Can you visit Glastonbury when pregnant?

A trip to Glastonbury has always been on my bucket list and in 2010 we were lucky enough to secure tickets to the festival (pressing refresh, refresh, refresh with 3 x computers as we tried to book was horrendously stressful!). When the date of the festival at the end of June arrived, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant. I was about 18 weeks so not huge but as this was baby no3 I had a definite bump. I was a little nervous about attending my first music festival in a pregnant state but I didn't need to worry at all. Glastonbury was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I can't wait to return in a few years when Jack is old enough to appreciate it properly (I'm thinking 7+).

Arrival

There is quite a trek from the car park to the camping fields and you will need to carry all of your luggage and tent - be prepared! A few people use metal trailers which are probably a good idea. Suitcases are quite difficult to pull as you are walking on farm fields! Pack as light as you can. We chose to take two pop up tents as these were the lightest option and we bought and airbed and a few other bits and bobs from one of the stalls at the festival. Depending what time you arrive you may struggle to find a space to set up your tent as we did. Luckily as we only had two tiny pop up tents we managed to wedge them into a fairly good spot overlooking the pyramid stage and fairly close to the only flushable loo's on site! Be prepared though, the tents are VERY close together and there is no such thing as personal space.

Toilets

Ah the toilets! This is one of the least pleasant part of Glastonbury. I swear I used to wretch with the smell as I walked past some of the infamous 'long drops'. They certainly ARE NOT a pleasant experience. I suppose the good thing about being pregnant was that I wasn't drinking alcohol so didn't need to go every 3 seconds! Most of the time I dragged poor Steve up to the flushable loo's near the hospital at Big Close Ground. DO NOT be tempted to urinate on the farmland - not only is it harmful but if the 'green police' catch you you'll be publicly shamed. 

Health and Wellbeing

As I've just mentioned, there is a temporary hospital on site which even has x-ray facilities and an emergency dentist. If you are pregnant it might be worth popping up on arrival so you know where to go if needed. In an emergency it is recommended you make your way to a first aid site or ask a steward for help (who can then call the site rapid response) rather than calling 999. If you are in the late stages of pregnancy and do go into labour, you will be transported off site to the nearest hospital.

There are also three welfare centres on site which I have to say were a god-send to us. They provided us with sunscreen when we'd ran out and provided shelter from the Sun and crowds when needed. They were also giving away free earplugs as it was very noisy at night from Shangri-La until the early hours of the morning. 

It is important to stay hydrated at festivals and Glastonbury provides over 400 drinking water taps so make sure you pack your own re-fillable bottle.

Areas

Of course being first timers we wanted to catch the headliners on the main and other stage (Kylie, Muse, Florence and the Machine and Faithless were all huge highlights). These stages get VERY crowded however if you stick to the outskirts you won't get crushed but can still enjoy the atmosphere. It is perfectly safe for kids (and pregnant people) at the side or back and there is a lovely chilled atmosphere especially at night. Some older folk even bring their own camping chairs, blankets and flasks of hot drinks.

Sometimes the tents did get a little bit crowded. I really wanted to see Two Door Cinema Club but I got a little scared being amongst the crowds inside. 

There are lots of places to chill out when you need to get away from it all though. Surprisingly there was lots of space to chill in the dance fields and there was lots of room to dance around to example here. Also areas like The Park provide lots of smaller open air stages where you can kick back and relax.

Sunset over the tee-pee fields

The ultimate place to get away from it all though has to be the Green fields. Here you will find a more laid back way of life, intimate performances, organic foods and peace. Even if you think this all sounds a bit too 'hippyish' I urge you to walk around and see what they have to offer.

There is honestly so much to explore at Glastonbury you would be a fool to think you could see it all. I do highly recommend a visit though - it can even be life changing! I forgot to mention that there is also lots of yummy food to try and it isn't too expensive either.

So, can you visit Glastonbury when pregnant? Well I survived to tell the tale and I'm desperate to go back for more. Whilst we were there a lady actually left to give birth on the Saturday evening and returned with her baby on Sunday! Amazing! (but probably not recommended).