Sexy Spicy Passion, in Pregnancy!

Sex during pregnancy is an adventure unlike any other. Once you get the exciting news you quickly began a transformation that takes you on a wild roller coaster ride. The ups & downs, formerly reserved for the bedroom are now your emotions, weight and appetite. While going through your physical metamorphosis your emotional state can be unsteady as well. Once you began to feel the emotional and physical strain of pregnancy, you may experience feelings of doubt. Many women began to feel unattractive or undesirable. The physical symptoms, such as morning sickness, aching back pain and swollen feet will put the brakes on sex quick fast and in a hurry! Everyone may not be impacted in this way during pregnancy. Some women's hormones have the opposite effect and the bedroom is hotter than ever! And many couples feel sexually liberated without the worry of birth control. But for those who are in need, here are some tips on maintaining Passion in Pregnancy!

1. Stay Connected During Pregnancy
Women go through a wide range of hormonal changes during pregnancy and, for some lucky couples, this can actually cause their sex lives to become even hotter. However, this isn’t always the case with everyone; many find the fluctuation in hormones create a negative effect on their intimate life. That’s why it’s so important that even before these changes begin to take place you and your partner commit to communicating openly throughout the pregnancy. The key is to be honest with one another from the very start. Couples often expect one another to be clairvoyant, yet the truth is we’re not mind-readers, and during times of transition like these it’s even more vital that you open up about everything you are feeling. It may help to pick out books for your husband to read that will help him to share in the experiences you may be going through. Going through such physical, emotional and mental changes, pregnant women need added support during this time. By focusing on keeping an intimate connection, you are ensuring that you will have the kind of support you need and deserve.

2. Don’t Fear Sex

There are many different issues that can arise during pregnancy and every woman’s circumstances are different; with that being said, you should always check with your health care provider to find out what is safe for you. Once you get the "green light," it’s important to trust your doctor and not let fears or myths stop you from having a healthy and enjoyable sex life throughout your pregnancy! Also, try Kegeling (naturally tightening and relaxing the muscles, which form part of the pelvic wall regularly); the exercise has many wonderful benefits that:* Help you to be more orgasmic* Enhance sexual enjoyment for both partners* Prevent prolepses of pelvic organs* Condition muscles making birth easier, and help prevent tears and episiotomies* Help prevent leaking urine when you sneeze or cough. For more on how to conduct Kegel exercises, read "Kegel-size."

3. Explore Other Intimate Activities

If you’re not feeling well, let your partner know and be open to exploring other forms of intimacy to maintain that connection. There are so many ways to be intimate with your partner outside of just making love. Read a book together, cuddle during a romantic movie or let him massage and rub your feet—especially when they tend to be swollen from the pregnancy.

4. Get in the Mood

Morning sickness or nausea is often a phase of your first trimester, which will eventually pass. If you are not feeling well, it’s important that your partner is understanding and patient with you. However, if you are feeling well, it’s imperative to make time for intimacy even if you're not "in the mood." With the exception of a health reason specified by your doctor, you should make an effort to be intimate and be careful not to rely on the pregnancy as an excuse to put off spending romantic time with your spouse. Sometimes, women find that they may not be in the mood initially, but if they make time and go with the flow they find they are really enjoying themselves in the process.

5. Be Expressive

A pregnancy is a major life change not just for women, but also for men. There are many reasons that men can become distant or lack desire to have sex—some include fear that they will hurt the baby in some way, or even deeper psychological issues such as the fear they won’t be a good father or won’t be able to handle their new responsibilities. Needless to say, these types of stresses don’t bode well for the kind of relaxed environment that is conducive to an enjoyable intimate experience. Communicate to find out what may be troubling him; a little reassurance can go a long way!

6. Open the Doors of Communication
This is worth repeating! It is vitally important to communicate and set boundaries from the very beginning of what you expect. From the second you realize you are pregnant, you should be talking with one another and emphasizing how important it is to maintain intimacy throughout the first, second and third trimesters—all the way until the baby is born and beyond!

7. Nurture Your Relationship

Make sure that you are not just talking about the baby all of the time. You and your partner have a relationship that is separate from the relationship you will have relative to your child and you need to make sure that you nurture that as well! Establishing the distinction and creating boundaries early could go a long way. By Patty Brisben. Edited by Spicy Wifey.

Patty Brisben, is the CEO and Founder of Pure Romance www.pureromance.com. For more than two decades, Patty has been educating and empowering women all over the country about sexual health and relationship enhancement. Today, Patty speaks, lectures and writes about a wide range of issues. Drawing from extensive research in the industry and using her warm and engaging personality, Patty has become a noted expert in the fields of intimacy and relationships. Patty has been quoted in several magazines including Self, Women's Health, Glamour, Redbook, Men's Health, Details, US Weekly, In Touch and Life & Style.

