Yummy Before Bedtime Treat

One of my favorite things to eat right before I head to bed. Tastes like peanut butter cheesecake!

-3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

-1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

-2 packets truvia

-1 tsp chia seeds

About 225 calories, 22g protein, 9g healthy fats, and oooh so good.

(via Natalie Hodson of http://nataliehodson.com/ )

Pregnancy Week 9 Chalkboard Update

How far along? 9 Weeks

Weight Gain: 1 lbs

Stretch Marks: None

Belly Button: In

Wedding Rings On/Off:  On

Movement: None

Feeling: Sleepy and hungry most of the time

Cravings: Sushi

Symptoms: Fatigue, Frequent urination, cravings

Missing: Sleeping through the night without having to go pee

Looking Forward to: Our next OB appointment in 4 weeks!

Sleep: Weird vivid dreams. Having to wake up and pee 4 times a night.

Exercise: Lifting and cardio 3 times per week.

Eating: Healthy still for the most part. Eating in moderation and listening to my body. I stay hungry most of the time so I snack frequently.

So far I still have abs too!

How to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

Stretch marks.

They aren't the sexiest thing a woman can wear. Everyone dreads them. 

Believe it or not, there is something that you can do to help prevent them. 

The only way to truly prevent stretch marks is slow, steady weight gain during pregnancy. Dont follow the whole "eating for two" myth or eat in excess-that will help you put on the weight in a flash. Let's face it, you WILL gain weight during pregnancy-thats a given. But what most women do not know is WHY some get these stretch marks.

Stretch marks are caused when the skin stretches at a level to where it cannot keep up with the grow. Take those bodybuilders who use steroids for example. When they take that drug, it increases the size of muscle in no time, stretching that skin far beyond its means. SAME thing happens when you overeat-you gain weight too fast for your skin to catch up.

Great thing about pregnancy is, we have 9 months to slowly grow.

Now there are some creams out there that do work such as coco butter (Palmers brand is best!). But the best way is to watch what you eat (eating healthy), keeping up exercise (pregnancy is not a disability unless you make it one), and gaining the weight in a slow, steady manner/

How to Determine Your Baby's Sex or Gender During Pregnancy EARLY

There's an old wives' tale that you can tell the sex of your baby during pregnancy based on the heart beats per minute! 

They say that if you are having a girl, the BPM (beats per minute) will be 140 or greater.

They say that if you are having a boy, the BPM will be 140 or less.

Now keep in mind that all fetuses BPM are on average 175 till 9 weeks gestation-then the sex organs are created and the BPM averages 120-180 during the rest of your pregnancy. After 9 weeks, would be the best time to try this method.

Another way of telling your baby's gender during pregnancy, is not a wives tell but called the Ramzi Method.

This is the original research done by Dr. Saad Ramzi Ismail. In this study, more than 5,000 fetuses were scanned for placental location. 

Want to know the results of the study?

It showed that at 6 weeks gestation, 97.2% of male fetuses had their placenta on the RIGHT side of the uterus.

For female fetuses, the placenta was located on the LEFT side of the uterus.

You should be able to tell with your first ultrasound where your baby sits. 

As you can see with mine, the placenta is slightly in the middle/left so its hard for me to tell mine unfortunately! We will be back for another ultrasound in 4 weeks and will be able to see more!

If all else fails, here is a Chinese gender chart that was totally accurate for us!

DIY Skin Care Tips