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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Ben Barry & Lyell Tweed

'I went to Glastonbury when I was 30 weeks pregnant - I've got no regrets'

A pregnant woman who attended Glastonbury this year said she'd recommend it to other mums-to-be. Vanessa Bland, 33, attended the famous festival while 30 weeks pregnant, and had a great time.

She said she hopes to take the baby next year.

Vanessa and husband Simon, 36, waited to see how the pregnancy went before deciding to go for it. They hired a campervan which they filled with non-alcoholic beers and comfortable clothes before heading to Worthy Farm. And now Vanessa, from Hebden Bridge, has come away saying she has no regrets.

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 (for) it being a different year but it wasn't too bad actually as we still enjoyed it.

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"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.

(Vanessa Bland / SWNS)

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."

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.

Vanessa Bland and husband Simon (Vanessa Bland / SWNS)

"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. But it's a choice that everybody needs to make for themselves. "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."

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