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Judge: WNBA’s Brittney Griner must Pay $40K annaully Child Support for Ex-Wife’s Twins

Posted on April 26, 2016

The latest saga in the Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson rocky relationship has come down to a judge in Arizona ordering Griner, the six-foot eighth three-time all star WNBA player, to pay $40,000 a year in child support to raise Johnson’s twins.

This news is according to court documents that gossip site Bossip got its hands on.

If you recall from our reporting on these two last year, they got engaged following a violent fight in April 2015 with one another which ended with the police being called. They then reconciled, and married the next month in May and, according to Johnson and Instagram, decided to conceive children with the help of artificial insemination.

“It has always been a dream of mine to start a family with someone I love,” Johnson-Griner said in a statement provided the Shock. “Being a professional athlete that plays year round, there is never a perfect time to get pregnant without putting my career on hold. The entire process, from learning our fertility options, to making sacrifices necessary nine months before the child is born, is merely preparing me to become a great wife and an even better mother.”

A few weeks into the pregnancy, they were on the outs again…for good this time and Griner filed for an annulment and alleged to a court that she knew nothing of the pregnancy and was never part of plans to make babies.

Instagram photo Griner posted resting her head on Johnson’s pregnant belly

Sorry, Griner, but the photos look quite suspicious and perhaps is why the judge in Maricopa County decided that she has to fork over part of her $1.3 million annual salary (mainly from endorsements and other projects, and only $100,000 from her salary from Phoenix Mercury) That money will go to support the babies.

Johnson argued to the judge that she relies on relatives to take care of her babies during the season and needs help paying them. The judge agreed, noting that the cost would decrease as the kids got older and required less cost to raise.

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10 Must-See Tips Before you Have That DIY Newborn Photography Shoot

Posted on April 26, 2016

Photographing a newborn can be challeging for professionals, and even more daunting for parents or amateurs. It doesn’t have to be if you do some advance prep and get some advice from the experts. Dreamstime Professional Photographer Barbara Helgason offers these 10 must-see tips:

1. Safety first. This should go without saying. Babies have a startle reflex and their strong little legs can do a froggy kick and propel them forward. Always, always, have mom sitting right next to baby within arm’s reach.

2. Young babies are sleepy babies and sleepy babies make the best little models. Try to photograph them as young as possible, usually between 7 and 10 days old. As they get a little older they start becoming a bit more awake and alert. Also many newborns develop newborn acne around two weeks of age, so that is another reason to plan your sessions as early as possible.

3. Warm babies are sleepy babies, and do we love sleepy babies. Crank up the heat a couple of hours before a newborn session. It should be uncomfortably warm in the room so baby can rest well.

4. Hungry babies are not happy and they are definitely not sleepy. Babies should have a full tummy and to be prepared to feed, a lot if needed. Ideally we want baby to feel the way we do after a big turkey dinner.

5. All babies love white noise. You can also get womb sounds online. Those a bit more soothing. You can play them on your phone and tuck

it under the blanket behind baby’s head. If you do use your phone, don’t forget to put it into the do not disturb mode. For a really fussy baby

shushing in his or her ear will also work wonders.

6. Patience, patience patience. Newborn sessions should absolutely not be rushed. Getting those cute little poses takes time. Hold their little arms

and legs gently in the position you want until you can sense they’ve settled into a deep sleep. Pay attention to detail. Take the time to open those

tight little fists and uncurl each of their tiny fingers. Rub the frowns out of their little foreheads. Gently tug their cheeks and if you’re lucky they

may even give you a little smile.

7. Invest in the right props. Bean bags, thick plush and textured blankets, knitted hats, head bands, and wraps and diaper covers are great investments. Also, a basket of washcloths in various shapes and sizes are great to slide in under the blanket, to help position baby. These can be tucked under to tilt baby’s face just so, to lift their bottoms a bit more, etc etc.

8. Don’t forget to zoom in and get close ups of their eyelashes, little fingers and little toes. And if baby is crying, keep it real and capture

those tears as well.

9. Don’t shoot up the babies nose. It’s the one angle that’s never ever attractive.

10. And last but definitely not least is lighting. Really, if you don’t have good lighting, none of they above tips will matter at all. Placing your beanbag next to large bright window. Look for soft shadows and learn to see the light. Photography is always about the light. You may have the most

expensive camera and the best and fastest lenses, but if you don’t have the right lighting, you will not get a single good image.

We hope these tips help! Good Luck, Parents!

