Conception and alcohol

[zest99]

Another question to knowing mums - as a fortsomething trying for a second child, is it essential to stop alcohol altogether? I have cut right down, but always have a few glasses of wine here and there each week. Does it really make a huge difference? Or is it better to be less stressed and have a few drinks - just not go overboard? Thank you!

[ladyflower23]

I have no idea either - all things in moderation are usually OK though I think. I'm also potentially up the duff and debating whether to have a glass of wine tonight!

[mrshjb]

I asked the doctor this and she said TTC is potentially a long journey and being stressed out really doesn't help, so she said still drink wine but just don't get smashed! Works for me :)

[ladyflower23]

Yes i tend to let my hair down and get 'tipsy' for first 2 weeks then moderate for the second half. Enjoy your shiraz gemerama. I decided to risk a couple of glasses of rioja

[Inshock73]

I gave up alcohol altogether after mmc and since resuming ttc but it's now been 10 months, I've relaxed a bit and I'm enjoying the occasional glass of wine (2-3 a week) again as it's difficult to keep it up over such a long time. I also found keeping to a tee total, low sugar, extremely healthy lifestyle hard to keep up and my GP reckons stress might be the reason I'm struggling to conceive - that's good enough for me! A glass of red it is! :)

[Inshock73]

Footnote - my acupuncturist said an occasional glass of red would be ok but try to buy organic and low in sulphates!

[MrsCouchman]

With my first I found out I was pregnant just After Christmas & new year, a lot of alcohol had been consumed! Have just found out ok pregnant with no2 and I found out a week after I was bridesmaid at my friends wedding. I didn't drink a silly amount but a lot more than just a couple! X

[ladyflower23]

Yeh I really think a few glasses here or there won't make any difference, especially if it helps you to relax (and gets you in the mood!). If it's any help I have a friend who was trying for 3 years then gave up. She read books on how to accept life without children. She started having regular nights out and having much more than a few and then she got pregnant at 42. So really not sure how much difference giving up drink makes.
Gemerama i will keep my fx for you that you have to fess up on your girls night out...or make up some rubbish excuse about antibiotics

[mrshjb]

You hear so many stories about people who did everything right and then gave up and got pregnant on the month they got hammered or went on holiday or something, so there definitely has to be something in it! Wish it was just a bit easier to not get stressed out about it though, but wine does help a bit!!

[zest99]

Thanks very much everyone for your helpful comments! It's true that there are so many conflicting stories that it's hard to know what to do for the best. Some people say it makes all the difference not drinking, some say not at all. So I think drinking in moderation it is! Thanks

[ladyflower23]

Well, when I was pregnant with my first, the first symptom I got was feeling sick after a couple of glasses of wine (would normally take a couple of bottles). So could be a sign for you!!! How many dpo are you? I'm currently 10. Am trying to wait till at least 13 before testing. Have just bought a test from Boots though and am now dying to pee on it!

[ladyflower23]

Oh f'ing hell, i just caved and did it!!! BFN OF COURSE. As i knew it would be. Well at least that has got it out of my system now, and I will either get AF (due tomorrow) or I will get to POAS in a few days time. Oh annoyed with myself!!

I also keep an eye on the EWCM and I'm not sure I had any this month either, plus I find it hard to tell the difference between that and DH's stuff (which also seems stretchy hmmm!). I tried an OPK for the first time this month which gave me a positive on CD 18 so am assuming I ov'd around CD 20. Must do your head in even more when you don't know when ov'd. Hmmm well there is still hope for us until AF arrives!

[BartBaby]

With dc1 i found out i was pg 2 days after a big night out. He is fine. With dc2 we were ttc for a few months and i just carried on as normal. It could have been a very long boring few months. In the end we had a month off ttc, only dtd once at the right time, coincidently after a now rare night out with a massive hangover, and hey presto! Not saying the alcohol helped. But it certainly didnt do any harm.

[BomChickaMeowMeow]

I think a lot of people wouldn't been here had it not been due to alcohol being consumed prior to the act of conception.

[PerpetualStudent]

I had my inital TTC visit to the Drs today, she asked what my approach was with boozw while TTC, I said aiming to cut down to 2 glasses or wine or so a time/a night & she seemed really happy with that - her view was that particularly when starting off TTC, as long as you are genrerally healthy there isn't a pressing need to make massive lifestyle changes.
She did say if you're going to come down hard on anything during TTC it should be smoking - apparantly that carries highest risk for lowering fertility & lowering 'chance of healthy outcomes'...

[PerpetualStudent]

Which immediately made me want a cigarette!!! (NB I usually make a pack of 20 last a month!)

[zest99]

Hi all - true re all the alcohol comments. I am not so concerned about drinking before i find out - BUT do any of you think that it might hinder conception by drinking? Take longer to conceive etc? Thanks!

[Dontforgetyourbrolly]

I'm not sure if there is anything official or scientific about this but .....after ttc for quite a while we decided to forget about it and go on holiday for a break. One month before hols I went tee total for the sole reason that I wanted to lose weight for the beach. It worked ....and also I came back pg!

Ps I am an older mum

[Inshock73]

Interesting Dent I wonder whether it was the tee total or holiday? I've been ttc again for 10 months and after get the all ok back on all tests I've been told to relax and take a holiday...GP/nurse etc have all said a lot of people conceive once they've decided to start IVF or give up ttc, they reckon it's because they relax.

[zest99]

yes that is interesting re giving up for a month - maybe i will try one month and see if makes any difference! it's so difficult to know how much diet/exercise/lack of alcohol helps. So many stories of conception! But as an older mum I suppose I should try everything to help.