pregnancy fun

Soaking up the sun in my kiddie pool while reading some baby mags! :)

As some of you know, my husband and I are both in the "alternative" health care field. We've been going crazy with research to assure that we are very true to our beliefs in how we raise our baby...what lotions we use, soaps, cloth diapers, etc etc. That stuff I will admit, we are new to...they don't teach us that stuff in school.

We have been getting prenatal care from midwives (which are amazing!!!) and are going to start our Bradley birth classes this week which specializes in preparing a couple to go "eau naturale". We are (well I am) also committing to breastfeeding for at LEAST a year.

Some things we are very aware of include nutrition & exercise! We weren't necessarily planning to have this baby but last year, Ryan and I went on a fitness adventure where we both lost significant weight and gained muscle. I even told some people, "I'm losing weight so I can prepare my body for a baby one day." You can imagine the looks I would get.

Pregnancy isn't the ultimate excuse to eat your heart out and be lazy. It's quite the opposite. I mean yes, there has to be a balance. You need your rest...your body will force it. You need to eat more...your body will force it. But you don't need to indulge as much as some people think. Cravings are a different story- sometimes you just have to listen to them!

I have been trying to reach that balance. I try to always get protein over sugar for breakfast- coffee has been creeping up (about 1-2 cups/week whereas before it was ZERO) but other than that, I eat actual food for breakfast. Pre-pregnancy I was about 95% Gluten free because well my body forced me to eat that way & I really believe in the detriment gluten can do to your gut & body in general.

However, during pregnancy (especially in the first trimester) it seemed like the only thing I could tolerate to eat was processed food (which slowly faded). I am a bit more lax on things with gluten but I try to eat a bigger portion of whole foods (meat, veggies, & fruit) when I indulge.

Sugar. I love sugar...I mean who doesn't?! Among times I do indulge, I try to fill the "void" with fruit like apples & peanut/almond butter so I get my protein and fiber too! When that doesn't work, I just give in and limit the amount I eat.

I've been doing yoga, going on walks, and keeping myself busy around the house to ensure I'm not just laying around. I've also been sitting outside in my "adult sized" kiddie pool to soak up the sun, read some baby books/magazines, and relax.

I'm not perfect. I don't try to be. I have to admit, I have been a bit obsessed about my weight during this whole process. I am trying to stay healthy.

After all that talk, I want to give you another healthy and super easy recipe for everyday cravings but especially those preggo cravings! It has all the sweetness from yummy fruit with the creaminess from coconut milk which has endless health benefits! And it's dairy free! No inflammation or allergy issues!

I've noticed that I generally crave COLD things so cold & sugar = ice cream! Well....can't have ice cream all the time! I mean you could, but that would negate everything I just said!

Here's a great alternative to help fill the void :)

Banana Coconut "Ice cream"

2 large frozen bananas (ripe)
1/4 can of coconut milk
1/2 c of ice

Add the above ingredients to a blender (I use my magic bullet) and blend!! You can add more coconut milk or ice to help solidify the texture so it's more like ice cream and voila!

I added fresh organic fruit and some crushed raw almonds to add some texture, protein, and fiber!

It's a great and healthy alternative for kids too!

Hope you enjoyed my little rant with a sweet ending! Keep us in your thoughts as we go through this journey! It has been fun so far but we are getting so anxious!

I'll be posting nursery teasers soon! :)