Mama's Beautiful Mess

Pregnancy, Parenthood, and All Things Baby

Popular Posts

The Complete Third Trimester To Do List
5 Tips to Relieve Gas Pains in Babies
10 Things You Must Do When You Find out You Are Pregnant
What to Expect at Your First Prenatal Appointment
8 Things That Shocked Me About Labor and Delivery
How to Survive The First Week Home with Baby

8 Easy Ways to Bond with Your Baby

     Baby      Leave a Comment

I will admit that I didn’t think I would have to worry about how to bond with baby, I thought it would just happen. But sometimes, it doesn’t just happen.

When you found out you were pregnant, you probably imagined the moment you would meet your baby. You probably daydreamed about how it would feel when the nurse sat your baby on your bare chest.

You may have assumed you and your new baby would have an instant bond from the moment you laid eyes on her. You and your newborn would be two peas in a pod, you just knew it.

Now you may be realizing that is not always the case. The first few weeks with a new baby is brand new for the both of you. Baby is trying to adjust to life outside the womb, while you are trying to adjust to being a new mom.

Maybe you are surprised by how little your newborn feels like your baby and how much she feels sort of like a stranger. (This is normal, don’t sweat it.) …

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The Complete Third Trimester To Do List

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Third trimester to do list

The third trimester can seem to drag on for ages.

I really felt like the first trimester was the longest of them all, but the third trimester definitely did not zoom by either.

When you are huge and uncomfortable, it can be hard to focus on anything other than the discomfort. If you find yourself saying “ugh, I cannot wait until I have this baby”, then it may be time to find some ways to distract yourself.

A great way to take your mind off the fact that you are still pregnant is to tackle your third trimester to do list! …

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Postpartum Recovery: Tips for Faster and Less Painful Healing

     Baby, Pregnancy      Leave a Comment

Postpartum recovery: tips for healing faster and reducing pain

If I told you to go out into a room full of mothers and bring me one who enjoyed postpartum recovery, you would probably have a difficult time doing so.

This is because postpartum recovery sucks. It is so easy to get wrapped in preparing for baby and totally forget that your body will need some special attention for a few weeks as well.

I was pretty unprepared for everything that was gonna be going on after giving birth, so I sort of had to figure it out as I went.

Having done this once, you can bet that next time I will be prepared to make postpartum recovery as quick and painless as possible. …

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Ways to Get Baby to Sleep: 7 Last Resort Things to Try When Nothing Else Is Working

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7 last resort ways to get your baby to sleep

We have all been there. That moment when you would do anything to get your baby to sleep.

In the midst of your exhaustion, you find yourself searching for ways to get your baby to sleep.

Just one way, any way at all, to get this child to close their sweet little eyes and sleep for a little while.

I’ve been there, heck, we’ve all been there! It’s gonna be okay, I promise.

I really hesitated writing this post because it is essentially a list of no-no’s. A sleep expert will probably never tell you to do anything on this list as a way to get your baby to sleep.

But, putting sleep rules aside, sometimes we just need to get our babies to sleep pronto….

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10 Easy Ways to Save Money and Cut Costs

     Finances      Leave a Comment

10 super easy ways to save money and cut costs

We know that there are plenty of ways to save money, but we don’t always want to do the things to save the money.

But nonetheless, most people want (or need) to save money. Your reasons for wanting to save money may vary. You may be trying to save up for a car, pay off student loans, or save up for a house. Rest assured, there are easy ways to save money.

We are still saving for our dream home, and in the process I have searched high and low for money saving tips to help reach our goal. I’m still far from an expert on finances, but I was able to find a few simple ways to save money that did not require major lifestyle changes….

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8 Things That Shocked Me About Labor and Delivery

     Baby, Pregnancy      6 Comments

8 things that shocked me about labor and delivery

As a first time mom, I had no idea what to expect during labor and delivery.

The past several months have flown by and I am now about nine months postpartum. My baby is growing like a weed and I can’t help but reminisce about her being a newborn. Seriously, how do these babies grow so fast?

Anyways, as I think back on the days of my baby being tiny, my mind also floods with memories of labor, delivery and postpartum recovery.

I had no clue what to expect during labor and delivery, so that made everything pretty new and scary. Labor is different for every women, of course. However, there were eight things that stood out and really shocked me about labor and delivery.

This post may contain affiliate links. You can find our super boring full disclosure policy here. …

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