BABYMOON

Babymoon! Last week I was fortunate enough to visit the Riu Palace Punta Cana with my boyfriend, my two brothers and my parents. It was a very lovely much needed vacation, and although Chad and I were not completely alone we still had an amazing time with my family. Taking a bit of a break away from the stresses and turmoils of day-to-day life is something I would recommend to anyone who can take advantage of the opportunity to do so. I did have to take a few extra precautions since I was traveling so late in my pregnancy, but nothing was a hassle and I loved every second of being away.

There are a few guidelines to keep in mind when travelling while pregnant. Firstly getting clearance not only from my doctor but also from the airline and travel insurance company were most important. Generally with a safe pregnancy, I have read that you can travel up to 34 weeks. My travel insurance only covers pregnant women up until 31 weeks, and the airline will only let pregnant women fly if they are under 32 weeks, so these are good rough guidelines for anyone planning a babymoon.

Once I had all of that figured out, it was time to get into the planning and packing stage. First things first, the flight. Some of my tips for flying while pregnant:

1 . Stand up and walk around as much as possible when permitted. This will help keep your blood flowing, stop any muscles from becoming achy and prevent any blood clots that could form due to sitting in the same spot for a long time. Moving around in your seat is also a really good idea.. flexing your feet, elevating your legs, lifting you knees, and

2. Stay hydrated, for the same reason as number 1, you don't want any blood clots. Flying is also very drying so you could get dry lips and skin from dehydrating. Continuously drinking water will keep you hydrated as well as keep you moving back and forth from the bathroom. Two birds one stone.

3. Compression socks are not only good items to have during any regular pregnancy but especially for flights as they help keep your blood circulating as well, preventing swollen limbs from occurring.

A few other little things I like to take to make any flight more enjoyable: lip balm, neck pillow, warm socks, moisturizer, granola bars, gum, and a book.

Now for the fun part.. being on vacation. Unfortunately for me I could not bask in the all inclusive alcoholic beverages, but luckily I ate to my heart's content. Picking a place that had great reviews and a good reputation for fine food was probably my main concern when deciding on a destination. There are many things I can not do, so I really want to enjoy the things I am able to partake in.

Being a very, very fair skinned woman I always have to use extra caution when being in the sun, but especially now while pregnant. For starters, pregnancy can cause hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) in ways that aren't exactly flattering or desirable, especially on places like the face. Another aspect of the sun to stay weary of is that when the skin is stretched so tight it is already sensitive and thin enough.. this can cause a tan to turn into a burn with the blink of an eye. Staying on top of my sunscreen was of upmost importance. For my face I used Lancome's Sunscreen, and the L'Oreal dry oil spray for my body. I love how both of these super light products melt into the skin effortlessly, smell great, and don't leave me with that sticky or slick residue. Five stars for both in my opinion. I will always reapply after I go in the water or after about an hour of being in direct sunlight. For after-sun I like to use the Alba Botanica Lotion. It smells amazing and leaves my skin silky smooth, in preparation for some more sun exposure the following day. In case anything goes wrong, I will always bring some natural aloe vera gel with me, and in the unfortunate and unlikely occurrence I end up with a nasty burn I will bring some Lidocaine with me. Lidocaine is okay if used in very small amounts and as little as possible during pregnancy. If I am in dire need of it and need it once or twice, I will resort to using it.

My hair on vacation tends to be a bit of a lion mane/thick frizzy mess any time I leave the country. I have found two things are key, especially if swimming will be involved. For my hair, shampoo should be something clarifying but also moisturizing, so nothing too harsh that will strip my already sensitized hair. I like Fekkai's Marine Summer hair shampoo.. which so so sadly was a limited product but I am hoping they will relaunch it in the summer months again. For conditioner I like the L'Oreal Oleo Therapy Recovery Mask as it completely nourishes my hair and nothing leaves my very frizzy and uncontrollable hair soft and silky like this does. For styling I have either two looks.. beachy waves or pin straight. For the waves I will let my hair air dry and spray some Fekkai Marine Hair "Beach Waves" mist into it (which also has been discontinued but I believe replaced with a new Soleil Beach waves tousling spray) and just let nature take it's course. If I want my hair to be super sleek, then I like to add quite a few pumps of Garnier's Marvelous Oil in Frizz Defy into my hair before blow drying it, concentrating on adding it mostly to my ends, and then finishing it off with a little on my hands after straightening it. Any other hair style is pretty much a waste of my time as I will walk out of the bathroom and end up looking like a mess in no time at all.

For some extra protection I always bring a hat with me, either baseball cap or sun hat depending on the type of activity I'll be doing, and sometimes a silky scarf I can wrap around my head for a little bohemian twist. Sandals, both for the beach and for walking around the resort usually are enough but sometimes I will bring some nice wedges with me for dinner. The rest is pretty straightforward: sunglasses, light summer dresses, a pair of shorts or two, some really loose flowing long shirts to sleep in. A less-popular item I like to have is a sample size perfume so I don't have to bring my full size perfumes and risk something happening to them.

After having made a full checklist on my phone, I was finally ready to go! For me, planning is everything. I am one of those high-stress, highly anxious people so if I lose something or cannot find it I might lose my mind. Planning ahead ensures I never have to go through the chaos that is me when I have misplaced something I need. Vacationing is a lovely way to spend uninterrupted time with those you love most and get to make memories you will cherish for many long years. Although I am beyond excited to see my beautiful bundle of joy in a few weeks, I am forever grateful for the little piece of heaven I got to share with my wonderful family and boyfriend.

Nine more weeks to go!

xo