Hello guys! I am back after an almost-two-month hiatus! I’d like to talk to you about some pregnancy travel must-have’s. But first, a little bit of life update. While there really is no excuse in abandoning my baby blog, there were a few things happening in August/July that took the better half of my mental capacity.

• I started and finished an online class on Child Development through our local community college.
• The husband and I traveled to Hamburg, Germany for my cousin’s wedding ceremony for a week and spent a lot of time with families from all over the world.

• Earlier this month, I finished doing a maternity shoot with my trusted photographer friend Natalie (NatalieAlvarado.com) it was a ton of fun! Stay tuned for the photos later <3 but here are some low-resolution sneak peaks!

• Last weekend, we just wrapped up our baby shower with our dear friends (35 adults and 12 kids and 3 infants lol) and had a blast. I’m very proud of coming up with the idea of hiring a florist (Flowers A La Carte in this case) to have a flower arrangement workshop as my party favor!

Now, I am back today with a new post! In view of our recent trip to Hamburg, Germany, I learned of many hacks (some through painful lessons) that make a pregnant woman’s travel much more comfortable & easier.  That’s what I’d like to talk about today:

6 Pregnancy Travel Must-Have’s for Flying

1. Compression Socks ($15.98 via Amazon)

This is a common and self-explanatory tip. Get them anywhere you can, just not last minute at the airport because they’re always a rip-off at the airport. The reason behind wearing compression socks is to keep your pregnant lower limbs from accumulating so much fluid and from swelling. When you have a lot of swelling combined with long periods of inactivity, that’s when you risk for developing a DVT  (deep vein thrombosis) goes up.

2. Resistance Bands ($25.97 via Amazon)

If you read up online, you will find that it’s commonly recommended that you get up and walk around when you board a flight. Really, you should do that from prolonged periods of sitting, regardless of whether you’re on a flight. But space is limited when you are in flight, and that’s why the resistance bands come in super handy! To get some exercise (especially leg and quad exercise), you simply have to pop one of these on. In the discreet comfort of your own seat, you can get some leg exercise in without troubling your fellow passengers!

3. Babymoov Pregnancy Belt ($30.75  via Amazon)

This is maybe the SINGLE MOST LIFE-CHANGING pregnancy product I’ve purchased so far. It’s my most recommended pregnancy travel must-have. After about 28/29 weeks, I haven’t been able to live without it (outside of flying too). But when we went to Hamburg, I found this belt to make all the difference when I was trying to get comfortable in flight. What it does it make you ROUND around the middle of your torso so that it’s easier for you to lean against any surface. We had the luxury and privilege to board the flight in business class this time (thank you, United points!) and to my surprise, I still needed the Babymoov belt and was not comfortable without it. Now in my 33 weeks, I cannot sleep without this belt around my waist, and I have been able to do without a pregnancy pillow which is much bulkier and harder to store post-pregnancy!

4. Evian Mineral Water Spray ($12.75 for two via Amazon)  (1.7 oz, TSA compliant)

This water spray serves two functions, one more obvious than the other. It helps with moisturizing your skin during the ever-so-drying cabin air (and always works better in conjunction with lotion). But the pregnant body (at least mine) goes through these fluctuating temperatures… on our flight to Hamburg, I woke up multiple times feeling super hot, which never happened before I was pregnant. So the spray actually helped to cool my skin temperature down, and in turn, had an overall cooling effect.

5. Wired Headband (4 pack for $9.99 via Amazon) 

There’s no other time than during pregnancy that you need simple, easy-to-use, and quick methods to look put together. These wired headbands happen to be one of these shortcuts! I can totally see myself carrying this into my post-partum days. Basically, this is a way to keep your hair (esp. the pregnancy hormone induced little whispy hairs!) out of your face. It’s a little bit of a something that adds a bit glam to your ensemble. For me, I couldn’t wear my usual clothes anymore, so I needed new ways to add more glam to my looks.

6. Slippers/Sandals ($40 via ASOS)

Again, one of those no-brainers because you will probably not fit into anything else at this point. You lower limbs will also swell to some extent while you are in the air, due to the reduced gravity and cabin pressure change. Get comfortable shoes that you can slip in and out of easily. You will appreciate it so much… One additional thing is that if you expect a lot of walking on your trip like my Hamburg trip turned out to be (which I was not anticipating), get shoes with cushions. I didn’t, and I was OK the first day (we walked at least 10K steps around the city center in Hamburg). But on the second day, my lower back started to hurt and it was not fun…

7. Means of hydrating + access to snacks

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes around my 26th week of pregnancy. So on top of all the forbidden food and drinks for pregnant ladies, I’ve had to REALLY watch the type of food I consume. But even if you are lucky to have avoided GD, keeping yourself hydrated and fed is super critical during pregnancy. When traveling via flights during your pregnancy, I would definitely encourage you to pack granola bars, protein bars, dried fruits, anything that are small and compact and can provide some quick calories. And of course, bring a water bottle. Many airports are equipped with water fountain these days, so you don’t have to worry about buying water or finishing it quickly before passing through security.

Make sure you do before departing for your trip:

• Check your airline’s policy and limitation on when you may not be able to travel with them anymore
• Obtain a doctor’s note, depending on the stage of your pregnancy
• Check to make sure there are no on-going epidemic like Zika
• Get an aisle seat, if possible.