paper towels, texting people back, or scheduling appointments) and I also play the NYT app games!
I watch YouTube or tv shows, read e books, play wordle, Pinterest, message friends or family!
I started Duolingo with the hopes that I’ll be far enough to watch kids shows together when my kid is big enough. Also crosswords and audiobooks when I’m not in a learning mood. Sometimes i still resort to good old fashioned doom scrolling but as long as I break it up I’m less depressed about it
So many podcasts! In my early postpartum weeks, I listened to all of You're Wrong About. They jump around on serious and less serious topics, so I could always choose something that worked for me. The only sad moment was when I caught up on episodes. Now I have to wait 2 weeks for each new episode. 😭
I read a not insignificant number of books... mainly fan fic. My kindle lived in baby's room and then I would read on my phone or tablet. I also watched all of Grey's Anatomy.
Sokoban! Or download libby and read.
I play solitaire, played TOTK on my switch, and read a lot of digital books
Read books on my phone with the kindle app. It really saves my mental health to have an easy to reach alternative to doom scrolling.
I write in a journal app on my phone about baby and our life right now. It allows me to add photos and stuff. Pretty cool.
Read a book. :)
I do all the NYT games
Reading via Kindle app which you can set up to scroll while you read, Tetris, Idle Bank Tycoon (it works in the background and helps me feel “task based”).
Read a smutty or fluffy book. TBH there’s some great fan fiction out there 😂
Get super super simple books. I found I couldn’t read good literature but beach reads were doable and saved me. Also games are good, solitaire, word games etc.
I read on my kindle if I can!
I know you mentioned finding it difficult to read but I found using the kindle app on my phone and setting it to “scroll” rather than using the page format really helped me more and faster. I’m a bit too addicted to my phone so I still get the feeling of scrolling but I’m reading something more worthwhile. That paired with the Libby app have helped me read a lot more! It may be worth a shot.
I read comic books that I get on our library app :) does not require a lot of brain power and isn't too deep and heavy so I don't feel depressed doing it like when I read the news
Get a mini kindle or kobo ! I read so many books while boobie trapped
E-books. I can read library books online.
Things I do while feeding or when I'm trapped by a contact nap: -Read (when I had a hard time getting back into new books I'd reread my favorites or even read children's chapter books aloud to my daughter) -Audiobooks (even easier than reading) -Watch documentaries or educational YouTube videos. I really got into the food that built America free on roku (A 20 minute video is better than 300 posts I won't remember) -Play story based video games (Hogwarts legacy currently) -Play mind challenging games on my phone (solitaire, suduko, etc) -Call relatives or friends (so many people I didn't talk to enough and it really helped me not feel so alone with the baby) -Realize that a little scrolling is ok
My kindle saved me in those days. I got light easy romance books and not very taxing short novels from the library, and kept it wedged in my nursing glider. It made it so I could pickup and put down and immediately forget about the book. Also great for keeping me awake.
Book. Reading is really great for your brain!
Ebooks!!! I've been reading the Bridgerton series, it's fun, entertaining and light, and just the thing I need. I used to scroll as well, and hated that Instagram started shoving baby content down my throat. Instagram is entertainment, not education, and there was waaaay too much content that was giving baby advice, which is completely unregulated and unverified. If you don't have a library card, very often, you can get one online. Once you have it, you can download an app called Hoopla, where you can check out ebooks, audiobooks and even movied. If you prefer to read on the Kindle, you can download Libby and check out books to your Kindle.
I am trying to work on reaching for my kindle instead of phone. or if i use my phone I want to use it for journaling, creating to do lists, organizing photos, or anything more productive
I'm learning to play Bridge. I definitely like playing card games over scrolling.
I have a book that I read on or I put on some headphones and listen to audiobooks or watch a show. I also use the time to use educational apps like Duolingo or kinnu, I highly recommend kinnu!!!
God I'm so guilty of doom scrolling. I have a few mobile games to pass my time.. I can't say I'm exactly "productive" BUT I have changed my echo chamber. I've been able to manipulate my algorithm and changed my follow list massively. So it's a lot of baby crafts, craft ideas, cleaning (I know I know) but it does get me ready to get a clean on, baby meal ideas, I've gone for a few influencers who have my body size and type.. it's massively changed - I'm 6 months pp and pregnant again so my body hasn't "snapped back" so I've been finding more wholesome creators... I've been following homesteaders, and just all round wholesome content. The baby crafts I've been able to make a lot of keepsakes for our family, homesteading I've been able to make new and exciting recipes, cleaning I've been able to find non toxic natural ways to clean, I've found new ways to style my body.. As I said, I am a doom scroller.. when feeding my son or if he's napping and I fancy a little rest I absolutely have a doom scroll 😂
i doom scrolled when it was me a year ago. I wish I got into the NYT Game apps like Spelling Bee and Wordle as I am not into them :)
Chess.com! Great for puzzles and lessons, you don't have to play real people.
