Here are just a few travel tips for the pregnant mamas out there! I learned several of these the hard way during my trip home from Indiana and I am here to save you the trouble! 

Leaving on a Jet Plane... 

Most of these tips are derived from my flight from Indiana to Washington or I looked them up for my trip. They would probably be worth consideration on those agonizingly long car rides! 

First nugget of knowledge... Time that trip ladies! OB-GYNs tend to suggest that us pregnant ladies fly between 20-30 weeks. This gives us a window where we are hopefully over the nasty nausea phase and we still have enough energy to endure traveling. However... if you don't like that information, definitely try to avoid cutting it too close and flying after 36 to 38 weeks. Some airlines will even require a note from your doc if you are within the 30 day window to deliver! 

Second Nugget! Stay hydrated and bring healthy snacks. You will get really thirsty flying along at altitude. I couldn't get enough of those tiny cups of water they bring you on the flight. And, according to the American Pregnancy Association, we should be drinking 8-12 glasses of water daily anyhow. As for those healthy snacks... we all know the little pretzels and such are great but you may want to avoid the saltier snacks as they aid in the retention of fluids... AND then you get ankles the size of your calves... not a fun day. 

Third Nug! Pick that seat for your benefit! I learned this the hard way for sure... inside seats are not your friend! I wish that I would have planned my flights better but instead I was left having to ask people if they would please move so my pregnant self could pee. Spare them and yourself...shop on the aisle for those seats! Another reason to spare your seatmate is that it is beneficial in the fight against fluid retention to get up every hour or so to get the juices flowing. This is also beneficial to us because we are at a higher risk for blood clots, so seating for long periods could mean big trouble for us!

And for my last gem of advice...  take it easy! Don't do all of the heavy lifting. I know that some of us tend to over pack ( hand raised over here!) and then we are stubborn and don't need assistance. BUT for your sake and the little bump's, don't be ashamed to ask for help or to let people do their jobs! If you need to take a break, take one! No one is timing how fast you make it from one gate to the other!