Traveling while Pregnant

I love traveling. Flying to different destinations was
something we did several times a year growing up. With 30 years of experience
under my belt, I consider myself a savvy traveler. However, with constant changes
in security rules & regulations and now the added factor of pregnancy, I’ve
really had to up my game. Packing and flying for our babymoon
at 6 months pregnant brought on some new challenges. I’ve learned that being
prepared and starting ahead of time can make all the difference. Here are some
of my must have travel tips.

NOTE: As I wrote this, it became a mini novel so I’m breaking this
post up into three parts. Part 1 is how I prep for a flight. Part 2 will be my
Carry On & Travel Must Haves and Part 3 is some overall travel tips I’ve
learned throughout the years.

How I prep for a flight:

Prepping for a trip is stressful. There’s a lot to keep in
mind and get done in time for the flight. Add on that being pregnant and only
having a few hours of energy a day and it’s even harder. So this trip I really
tried to break up my to-do list so I was only tackling a few tasks per day.

A Few Weeks Out:

Travel Wardrobe.
In the past, I’d go on a shopping spree purchasing some cute new outfits for an
upcoming trip. But between my attempts at minimalism and trying to live more on
a budget with a baby on the way it’s important to me to use what I have. Make
sure you pick out the clothes you want a few weeks out (2-3 weeks I would say)
so that if you do need to purchase any items you have enough time to find them
in store or if your pregnant, order online.

I was surprised with how many sun dresses, athletic clothes
and maxi dress I already had that still looked fit for maternity.

I did discover that I was going to need to go up a size in
all my swimsuits. And thank goodness I 1) tried them on and 2) gave myself
enough time to order from a few stores & have them come in a week later
with free shipping, and then picked the few that worked best. If I had tried
them on the night before our trip or not at all I would have been out of luck
our first morning in Maui.

I ordered some suits from Athletica for the first time and
am really happy with them (will share in an upcoming post). They were more sporty for Maui, I know we’ll want to
do some easy hikes to waterfalls, possibly sailing and snorkeling as well. I
also wanted a suit that gave me a little more coverage with high-quality
material. These were cute while still fully covering all my growing bits.

I also ordered some new sandals, mine were years old and
falling apart, a super cute sun hat and some swimsuit coverups. I bought all of
those off amazon. Each item was $20 or under, came within 2 days with free
prime shipping & free returns. Done & Done.

Research where you’re going: If you didn’t do this when you booked the trip, I reach out on
social media asking if anyone has traveled to the place we are visiting and if
they have any recommends. I’ll ask people to send me their full itinerary if
they have it. The internet is a great tool, but for travel it can be
overwhelming for me with all the options. Having a few friends recommends helps
narrow down my options. I also use Yelp to help pick vendors.

My ultimate travel pet peeve is getting somewhere and
wasting you day trying to figure out what to do that day. For this babymoon, we
haven’t booked anything except the rental car & maternity photographer
(!!!!) because I don’t know how I’ll feel. But we have a specific list of
restaurants, luau options, waterfall & beach locations, sailing &
snorkeling vendors, & spa menu that we can easily pick from each day.

A Few Days Before:

– Organic Gel Mani & Pedi, Wax, Brows. Maybe not a
necessity for you, but definitely a necessity for me. It’s you’re babymoon,
pamper yourself! And you can let your husband know it’s cheaper to get it done
at your local hole in the wall then the hotel spa…

– Put mail on hold. You can easily put your mail on hold for
free at USPS.com

– Laundry – Wash any clothes you plan on packing to get ahead of all that laundry. Less chance of forgetting something this way as well.

Day Before:

– Snacks – As a prego, I can go from fine to hangry in seconds.
Also, airplane food  & ordering
everything out when traveling can get expensive. I usually stock up at Trader
Joes the day before my flight on protein bars, dried fruit & nuts.

– Organic Spray Tan
& Eyelash extensions. For me, a must have. Between the tan and lashes
you roll out of bed feeling fabulous with no need to put on makeup. You  can find a groupon or living social deal to help
with cost. Just make sure to check the yelp reviews before booking to make sure
it’s a reputable place!

Night Before:

– Charge all electronics (lap top, ipad, camera batteries & backups, go pro,
etc)

– Back up your phone and photos – I’ve lost one too many cell phones while traveling…
I’ll have to write another post on bags to pack so your phones don’t fall out
so easily…. :/

– Lay out toiletries you’ll want to pack on the
bathroom counter so you don’t forget anything. Pack up as soon as you’re
finished using the day of your flight.

–  Pack meds in a weekly travel container and put
in carry on bag. Necessary for a prego who needs to be taking prenatals and any
other meds during pregnancy. The travel container is much more space efficient
than packing all your individual medicine bottles. Make sure to put in your carry on bag
the night before so there’s no risk of forgetting your meds.

– Clean out the Fridge- Clean all dishes in sink, wipe down
all counter tops (kitchen, bathroom), sweep/vacuum house. Nothing kills a relaxed
vacation vibe like coming home to a house that is a disaster. I’m going to
level with you, I didn’t accomplish as much cleaning as I would have liked this
time around at 6mo pregnant. But the bed is made and there won’t be anything
rotting in the kitchen when I get home so I’ll consider that a win.

Morning Of:  

– Empty Kitchen Trash

–  Don’t forget to grab those charging electronics!

– If you are renting a car, don’t forget to pack
your car cell charger.

Ok, so do you think i’m totally neurotic yet? My ultimate dream is to have a laminated packing list for things like “beach day,” & “vacation” so we won’t forget anything when traveling with a little one. Ahhhh, #TravelGoals