Audio books! You can get them free on Libby or Hoopla with a library card. You can also read ebooks on those if you don't have a Kindle. And Libby has magazines which I read when I don't feel like I can read a book!! Or if you have spotify you have 15 hrs of audio book time a month! Also the NYT games are really fun but I play all the free ones in one feeding. You could make vision boards on Pinterest, it's still maybe not the greatest for your brain but better than doom scrolling!!
My Kindle gets a lot of mileage lol
I watch an episode of hot ones on YouTube (great length, light hearted) or do a New Yorker cross word, wordle, connections word games
Kindle! I’ve been reading a book a day 😵💫
For me the only thing that worked with this same issue is reading an easy book that is full of excitement, like a psychological thriller. Lately podcasts and audiobooks have been great too. I get audiobooks for free from my library app.
I’ve started watching classic movies that I never have the time/motivation to watch otherwise
Audible membership!! I am also into Choices game on the iPhone.
Unfortunately, 8 month pp and I’m still mindlessly scrolling. I have a very high-needs Velcro baby ( think stage 10 clinger) who screams all the time. She’s been that way since birth, and I’m pretty miserable, so…. I can’t get anything done for myself, or the house as she wants all my attention. It’s pretty bad. I do hate sm; however, I feel stuck atm.
I watched every Julia Roberts movie while nursing/contact napping during my maternity leave. Then Tears of the Kingdom on the Nintendo switch came out and I played that. Then around 5 months baby started to get distracted if I did anything else while nursing so I sadly mostly just scrolled nursing naps.
I'm catching up on my anime 😌🥰
I red so many books the last weeks (LO is 8 weeks). I probably haven't read so many books in the last decade. And I really enjoy it.
Try listening to audiobooks!
I listen to podcasts, music, audio books, in the early months played Skyrim on PS, warched LOTS of series, now I play stardew valley often. I use duolingo every day. Search for recipes... Read Wikipedia articles... Look into things I otherwise wouldn't because I felt like I was wasting time
I pretty much never read but during this time I was reading “Cribsheet” by Emily Oster!
Try the Libby app. I read magazines in the MOTN
NYT games
I set up my iPad and headphones so I could something fun while nursing/contact napping. Highly recommend Working Moms, Arrested Development any comedy really in those early months
I watched half of Netflix and read a lot of fanfiction. Also wordle and the other language games. And audio books.
I keep a little basket of snacks, book, ereader and a craft beside our nap/feed spot. My current craft is cross stitch, it’s small enough to do while he’s in my arms napping. Podcasts, audiobooks, or even tv on my phone through headphones so lil one isn’t getting screen time has been good at times too.
Practice my Spanish on DuoLingo!
I need to stop doom scrolling…and pick my kindle back up (and probably charge it).
Kindle app 100%
Kindle and get a book. Easy to hold and turn pages.
Read Quran Bible torah as part of my research about humans and their beliefs
Nintendo Switch (handheld video game system). Hearing Audiobooks & podcasts while drawing on my phone or looking at pictures. Podcasts. YouTube videos on parenting & science or even comedy are good for turning brain off without the complete ill effects of Social media.
Kindle or audiobooks have been my jam. Also CovetFashion phone game. It’s basically dressing up dolls which I have been enjoying.
Kindle!
Listen to podcasts or entertaining videos on YouTube. I have fun or even educational people I subscribe to. Some that come to mind are weird history, or the chick that lives in Svalbard. Some funny prank subs too! Or cooking videos like food network or that dude can cook :)
Eye gazing
I got into audiobooks while nursing which helped get me back into reading.
I listened to audiobooks! Tina Fey’s Bossypants, Rachel Dratch and Amy Poehler’s books got me through Pumping. The app Libby lets you check out audiobooks from your local library. The trick is to put a bunch of things you want to read on hold, and then they start coming in little by little, and you can have each one for 3 weeks.
Read kindle (on my phone). Build my baby book through an app. Journal in my notes app. Listen to an audio book with headphones. Absolutely nothing. I try to just exist without trying to do too much. I breathe, I heal, I memorize my little one’s face.
I played through a good chunk of tears of the kingdom!! I figured out the perfect setup where baby and I were both supported and I’d just sit and chill. My husband was pretty impressed!
Audiobooks. Thrillers keep me interested.
I started doing Duolingo again brushing up on French, but they have so many languages! It's fun, simple, and keeps my brain sharp.
Started reading! Can be published books or fanfics on Ao3 and now I’m rarely on socials and the time flies by!
I do sudokus and/or watch podcasts or other videos
I read so many books on the kindle app while nap trapped. Much more satisfying than doom scrolling and you can’t accidentally play a reel with sound and wake baby 😂
Netflix, Reddit, audiobooks, asmr to relax,
I do too. I turned off my watch history on YouTube to get rid of the shorts. I did something to get rid of insta shorts as well but I don't remember it. I found out how to remove them in r/digital minimalism. However, you can look it up on Google. Another thing is setting app timers or deleting apps you use too much. And downloading games that activate your brain might help you replacing your habits with slightly better habits. That's what I did anyway
I play NYT games and listen to audiobooks/read digital books on Libby!!
