Gender Reveals are such a fun, creative and exciting way to get your family involved in revealing the sex of your baby.  They are so popular today but many people don't know how to plan one especially without knowing the sex themselves. Today, we are explaining the key steps in planning your own. 

Around 16 weeks, your doctor will be able to offer a blood test that will determine the sex of your baby. You tell the doctor and all the nurses in the office that you do NOT want to know the results. Instead, ask them to write down the sex of the baby and seal it in an envelope. One thing that is very important to note: tell them to make the result CLEAR. For example, have them write the sex of the baby on just a plain piece of paper instead of enclosing the actual report from the lab. The report can be very confusing and you want whoever you choose to read the letter to pick the appropriate colored balloons (or whatever props you choose) and plan a successful reveal.  

This is a tough one because you want all your close friends and family to be surprised but you do need one person that you really trust to know the gender first and help plan the actual "reveal" part of the party. 

Before the event starts, make sure you’ve setup a way to document the event. If you have a nice budget, you can hire a professional photographer or videographer for the event. Alternatively, assign one of your friends to take photos. Or, be creative and grab a Polaroid. Have guests write well wishes for the baby on the back of the Polaroid shots as they come out of the camera.

We used a tripod for the video and assigned my mother-in-law to take the photos. 

The entire point of a gender reveal party is to work your way up to one big moment to reveal the gender. We chose to use confetti pops (pictured above). We gave the job of popping them to my husband's nephews because we knew it would be a super fun way to get them involved. Here are some of the most popular ways to reveal the baby’s gender:

• Bake a cake with the with either pink/blue color inside (you can give the envelope to a local baker or to a trusted friend, and they can make or pick up the correct cake)
• Have a friend put pink or blue helium balloons into a sealed box; open the box and let the balloons fly out to reveal the baby’s gender (if you want to be fancy, you can use a trunk or chest)
  
• Get a piñata and fill it with blue or pink items inside, based on the gender of the baby (this one is particularly popular if you already have kids, or if there are going to be lots of kids at the party)
  

They say all pregnancies are different but I didn't believe them. Not one bit. When I was pregnant with Richie, I was a superstar champ. I had zero morning sickness, worked out the entire time, only gained 25 pounds, and overall, I felt amazing. This time around I was a walking zombie barf bag. Sick as a dog. Name a symptom and I had it. The worst part was the constipation (TMI, I know) but really. I looked pregnant right away because of the severe bloat in my belly. I didn't only have morning sickness, it was ALL day sickness.

I was convinced it was a girl. How could I feel like this when I didn't with my boy? But nope, I was wrong. I'm pregnant with a boy and at 18 weeks, I started to finally feel better. Don't get me wrong, I am still so insanely tired ALL. OF. THE. TIME and I don't feel amazing however, that I-want-to-die feeling has dissipated. Here are a few remedies that worked and still continue to work for me.

​I take this supplement in addition to my prenatal vitamin. The extra dose (50mg) of it is essential for a healthy nervous system and metabolism. It helps to produce amino acids and metabolize macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Consuming enough Vitamin B6 is a crucial to the function of nearly every aspect of your body and health, from blood cell production to brain function.

You can combine vitamin B-6 with Unisom (at bedtime to sleep at night) and that helps big time as well. This combination (vitamin B-6 and Unisom) is what you will find in a prescription drug called Dicelgis. My doctor gave me this and it made me so much more constipated. It also made me drowsy. I found that the at-home remedy of vitamin B-6 with Unisom (when I needed it at night) was a much better alternative. 

​This was so hard for me because I have an extremely active toddler to take care of and I hate being stuck in the house for long periods of time BUT my body wouldn't let me do otherwise. I had to take it easy so that I could get through the worst of it. Even now, I rest when my body is telling me to. Growing a baby is hard work. Add a toddler to the mix and its double time exhaustion. I let myself be a little more lazy then I ever have.  Sometimes the dishes don't get done or the laundry folded and that's all good. I've learned to give myself a break. It's essential. 

​Prenatal vitamins are aggressive. They are very heavy, hard to digest and can make you feel more nauseous. Gummy prenatals have the same amount of vitamins needed to grow a healthy baby but are much easier on your belly. I love these because they have added folic acid. 

This was another hard one. As soon as a meal hits my belly and the warm blood rushes through my body, my eyes glaze over and I'm ready to jump into bed but I learned my lesson when I woke up from a nap and vomited everywhere. In the first months of pregnancy, your metabolism slows down so you have to move more after meals otherwise, the food just sits in your belly. It will either cause nauseousness and you'll vomit or you'll get severe heartburn. I, unfortunately, experienced both so I made it a goal to clean the house or go for a walk after a big meal. 

​Staying hydrated has been key. It has helped with my headaches, constipation and overall sickness. If I drink plenty of coconut water and regular water (I love to squeeze lemon in it), I feel less nauseous and don't get as many headaches as I did before. 

There are foods that you could eat before you were pregnant that you just may not be able to eat now. Keep a diary of what you eat and when you get very sick, so you can weed out what is no good for you during your pregnancy. ​My trigger foods include red meat, soda of any kind (some suggested ginger ale for nausea but it had the opposite effect for me), and tomato sauce (holy heartburn!). 

Pregnancy effects your balance and can throw off your equilibrium. I learned this the hard way. I was twirling around Richie and it made me so nauseous that I threw up. Long trips in the car make me extremely car sick. I also find that if I look down too long at my phone or a book then try to stand up quickly, I get extremely dizzy. Be conscious of fast movement whether it be yours or your surroundings (i.g. a car, a moving train, airplanes, etc.). If you plan on going on a long trip, Seabands have been known to help with motion and morning sickness as well. 

In addition to three meals a day, its important to snack! I have almonds, Lara bars, and tangerines in my bag at all times so that I can easily eat something. You never want your stomach to be empty. That's when the nausea sets in. 

We couldn't be more thrilled to announce that our family is growing. Our little babe is so excited to be a BIG BROTHER and to have a lifelong best friend. 

My husband and I are over the moon excited but also nervous about this new beginning we are about to embark. We will be sharing our journey with you, including everything from our gender reveal, how we will prepare for baby number two, getting Richie ready to be a big brother, how we'll get two babies to fit in one room until we purchase another home, and the overall, emotional roll coaster we'll experience along the way. Hope you will follow our journey and possibly learn something through our experience.