Tasty Recipes! Italian Theme

These are the recipes featured in our Tasty Session! The Life Chef, Asata Reid customized a series of healty & delicious recipes for Spicy Wifey! More tasty sessions coming soon! For more recipes, valuable information about healthy eats or culinary questions, ask Asata! http://www.lifechef.net

Marinated Shrimp with Italian Vegetables
This was intended to be made onto skewers for the grill, however, if weather doesn't permit, it makes a quick and tasty saute dish as well!

1 1/2 lb Georgia Gulf Coast shrimp, peeled and deveined
Newman's Own Family Style Italian dressing

1 red bell pepper, cut into 2" squares1 green bell pepper, cut into 2 " squares

1 fennel bulb, cut into 2" squares (not cubes)

zest from 1 lemon

juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup oregano leaves, bruised salt and pepper

Combine peppers, fennel, oregano and lemon zest in a non-reactive bowl. Cover w/ plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes to overnight.Place shrimp in a non-reactive bowl and add enough salad dressing to coat. Cover w/ plastic wrap and marinate 30 minutes. Build skewers by alternating red pepper, fennel, green pepper and shrimp, up to twice on each skewer. Season with salt and pepper. Heat grill to medium-high heat and carefully coat with an oiled cloth or paper towel .Once hot, place skewers on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the shrimp are pink and firm. Drizzle lemon juice over each skewer, remove from grill and serve. Alternatively, heat 2 Tbsp of oil in two large saute pans over medium high heat. Once hot, add the vegetables (including oregano and lemon zest) and cook about 4 minutes or until they start to become tender. Add the shrimp, discard the marinade, season with salt and pepper and cook another 6-8 minutes turning the shrimp once. Squeeze lemon juice into both pans, remove from heat and serve.

Aruglula Strawberries Almonds with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

For vinaigrette:

2 oz chevre (goat cheese)

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

minced1 tsp garlic powder salt and pepper water

For salad:

6 oz arugula

1 pint strawberries

sliced1/2 cup toasted almonds crushed into pieces

In a large bowl combine the Chevre olive oil, herbs and spices with a fork until pasty. Thin with a tablespoon of water at a time until the consistency of a creamy dressing. Add the salad ingredients to the dressing and toss, coating thoroughly. Season one last time with a pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.Using tongs, pile the salad onto individual plates for serving.

Spicy Broccoli Scampi with Broken Noodles

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1Tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic

½ yellow onion

2 Tbsp oregano leaves

chopped2 Tbsp parsley leaves

chopped1 lb broccoli crown cut into finger-length stalks

½ cup white wine

1 tsp red pepper flakes

8 oz uncooked Ancient Harvest Quinoa linguine

salt and black pepper

Break pasta into 2” pieces. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (about 6 minutes). Rinse and set aside.Meanwhile heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet or saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in oregano and parsley and add the broccoli in a single layer. Season with red pepper flake, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, tossing the pan or turning the broccoli once. Increase heat to high, carefully pour in the wine and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and the broccoli is tender and bright green. (You may need to cover the pan with a lid for 3-5 minutes if the broccoli is large or the pan is crowded). Toss in the broken pasta and serve immediately on a large platter garnished with shaved Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Hot Homework - Make a Love List!

Its Thursday...so it's time for our weekly homework assignment!

If you want to be better in bed, Dr. Laura says, you need to do your homework!

Dr. Laura is the director of the Berman Center in Chicago, a specialized healthcare facility for women and couples where she provides general and sexual therapy. She is also an assistant clinical professor of OB-GYN and psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Dr. Berman has been working as a sex educator, researcher and therapist for 20 years. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling book Real Sex for Real Women. (featured on Oprah)

This Week: Sometimes jealously and insecurities can creep into a relationship and create a lot of problems in the bedroom.This week, write down five things you love about your partner and have him do the same. Sit down and share your love lists with each other—you will find that jealously and insecurities will fade!

This Weekend: If you really want to create some sexual chemistry in the bedroom, make a fantasy box! Talk to your partner about sexual fantasies you both find intriguing, and write down a few on slips of paper. Put the papers into a shoe box and keep the box in the bedroom. Whenever you feel like your sex life needs a boost, select a slip of paper from the box and act your fantasy out.

SPICY WIFEY LAUNCH PARTY VIDEO

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