Find Out How You Can Predict Your Child's IQ!

When you think of your child growing up what do you imagine for his future?

Brain surgeon?
Rocket scientist?
Future President?

We all want our kids to be someone who will change the world, but that's one thing you'll never know until your little one leaves the nest...or is it?

According to new research you can find out how brainy your kid will be with this simple test...Just answer the following question:

Do you suffer with morning sickness?

Yes? Well that's great!

How badly?

Pretty severe?

Well congratulations! Your morning sickness could mean that you have a "baby Einstein" on the way! Findings published in the The Journal of Paediatrics and reported by New Scientist magazine show that the children of mothers who experienced morning sickness during pregnancy, were more likely to have a higher IQ than those born to mothers who felt no morning sickness during their pregnancy.

There is also believed to be a correlation between the severity of the sickness and the level of intelligence of the child.

The same hormones that are thought to cause morning sickness; thyroxine and HCG (human chronic gonadotropin), are believed to protect your baby's developing brain.

Other reasons to be thankful for morning sickness are that some studies have shown that women who suffer sickness are less likely to suffer miscarriage or give birth to a baby with birth defects.

But no matter how intelligent your baby turns out to be, morning sickness is no pleasant matter, so here are some simple tips you can try to ease the quease!

1. Eat little and often

Morning sickness can be caused by a lack of food in your stomach and as your metabolism is working a lot faster now, it's a good idea to eat more regularly to keep your blood sugar stable. Sudden drops in blood sugar will only increase your nausea and make you feel less like eating, even though this is what you need to do to feel better.

Try and fill up on quality proteins with slow release carbohydrates to keep sickness at bay for longer and to help ease pregnancy fatigue.

2. Ginger is a great remedy for nausea and sickness. Try slicing fresh ginger root into a cup of hot water with a slice of lemon for and early morning cleanse and pick me up.

3. Homeopathic salts can work wonders for morning sickness but you'll need to see a qualified pharmacist to see which one is right for your symptoms.

4. Exercise is great for morning sickness as it diverts blood flow away from your stomach, so try a quick 10 minute workout.

5. Get some rest - fatigue and overtiredness are enough to make you feel sick when you're not pregnant so imagine what it does to you when you are! Take a 20 minute catnap around the time of day your nausea usually appears.

And if nothing works for you, at least you can be thankful that you have a brainy baby on the way!

For more useful resources you can use to help you stay fit and healthy through your pregnancy join my Pregnancy Community

Top 5 Pregnancy Superfoods

This last week has been a bit of a nightmare for me. River has not been himself and has been constantly upset, refusing to eat and getting up every 2 hours at night then refusing to go back to sleep! As a result, my nutrition has gone a bit haywire - I'm not eating badly, (I'm still on elimination), but rather I'm hardly eating at all as I just haven't had time!

Which got me to thinking, we all know how important it is to eat a nutritionally supportive diet through pregnancy and beyond, but sometimes this is easier said than done!

Thinking back to my pregnancy, I had my fair share of morning sickness in the first trimester and then heartburn and sickness in the last trimester. Not only that but I found as my bump started to get big, I had no room for food - I would be full after just a few mouthfuls as the baby had taken over my body! So to make sure I was getting all the vital nutrients that I needed for both River's development and my glowing health, I would try and make the most of the food I did manage to eat.

So this week I have tried to do the same thing and I made sure my meals included my Top 5 Pregnancy Superfoods!

1. Leafy Greens - High in Folic Acid, these alternatives to the limp old lettuce leaf will give both you and your baby a spring in your step! Folic acid is essential for the prevention of neural tube defects and spina bifida.

Leafy Greens are also great sources of calcium, magnesium and iron - all essential for baby's healthy development!

Dress them with ginger, coriander, lime juice, garlic and chilli to add a fresh and fragrant taste that will also work wonders for morning sickness!

2. Berries - Bursting with nutrients for you and your little one, berries are bountiful of antioxidants, fibre, vitamin C and folates. Have them with natural live yoghurt and organic wheat free muesli for a Pregnancy brekkie that packs a punch!

3. Oily Fish - Omega 3 is essential for your baby's neurological development and the only way your baby can access this fatty acid is through your diet. Omega 3 is rich in DHA which your baby needs to form his brain and eye tissue. However, mercury can also be present in some oily fish so avoid tuna, shark, swordfish, tilefish and shellfish.

Try and go for 2-3 portions of salmon, herring, sardines or mackerel every week.

4. Natural Live Yoghurt - Rich in calcium and good bacteria which help aid digestion. The friendly bacteria in live yoghurt restore the healthy balance in your bowel and intestine and also prevent outbreaks of thrush or candida.

Try using it as a basis for a breakfast smoothie, or layered with strawberries, mint and agave syrup for a decadent dessert!

5. Eggs - My favourite pregnancy superfood! (and they are great for new mums who have zero time to prepare nutritious lunchtime meals!:0) )

Protein is the building blocks of life and eggs are one of the best sources of a complete protein. They are also packed with vitamin D, vitamin A and B12 (folic acid).

Scrambled eggs with salmon and chives on wheat free toast makes a great Sunday brunch!

(Eggs in pregnancy should be cooked through properly to avoid any risk of food poisoning)

What about you? What are your favourite shortcuts to a healthy pregnancy diet? Any suggestions would be gladly received by a time-starved new mum!

For more tips on pregnancy nutrition and what NOT to eat visit my free community at The 9 Month Club