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Plus Size Model Phenom Tess Holliday Continues to Pose Beautifully while Waiting for her Second Child to Arrive

Posted on April 26, 2016

Plus size model Tess Holliday is 34 weeks preggers and still modeling.

The international phenom who made headlines as the first model size 22 to land a modeling contract with a major modeling agency is also fighting back against body shamers.

Last week, the Milk Model Management talent posted a bare bump photo on Instagram in defiance and response to Internet trolls who have been leaving negative comments on her photos and questioning whether her baby will be healthy. One person said she looked as if she is having quadruplets because of her body size.

“#33weeks #babyhollidayontheway” she captioned the photo. She added, “having another baby has been a beautiful process and at times, frustrating. As I enter my eighth month, my body overall looks the same other than my belly and I’m okay with that.”

However, she went on to say that it is ‘not cool’ that she has had to learn to be okay with the fact that people still think it’s okay to comment on her body.

“When ‘celebrities’ are pregnant in the press, they look glamorous, toned & are eager to talk about how they are going to get the baby weight off,” she wrote about the fallacy of the perfect pregnancy. “While I’ve done my best to look as put together as possible, that’s not real life, & it’s not for most women. I’m not the first plus size woman in the public eye to have a baby & share it with the world, & I certainly won’t be the last. However I’m part of a small minority that’s telling you it’s okay to not have a perfect baby bump, or not show at all, to be plus size & have a healthy child, & most importantly to find a care provider that doesn’t shame you about your size.”

And the shamers aren’t keeping her way from promoting on social media. This past Saturday, April 23, she posted a photo of herself modeling a black knit Forever 21 plus-size collection dress dress while leaning against a blue brick wall in Long Beach, California.

“Baby bump’n,” she captioned that image.

Tess has a 10-year old son from a previous relationship named Rylee. This is her first child with fiance Nick Holliday.

She is getting ready to launch her own clothing line, Fringe. Busy Busy, mama! Love it!

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Listen, Maternity Leave is Not Vacation, Okay?

Posted on April 25, 2016

There is a common mistake for people to refer to the time women get off to care for their newborn as “vacation”. It. is. not. Farthest thing from it. Between lack of sleep, nursing and changing diapers and dealing with engorged breasts, recovering from surgery if one had a c-section, a possible tear, incision, epistemology, hemorrhoids, managing baby blues or possible post partum depression, gas or some other discomfort from having birthed a child. It is not a vacation.

Kayla Vashti explores more on how wrong anyone calling maternity leave a vacation in

Stop Calling Maternity Leave a Vacation

by Kayla Vashti at Mode

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Prince Was a Father-to Be Twice, Lost Live Born son to Rare Disease

Posted on April 25, 2016

The death of a child can put a strain on most relationships and marriages and perhaps was the root of Mayte Garcia and the late Prince Rogers Nelson’s split in the 1990s.

The teen dancer-turned first wife of the pop icon who died last Thursday, April 21 told People magazine upon hearing the news of the death that he is “with our son now.”

The couple married in 1996 when she was 22 and he was 37 and a year later welcomed a son they named Boy Gregory. Sadly, the newborn passed away a week later from a rare birth defect called Pfeiffer Syndrome. Garcia later suffered a miscarriage after that loss.

The two divorced in 2000, shortly after the loss of their expected children and reports indicate that impending strife over the loss led to the demise of their marriage.

In a statement to PEOPLE magazine after Prince’s death, Garcia, who appeared on the VH1 reality TV show Hollywood Exes, said, “I can’t even think of the words of what I’m feeling. This man was my everything, we had a family. I am beyond deeply saddened and devastated.”

“To lose two babies is really scary… it really caught on me emotionally, physically, everything. It took me at least 15 years to get over it and still, to this day, I miss my son. I believe a child dying between a couple either makes you stronger or it doesn’t. For me, it was very, very hard to move forward and for us as a couple I think it probably broke us,” she said in an interview in 2012.

Prince later married our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alum Manuela Testolini in 2001 before divorcing five years later in 2006. Testolini has two children with Halle Berry’s ex-husband singer-songwriter Eric Benet.

This photo from our feature on her was one of our most pinned images on Pinterest ever.

photo: Getty, Instagram

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We’ve Got Fab Maternity Looks for Every Trimester to Check Out

Posted on April 24, 2016

Are you a fashionista who recently discovered you’re preggers and are looking for style tips for having a hip and stylish pregnancy? Well, if so, I highly recommend you get some inspiration from DIY Lifestyle expert and co-host of The Fab Life’s Leah Ashley.

