What were/are your excuses for not drinking in early pregnancy?

[ClaireDeLoon]

Need some inspiration please! Bonus points for creativity

[meatntattypie]

antibiotics,
hung over from night before
dodgy tummy
have coke, tell um its got voddy in it
do the driving

[meatntattypie]

driving cos saving for holiday/dress/outfit/shoes not spending dosh on drink

[EggsandBacon]

"I've signed up to a fitness bootcamp - 6am workouts and a set diet - unfortunately excludes alcohol" (this also explains tiredness!)

Or the classic "I'm on antibiotics for an ear infection".

Or "my GP suspects IBS so has advised me to cut out alcohol and caffiene for four weeks to see if it has an affect".

Sometimes I don't say anything and if someone asks I just say "I don't feel like it".

Any good?

[fruitshootsandheaves]

under medical investigation for alcohol intolerance

I no longer drink alcohol as I have converted to ethanology.

[Floopy21]

Designated driver, antibiotics, detox, someone bet you you couldn't do it!

[cleanandclothed]

What is the occasion you need to avoid the questions at? I had 2 30th birthday dos (my birthday) to avoid drinking at - one I sat next to DH and poured myself wine - and then we subtly swapped glasses when he finished his.

The other I bought the champagne and poured it out for everyone, including me. Therefore the association of not drinking was broken, and no-one noticed I didn't actually drink.

[fudgecat]

I went down the "im trying to be more healthy" route.

I dont think this worked very well as the local gossip overheard this and shouted "are you pregnant" from the other side of the room while making bump shapes with her hands

[TottWriter]

I'm lucky in that I'm more or less teetotal anyway. That and I have epilepsy. Medical conditions are good though, if you can find something mild which would nevertheless react badly to medication.

Could you make out you are still ttc? Or is that just going to get you attention you don't want anyway?

[CardiCorgi]

Bladder infection. Usually makes people wince and turn onto some other topic. It´s also a useful way of explaining why you need to go to the loo every five minutes.

[SachaF]

Unfotunately New Year's resolutions and Lent are out for another 8 months!

I had a work winetasting to go to, no-one commented! I tasted and spat (I'm sure there must be a nicer word for it) whilst most people drank.

I was lucky - I got away with 'I've stopped drinking because of that epic night when I threw up etc etc and I went too far so I need to stop for a while. Gosh, makes me sound a bit like an alcoholic! I'm drunk on 2 glasses of wine now! (2 children later).

Sorry, probably not much help!

[PJen]

I was out with friends (12 of them) till 4 AM and DH managed to get me sprinkling water and lemon... I had a drink all night in my hand and everyone thought I was drinking gin and tonic!

[oldmum42]

have succesfully used

"antibiotics"

"I'm driving"

"I'm on a diet, do you have any diet coke?"

But prob the easiest in a party situation is to have a drink in your hand, walk around with it, pretend to sip it now and again and swop with DH or tip it down the sink.

People notice if you say "No" but they don't usually notice if you have a drink and don't actually drink it!

[lylasmummy]

I'm taking strong painkillers for a sports injury and I'm an incoherent wreck if I just have a sip - will only be for about 6-10 weeks.

I'm also going with accepting a drink and pouring into a plant pot.

[nunnie]

Detoxing.

[tiredfeet]

"just don't fancy one" / "really thirsty just want a soft drink" actually worked really well for me, I was never challenged (but then had such bad morning sickness I was a hermit for several weeks)

when we had guests round I poured them white wine / rose and had the same colour shloer for me and brought the glasses through, no one notcied.

[angelsw12]

I usually drink cranberry juice because it looks like a cocktail....

Otherwise, I have used "stopping smoking so not drinking cos drinking makes me want to smoke". Guess you can only use this one if you were a smoker!

Also used the stomach bug one too!

[Unbuffy]

Not sleeping so cutting out all caffiene and alcohol has worked well for me - I look so rough with ms that most people are happy with that. Also detoxing in preparation for ttc. Drink swopping works well if no one is watching your every move to see if you are preggers (my mother is a prime eg, damn annoying).

[Mimi1977]

Major hangover from the night before!

[MyThumbsHaveGoneWeird]

I was very sucessful with elderflower cordial in a wine glass at a party recently, but then tonight went out with just 2 friends and it was impossible to pretend to drink. They then spent the whole night asking me if I was pregnant. I think I'll just have to tell people soon even though I am only 6 weeks. I am a rubbish liar.

[Tootingbec]

Hummmm.....with my good friends I just told them because we are in our late 30's and in long term relationships so it is always bleeding obvious when one of us isn't drinking then we are up the duff...I think the "don't tell anyone before 12 weeks" thing is a bit over egged - I had a miscarriage at 6 weeks and wished I had told close friends/family I was pregnant as much harder to spring the miscarrage on them when they weren't even aware I was pregnant (BTW am pregnant with number 2 so all turned out well)

However, totally understand not wanting to share the early news with people you don't know very well etc. I used the following strategies:

Accepted a drink and then didn't drink it (no one notices).
On anti inflamatories/pain killers which make me fall asleep if I drink on them.

[LadyCressida]

Depends how much of a drinker you were before. If you liked a drink it is much easier to pretend you are still drinking because unless you've got a good excuse like you have to drive everyone will be immediately suspicious. I knew when I was trying to hide it that the whole 'antibiotics' line wouldn't wash with anyone.

Best thing to do is accept a glass of wine and then no one will watch you any further. You can either get DH to drink it or put it down somewhere or tip it in a plant/down the sink.

I was particularly proud of taking 'fake gin' (flat tonic) to a party in a gin bottle and then drinking it with more tonic all night.

[Valpollicella]

Can you recruit a sympathetic 'drinking partner'? Soneone you can trust to tell?

Ie you take a couple of sips, then glasses get surreptitiously swapped. Repeat all night. And sympathetic drinking partner has a good night out at half the cost

Requires you sticking fairly close, but if you're trusting them with that kinda info, they'll have been watching you anyway And then it's fairly easy to palm a drink to a close person who is in on everything

Worked a treat for me and my (pg) colleague a while back

But alse remember that afetr the 2/3 drink, no one will be keeping track. After the 3.4 drink, no one will care who is drinking what

[ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave]

No one ever believes the antibiotics one. Really. They all give each other meaningful looks behind your back.

When pregnant with DD I went for accepting a drink, carrying it round with me (then no one presses another one on you) but not drinking it (people tend to assume you've been drinking and it's not the same drink at the end of the evening that it was at the start). Or if out with DH we swapped glasses.

[Valpollicella]

Prof. See my elaborate scheme above