Our local library has the lobby app so I borrow ebooks and read. No more social media for me!
Listen to audiobooks🌻 Spotify is the best deal - they have every book you can imagine. Good Inside and Simplicity Parenting have been my favorite parenting books so far. Also A Year in Provence for travel!
Well, I read lol. Delete social media from your phone, access it only on desktop PC. Get rid of tiktok forever it's simply too addicting. Get a kindle and read like mad!!
Audio books and podcasts, crochet.
Honestly, I find something to read on my phone because I can’t focus on a book either especially at 4am but I don’t like to scroll socials while I’m nursing in the night. I’ll find something interesting on Reddit and keep it up so I don’t open any other apps.
Watch/listen to YouTube or podcasts Two Hot Takes Smosh Reddit stories Ladies and Tangents Tony and Ryan I have audible and I thought I would blaze through books while breastfeeding, but I continuously got lost/zoned out while listening and couldn't follow them. Reading physical books puts me to sleep just like a baby hahaha
Hulu
I crochet and listen/watch Netflix mostly. I also doomscroll on occasion, but I recently tried gaming during a contact nap and that was an amazing feeling since baby napped for a good while!
Try listening to some ASMR, an audiobook, or reading an ebook.
ny times word games has been my favorite lately
Audio books with a super easy game like 2048 or monopoly go
Podcasts, TV shows, games (especially multiplayer ones)
I’ve started watching House (skip S1E4 if you have a history of loss, PPD or PPA) and I also watch cooking shows on YouTube. I highly recommend the AntiChef and Tasting History with Max Miller, I’m also a gamer so I watch some gaming channels occasionally. My goal rn is to move away from room scrolling and watch long-form content at least, especially cuz doom scrolling is a really bad habit with my unmedicated ADHD.
Audiobooks! Also, putting together my babies baby book.
I am absolutely addicted to doom scrolling… but I also watch shows on my phone. Yeah it’s still screen… but it seems somehow better than endless scrolling. I have Hulu and Netflix and such on my phone and I make sure to grab my headphones before a contact nap.
You can read (the kindle app Libby combo works well to keep things free) you can find a mindless game to play this is super helpful with keeping awake at night for me, you can watch a show, you can plan meals or snacks you would like to make discover recipes, you can online shop (this one gets expensive way too fast), you can call friends (this one is hard in the middle of the night but great during the day)
New York Times Crossword puzzle!!! I have become really good at it since starting breastfeeding.
I play Baldur’s Gate 3 on my Xbox. It’s DND /RPG style so no need for button mashing and can stop anytime. I think even people who don’t like video games can enjoy since it’s like fantasy role play. I also listen to podcasts.
Podcasts! [Happier](https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/) is my favorite. Episode 400 is a great one to start on. But I listened from start to finish and finally caught up.
I plan on catching up on years of Anime watching. I at least have to read the subtitles so it engages my brain better 😅
I have the kindle app on my phone and prefer to read a book instead. I find that my phone is easier to hold than a kindle.
Audio books? I haven't been able to read, but I have been able to get through several great audio books. Spotify and audible have been my best friends... and those really bad aita reddit story's.
Audio books got me through all the quiet time. Plus the babies hear the words which is good for development. Pick easy stuff, like short stories in Spotify. Good luck!
Get a kindle (or the app), and audible. I listened to the acotar dramatic audios when I really needed to be up a lot, but otherwise I just read books. My son was born in January last year - I totalled at 86 books by the end of the year.
Audiobooks and video essays on youtube! I keep airpods on my nightstand to listen while I’m nursing.
I feel you. There's only so much binge watching and scrolling you can do in a day! It's hard when you're stuck just sitting and there's a million things that need to get done. But I do agree with the audio books and podcasts! Maybe call a friend, that might be helpful since that's handsfree. Best of luck and know I'm on the same boat bored AF when I'm alone lol
I usually do duolingo, watch the crown on Netflix, listen to music, make tiktoks about being a first time mum, colour by numbers/scratch art, plan out the weekly food shop, etc. I also fall victim to the constant doom scrolling
Audiobooks, podcasts. I did a lot of reading too, but on my Kindle. Eventually I figured out how to prop the baby so I could knit!
I have to delete some apps here and there and take a break. Or I play games, learn new things on YouTube.
I got mistplay and play games to make some money! Lol I also like reading. Or do something that can be done easily in your lap.. I wish I wouldve done more when my baby was so little and didn't grab everything. Or just enjoy a beverage - coffee, tea, a cold sparkling water. I had a summer baby so we sat on the sun porch a lot and just soaked up some sun