Not drinking....please help!

[grobagsforever]

So I have a team night out next week. Which I organise before BFP. 20 eagle eyed colleagues will be there. Its pie and a pint in a pub. How the bloody hell do I get away with not drinking? I don't drive. I already have a DD so they have been watching for number 2. I like and they know it. There is no way they'll buy detox/antibiotics etc. I need a cast iron reason. Anyone?.. Also I can't eat the pie as it's goats cheese, but thinking of just having a nibble and claiming it's off or something. Or arriving late and claiming to have eaten. Nightmare. I could claim childcare issue and not go, but that is going to look suspect too. All suggestions gratefully received.

[Hobbes8]

You can eat cooked goats cheese, so the pie should be fine. I had a work night out at 8 weeks pregnant. I poured myself half a glass of wine and eked it out over an entire evening, topping up with fizzy water so it got weaker and weaker. There were bottles on the table though, so no one really noticed. Could you get a pint of shandy or something?

[Pinkbell123]

If you can drink ginless g and Ts. Looks the same with a slice and ice and smells pretty similar too (more so than just coke compared to say rum and coke).

Good luck!

[cravingcake]

Definitely have a glass of wine and pretend to drink it. Spill little bits whenever you can, if anyone offers to get you a drink ask for a diet coke (or whatever) and just say you have a headache so taking it easy or DD kept you up all the night before so need a hit of caffeine. No-one will be suspicious so long as you make it look like you have a drink. Or buy your own vodka & coke, and ask the bartender to put coke in a glass that looks like its an alcoholic drink.

[alice93]

You can drink a small glass of white wine it's perfectly fine. Maybe ask for a white wine spritzer?

[StealthPolarBear]

Whats the harm if they guess? If they ask, deny. If they suspect, let them, they wont know until you tell them

[grobagsforever]

I can't lie stealth and I really want to keep quiet until 13/14 weeks. I don't drink White wine, everyone knows this....or gin, except rarely. Seriously, my consumption will be noted! Arrghh!

[Julietee]

Just seconding that the goat's cheese is fine if cooked (and sometimes if not - it's only on the 'no' list if it's the kind with the rind).

[firsttimekat]

I had a non-alcoholic kopparberg the other day and it looked just like the real thing, if you go to the bar to order it you'd get away with it... just as long as they have them.

[puntasticusername]

Would it be at all remotely plausible to claim that you're having a bit of a detox ahead of the Xmas party season?

Of course, depending on your dates, you may then just have to go through the whole issue again come Xmas party season

[Inglori0us]

I fibbed over and over as I was desperate for work clients to not know. A good one is faking a dental appt, saying you've had a filling or root canal and can't eat or drink for 5 hours after.
I told other clients I'd been to give blood just before meeting them so couldn't booze.

[Anothermrssmith]

Soda water and lime and say there's vodka in it? What do you usually drink on a night out,loads of bars have alcohol free larger on tap or in bottles,could get one if them and ask for it in an 'alcohol' glass? If the drinks are table service hae a quiet word with the waiter/waitress and explain the situation so you can ask for an alcoholic drink infront of everyone but get a non alcoholic version instead.

If you're working during the day before hand lay some groundwork,ie say you aren't feeling well or have a headache. Then when you turn up you can say your taking it easy but didn't want to miss out on the fun.

And eat the pie, cooked goats cheese is 100% ok,in fact if you could get me a recipie even better,goats cheese pie sounds awesome,lol!

[grobagsforever]

Thanks all! It will be bar service. I.drink.red wine or beer, hence the extra difficultly. I.used the dentist one with DD and ppl know this. And yeah, I will.have to go.through this all again for Xmas do! Maybe sips and then ditching drink.down the loo......but who.takes their drink to the loo in a nice pub??

[Romily]

Could you not take the car? Say you need to be somewhere the next day and need to be sober so you can drive early?

[pinkpeoniesplease]

Say you're really hungover and can't face much alcohol, sip/ditch your drink slowly throughout the night!
NHS site says goats cheese is fine?

[grobagsforever]

Romily I don't drive....hangover is one option. Actually.might be the best one as I could pretend to.sip drinks...and then explain why progress is slow. It's going to.be quite elaborate. I will post on Facebook the night before about a fake night out, I could even.tag my best mate who knows I am pg and say I am out with him. Hmmmm. Just might work!!

[grobagsforever]

God I sound about 12 in.the above post! I'm over 30. But all my work mates are.on.fb we are a close bunch.

[randdom]

Could you not ask the bar tender to pore a non-alcoholic larger into a glass for you. Unless you usually drink only ale that should work.

[WooWooCaChoo]

Why don't you pretend you have chronic ear ache a couple of days before the party, and then claim to be on antibiotics. Don't make a big deal out of not drinking and they might not even notice.

[firstimer30s]

Preparation is the key here. Lay the groundwork days in advance (eg start going on about a really sore throat/ cough/ ear/ tooth)

Then maybe try and take the few hours before the do off to go to/ pretend to go to the doc's and say you came back with antibiotics? Surely no one will be suspicious if you've been moaning for days....

Maybe you could cultivate a tummy bug story...? And say for a few days before you really hope you'll be well enough to come. That way, by the time you go, people will just be asking you how you feel....

[elcranko]

I would go with the non-alcoholic lager. Pour it into a glass at the bar so no one sees the bottle. It won't look suspicious if lager is what you usually go for. Once everyone is starting to get drunk then they won't notice that you're not drunk too! Definitely post on FB about a fake night out too, people will be even less suspicious that way! Good luck

[moobaloo]

Giving blood is an excellent idea! I may use that myself! You can't drink alcohol after giving blood. Stick a bit of cotton wool to the inside of your elbow with some masking tape and use that story, combined with also pretending to be hungover from the night before. bingo!

also agree with firsttimer about laying the groundwork in advance, this has worked for me also

Good Luck! I'm finding it a nightmare! Can't wait to tell people!

[Quodlibet]

Bloody Marys throw everyone off the scent in my experience.

[ChicaMomma]

Non Alco beer, and sipping the 'one' all nite is what i've been doing.
When OH is with me, he's drinking both our glasses of wine, the poor guy has been floored for the last few weeks lol
It's very stressful though, i am hating it. Hvae a 9 week scan so intend on telling people after that, the stress of all of this will bring on a miscarriage otherwise!

[Inglori0us]

Phone the pub or pop in before to check they have alcohol free beer. None of my locals do. Or check out of the have appletise as that will pass for white wine in a wine glass.

[ChicaMomma]

She only drinks red wine... BUT, she could have blackcurrant cordial in a wine glass!! now we're getting places...