I did a style guide of the looks she wore from First Trimester to Last and it has gotten great traction on my Pinterest boards.

Here is a rewind of that post in case you missed it.

First above, a chunky cable knit sweater over slouchy sweatpants with a leopard scarf draped in an infinity loop around the neck is a great casual weekend look.

Overalls were in style for everyone for a couple of seasons now. That is perfect because traditionally that’s what pregnant women wore because there wasn’t much maternity options. Here, Ashley mixed denim, light denim shirt with stone washed overalls and accented with red slingbacks. Perfect. The statement necklace polishes off the look and is unexpected because it is so ornate compared to super cas denim.

This ensemble can only work during the first trimester when a mom-to-be hasn’t popped quite much yet, but still wants to conceal a growing bump under a fairly loose top. Pairing this black silk turtleneck with drawstring shorts does the trick. The gladiator boots adds some chic flavor.

Gingham is also a big pattern this year. And also great for hiding a bump in the early months are peplum tops. This top over denim skinny jeans are the money. Add red ballet slippers for cute outfit to wear child shopping or out and about during the weekend.

For more dressy functions or work, a comfy black dress works and wedges are perfect for getting some height but are less unstable as heels. A leather motorcycle jacket is a great outerwear topper. Bucket bags are perfect for carrying all your stuff.

My eyes immediately went to her heels. Oooh la la. It looks effortlessly stylish and polka dot with anything is classic. With Ashley’s short crop hair, it gives me a modern Audrey Hepburn feel. Love it!

This isn’t a complete outfit but I like the idea of mixing patterns. Here, her gingham cropped pants worn with black and white pumps work so well together. Break the rules why don’t you?

There you go. Hope they inspired your maternity wardrobe for the next few months.

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Tatyana Ali Talks Pregnancy and Engagement While Promoting Latest TV Project

Posted on April 24, 2016

Tatyana Ali Talks Engagement and Pregnancy KTLA

Actress and first-time mom-to-be Tatyana Ali talked pregnancy and her wedding engagement while promoting her latest TV project during an appearance on Fox KTLA last week.

“I feel like it’s going so fast,” the Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum said about her pregnancy during the broadcast. “I have to take pictures of everything and record everything.”

When she announced the pregnancy, the singer also shared news that she is engaged to Dr. Vaughn Rasberry, a professor she met in an online dating site and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. The wedding is planned for this Summer and baby is due this Fall.

About planning the wedding in a short amount of time, she said, “It’s going along well…same chaos that everyone else experiences. I thought, ‘Oh we don’t need a year. It’ll be fine.’ There are so many things to do.”

You can catch Ali during the airing of TVOne movie Second Sight she a where she portrays an unknowing clairvoyant school teacher who gets haunting premonitions that one of her students will be abducted.

“She feels like she’s losing her mind. Everyone around her thinks she’s crazy,” Ali said. “I love the story because it’s really about a woman learning to trust herself, and her instincts, and to fight for what she knows is really going on.”

Second Sight aired of TVOne yesterday Saturday night at 8ET/5PST but will repeat. Check your local listings for when it comes on again.

Listen to the end and you’ll hear one of the broadcasters refer to her as “Ashley Banks” , the character she is best known for portraying on that 90s show with Will Smith.

h/t Black Celeb Kids

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REPORT: Tween Suicide Rate has Rippled since 1999

Posted on April 24, 2016

The National Center for Health Statistics released an alarming study about Suicide on Friday which revealed that the rate among girls ages 10 to 14 has tripled since 1999.

The number of girls who killed themselves rose to 150 in 2014 from 50 in 1999.

“This one certainly jumped out,” said Sally Curtin, a statistician at the center and an author of the report.

It’s starting but also to note that the suicide rate, generally, in the United States has surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years, in every age group except older adults.

Sadly, suicide is a problem for younger people in general.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it.

There really needs to be a comprehensive assessment as to why suicides have increased so much among tween girls.

We believe the advent of social media and its use as a tool for online bullying and the pressure for acceptance and “likes” may be determined to have something to do with it.

We’ll be on the look out for more data and research on this topic.

In the meantime, please visit Suicide Prevention Lifeline for clues or signs that someone you know is thinking of suicide. And if that person is you, please seek help and counseling.

Tomorrow is not promised to everyone, but it is a fact that there will be brighter days ahead and you need to live to see them.

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Here are 10 Reasons to consider Hypnobirthing

Posted on April 23, 2016

Bellyitch Rewind

In the May 15, 2013 Vogue India edition, Beyonce describes her delivery of daughter Blue Ivy last January 2012 using words that sounds as if she used Hypnobirthing techniques.

