"I went to a festival while 30 weeks pregnant - I had a great time and will take my baby next year"
- 10 months ago
A mum to be has praised a festival for being "well-equipped" for pregnant woman - and says she hopes to take her baby along next year.
Vanessa Bland, 33, attended this year's Glastonbury while 30 weeks pregnant - and had a great time.
She and husband Simon, 36, had decided to see how the pregnancy developed before committing to going.
The couple decided to go for it, hiring a campervan which they filled with non-alcoholic beers and comfortable clothes before heading to Worthy Farm.
Vanessa, from Hebden Bridge, West Yorks., says she has no regrets - and is planning on taking her young child in 2024.
She said: "We had a few Glastonburys under our belt before doing this one pregnant - it was my fourth and my husband's ninth.
"I had braced myself to it being a different year but it wasn't too bad actually as we still enjoyed it.
"It was a different experience to be at the festival and be sober the whole time.
"Our plan is to get tickets again next year and take our little boy with us."
Tickets for Glastonbury 2023 were released in November last year - around the time Vanessa and Simon were trying for a baby.
She then told her husband they were expecting on Christmas Day.
The pair had bought tickets and decided they would wait and see how the pregnancy progressed before deciding whether to go or not.
Vanessa, a photography company director, said: "Luckily everything was fine and we decided to go.
"The biggest change we made this year was hiring a campervan for the week.
"We had never stayed in a campervan before, we usually camp in a tent but I didn't want to make my husband do two or three trips to the car by himself.
"Sleeping on an airbed even if it is raised is never ideal either.
"The campervan made it a lot nicer experience - I was more comfortable and a lot cooler."
The pair pitched up to Glastonbury on Tuesday, June 20.
Both are festival veterans - and said they had a good idea of what you need and what you don't.
Vanessa said: "Snacks for 'on the go' are always a really good investment.
"Comfy shoes are the number one thing I needed, it meant that if my legs did swell then my shoes would be really comfy.
"We did a lot of steps, we probably did around 20 to 25,000 steps a day and we would have normally done around 30,000 - we took it a bit easier this year.
"We also brought some compactable chairs with us if I needed to sit down but we didn't end up bringing it out with us."
Vanessa said she would recommend Glastonbury to other women who are pregnant as the festival.
"It is totally up to you and how you feel," she said.
"You know your own body, you know how far you can trust yourself but I would recommend this to other mums.
"There were actually quite a lot of pregnant people and a lot of families which is reassuring to see.
"It is so well-equipped for it, there is a family camping area and a kids' field."
Vanessa Bland, 33, attended this year's Glastonbury while 30 weeks pregnant - and had a great time.
She and husband Simon, 36, had decided to see how the pregnancy developed before committing to going.
The couple decided to go for it, hiring a campervan which they filled with non-alcoholic beers and comfortable clothes before heading to Worthy Farm.
Vanessa, from Hebden Bridge, West Yorks., says she has no regrets - and is planning on taking her young child in 2024.
She said: "We had a few Glastonburys under our belt before doing this one pregnant - it was my fourth and my husband's ninth.
"I had braced myself to it being a different year but it wasn't too bad actually as we still enjoyed it.
"It was a different experience to be at the festival and be sober the whole time.
"Our plan is to get tickets again next year and take our little boy with us."
Tickets for Glastonbury 2023 were released in November last year - around the time Vanessa and Simon were trying for a baby.
She then told her husband they were expecting on Christmas Day.
The pair had bought tickets and decided they would wait and see how the pregnancy progressed before deciding whether to go or not.
Vanessa, a photography company director, said: "Luckily everything was fine and we decided to go.
"The biggest change we made this year was hiring a campervan for the week.
"We had never stayed in a campervan before, we usually camp in a tent but I didn't want to make my husband do two or three trips to the car by himself.
"Sleeping on an airbed even if it is raised is never ideal either.
"The campervan made it a lot nicer experience - I was more comfortable and a lot cooler."
The pair pitched up to Glastonbury on Tuesday, June 20.
Both are festival veterans - and said they had a good idea of what you need and what you don't.
Vanessa said: "Snacks for 'on the go' are always a really good investment.
"Comfy shoes are the number one thing I needed, it meant that if my legs did swell then my shoes would be really comfy.
"We did a lot of steps, we probably did around 20 to 25,000 steps a day and we would have normally done around 30,000 - we took it a bit easier this year.
"We also brought some compactable chairs with us if I needed to sit down but we didn't end up bringing it out with us."
Vanessa said she would recommend Glastonbury to other women who are pregnant as the festival.
"It is totally up to you and how you feel," she said.
"You know your own body, you know how far you can trust yourself but I would recommend this to other mums.
"There were actually quite a lot of pregnant people and a lot of families which is reassuring to see.
"It is so well-equipped for it, there is a family camping area and a kids' field."