Going to festival 36 weeks pregnant

[RageyMcRage]

Early on in my pregnancy I had it in my head I was going to feel wonderful and breeze through and that I would be totally fine just carrying on as normal. I now realise this was ridiculous. I’m 36 weeks pregnant, the baby has dropped and I feel like I’m waddling around with a bowling ball in my pelvis and I’m hot and bad tempered!

I booked tickets to go to an all day/evening event this Saturday (festival type thing) with friends months and months ago and now it’s getting closer and I’m becoming increasingly anxious. Crowds make me stressed currently so I’d imagine tens of thousands of people who have been drinking all day is literally the last thing I need. My main issue is toilets tbh - the idea of being trapped in an area where I may have to queue 30 mins for a porterloo every couple of hours is unthinkable (and yes hopefully someone would be nice and let me push in but I’m in no way entitled enough to assume that would happpen!).

There isn’t a way I’m going to be able to make this work is there? I have this massive fear of missing out but it’s just occurred to me that this isn’t the place for me! 😩

Oh bless you! No one really knows how they are going to feel at different stages of pregnancy. If you’d decided not to book tickets but then felt fine, you’d also be disappointed.
Can you arrange separate transport so you can go for some of it, but then leave when you’ve had enough without making your friends leave early?

I had tickets booked for a gig with my second...I didn't go, I realised how ridiculous it was about a week before!!

Well I wouldn't because two of my three dcs arrived around 37 weeks and I had very quick labours (even the first). So from around 35 weeks I pretty much refused to go further than 30 mins from home and even that made me nervous. Rightly as it turned out for number 3 who showed up less than 30 mins after the first twinge.

But of course other people have very different experiences and you could end up giving birth at 42 weeks with a 24 hour labour.

I personally wouldn't go. I cancelled a festival the other week at 26 weeks pregnant, I certainly couldn't imagine going at 36 weeks. It's entirely up to you and whether you feel you can cope/enjoy it but by the sounds of it, you probably wouldn't

I don't think it would be the best idea. It will be possibly hot, busy, full of pissed people, very loud. Also you will be standing up for hours. Maybe sell your ticket if you can. Most people would understand x

I went to one of the Hyde Park mini festivals heavily pregnant and it was fine. I stayed out of the big crowds and away from drunken people who might fall on me. I had lots of positive comments and people letting me jump the queue for the loo. I'm so glad I went as my daughter is four now and I haven't been to anything like that since. And it used to be a staple of my summers.

Friends are going to be out all day - I’ve already said I would meet them later on so I was only there for a few hours but due to this ridiculous policy of ‘once you’re in you can’t come out and be readmitted’ it will be really difficult to get my ticket from them or find them, especially as phone signal is always ridiculous. I don’t want to go earlier in the day particularly because the main act is on last thing in the evening.

I did a lot of gigs early in pregnancy, but an all day festival would be too much at this late stage. Especially since this weekend is going to be so hot and I can’t imagine there will be many places to sit in the shade. I’d much rather be at home with a fan and a cool drink!

Take the baby next year. Stick them in the buggy with ear protectors.

I was meant to be at a hen do two weekends ago when I was 34 weeks. I decided an hour before my 4 hour train journey that I wasn't going to go. The relief was instant once I'd made that decision!

I wouldn't. Many reasons, but the toilets would be my main concern!

God. No. Just don't! When I was 37 weeks, I'm not sure I would have even fit in a portaloo!!!

I’m glad the general consensus is that I’m not just being really precious. Makes me feel a bit better about flaking! I’m already struggling with the temperature just pottering around in the garden today so I think going would probably end in an embarrassing dramatic faint or something anyway.

Even I probably wouldn't go, and I'm trying to do pretty much everything til the end point! It's just too hot to be on your feet all day in the sun with crowds - urgh.

Oh Op don't put yourself through it! You won't enjoy it like you want to and you'll be hot, sweaty and uncomfortable all day. I'm sure your friends will understand and sod 'em if they don't.
I was very pregnant this time last year and it wasn't nearly as hot as it is this year and I spent pretty much every day named sitting in front of Dan whining and eating - the dream! Take it easy and good luck for the rest of the pregnancy

I wouldnt do it at that stage of pregnancy either. If id have sat down on a picnic blanket, id never have got back up again, plus its hot out there, and ive been to more than one festival where I couldnt find shade. I dont think youd enjoy it

My second was born at 36 weeks (everything in the pregnancy was going fine and I was not high risk). So I probably wouldn’t, unless it’s fairly close to home? Is there the option to just go for a half day or go and see how you feel?

I thought I'd be able to go camping at 35 weeks. I got to 25 weeks and realised not a dog's chance in hell would I be able to cope with composting toilets, in the dark, up a hill, having struggled to get past my husband and out of a tent at 4am. I cancelled the booking and lost my deposit, but now I'm 33 weeks and confident it was the best decision I've ever made A girl need quality toilets in the third trimester!!

You couldn’t have paid me enough money to go to that kind of event at 36 weeks. Sell your ticket and get a pregnancy massage instead, then see your friends for Sunday lunch.

Hell noooo. I gave birth at 36 weeks, you couldn’t pay me to do it!

Re the loos I would suggest just going to the front of the line and asking to cut in. Most decent people wouldn't take issue with an obviously very pregnant lady skipping the ques. But even so. Don't go if it will make you miserable.

I love festivals/gigs but no way would I have gone to one at 36 weeks, I was massive and uncomfortable by that stage.

I couldn’t walk the length of myself at 36 weeks and was constantly needing a wee.

Agree with a previous poster- the minute you let your mates know you won’t make it, you’ll feel so relieved!

Let them know sooner rather than later and you might be able to sell your ticket on to recoup some of the cost.

Hmmm I went to an all dayer at 34 weeks.
Very popular indie band, very rowdy crowd.

I was fine! It wasn't as hot though.
And as I started to queue for the toilet a steward approached me and directed me to the disabled Loos (I wouldn't dream of asking) he also told me to return when I needed to.

That being said, I was 32 weeks and didn't go to glasto one year. Couldn't face it.

I wouldn't go.

I did Bestival at 18 weeks pregnant and ended up being properly sick of the pushing, shoving and queuing by the end

I went to a festival when I was about 37 weeks and it really wasn't that bad. I just sat down a lot and really took it easy. I was really glad I went!