“I had a very strong connection with my child,” she revealed. ” I felt like when I was having contractions, I envisioned my child pushing through a very heavy door. And I imagined this tiny infant doing all the work, so I couldn’t think about my own pain… We were talking. I know it sounds crazy, but I felt a communication.”

If you are expecting around this Mother’s Day and haven’t yet considered Hypnobirthing as an option, consider these tips from Las Vegas headliner and expert hypnotist Marc Savard and his wife, Joanna. The couple employed the method to deliver their three daughters all natural, drug-free and will again this August for baby number 4. Here are 10 reasons they provide for why you should consider using the hypnobirthing technique.

Shorter and more comfortable labor time. Pain comes from the perspective of fear, which creates constricting hormones and shallow breathing, causing pain. Women who practice hypnosis in preparation for childbirth learn comfortable relaxing breathing techniques, and replace fear perspective with expectations of a pleasant child birth, allowing endorphins, feel good hormones, to be released. This allows the mind and body to work together, allowing for a shorter and easier labor.
Pain free or significantly reduced pain during labor.Women who experience a hypnobirth have a different perspective of pain. Instead of feeling pain, women feel sensations such as tightening and pressure. The use of relaxing breathing techniques releases endorphins, which relaxes the body further and allows mothers to mindfully work with their bodies through delivery of their baby. Although hypnobirthing does not promise a pain-free childbirth, women who choose to do hypnobirth never report excruciating pain like most other forms of labor techniques.
Allows a deeper connection with your body and baby during labor. The use of drugs during childbirth disconnects mothers with their own body and their baby. With hypnobirth, there are no drugs needed, so mom is aware of every part of her body, to a super-conscious level. She can feel exactly what her body needs to do to ease the delivery of her baby. This allows the mother and her baby to experience a pleasant delivery and give a warm welcoming for baby into this world.
No need for medications for recovery time. Mothers who learn relaxation techniques and learn a new perspective of sensations in the body not only have no need for medications through recovery time, but also have a shorter recovery time.
Visualization and relaxation skills learned can help pr event complications and tearing.bThe use of the imagination and visualization during childbirth is extremely useful. When the mind creates an image, the body will naturally create an organic change. This tool allows mothers to work with their mind and body together to prevent tearing or even turn a breeched baby.
Less trauma to the baby during birth allows new baby to feed and sleep better. Babies who are born will less trauma from relaxed childbirth experiences are more relaxed babies themselves. This allows them to more easily bond with their parents, sleep better, feed better, and are all around less fussy babies.
Significantly reduced post-partum depression. Mothers who are more in touch with their mind and body through learning hypnosis techniques have shown greatly reduced post-partum depression. A peaceful childbirth released natural instincts from mother, as she is connected to her child from conception through birth. This gives her strength and clarity and strength when she must care for the child outside the womb.
No drugs in Mom’s body during labor or after means a healthier, happier baby. Babies who do not receive drugs through their mother’s blood stream during labor as more aware and connected to the world when they are born. These babies are much healthier by not being exposed to drugs and chemicals upon their arrival. This allows their immune system and nervous system to be stronger as it develops on its own. Healthier baby = happier baby!
Confidence and personal empowerment gained through delivery is priceless. Mothers who experience hypnobirths learn to be incredibly confident, empowered and in control of their own thoughts, emotions, and sensations. These tools are priceless not only for childbirth, but for being a mom, being a woman, and being a human.
Relaxation skills learned for hypnobirthing are great tools for being a Mom! Being a mother can be exhausting! The relaxation skills are incredible tools for staying calm when your little angel does something to frustrate you, or even when you have trouble falling asleep. Hypnosis teaches useful tools for life!

Hopefully these tips have convinced you to give it a try.

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Prince George Looked Adorably British While Meeting President Obama; Let the Memes Roll!

Posted on April 22, 2016

So you guys know how I am enamored with Prince George and think he is just the most adorable thing ever, right? I’m glad the world got to see why I adore this little munchkin so much when Kensington Palace released a photo of the 2-year old in his cute white bath robe shaking United States President Barack Obama‘s hand with dad Prince William nearby.

He had stayed up past his bedtime to the chance to greet our leader who is in the UK visiting, coincidentally during the week that the Queen turned 90!

He is making the rounds in social media and all the blogs! I foresee plenty meme in the future! ha!

I wholly anticipate the memes to start rolling out any second now.

photo: Kensington Palace

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