Pregnant at Christmas

[Cinnamon84]

I'm going to be 6 weeks pregnant on Christmas Day. I'm really happy about it but wondering how to hide it as oh and I don't want to tell anyone until after the 12 week scan.
My family drink a lot and will start the day with smoked salmon, runny eggs and champagne...followed by loads of red wine and cheese!
Is alcohol completely out of bounds at this early stage? ( have read contradictory advice on the Internet) or is one small glass ok?
Im going to get so many questions for not drinking, does anyone have any clever excuses?

[Oysterbabe]

You'll get different answers. I wouldn't drink anything. Just pretend to and pour it away.

[Colette]

You could say you're on particular antibiotics ( you can google which ones )that you can't drink with. Although you will have to come up with the corresponding ailment

[HumTiddlyTum]

You can have smoked salmon.

[LucyMouse]

I think a lot of people say that they are on antibiotics in order to avoid alcohol.

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

You're on antibiotics/have had paracetamol/have a headache
You're still a bit hungover
Or, accept drinks before the meal/ in a situation where you can move around. Pretend to drink then wander into an empty room, pour away drink, return, ask for a refill. Repeat a couple of times before dinner and then decline wine saying you've had a bit too much already.

Disclaimer: the above only worked on about half my family. The rest twigged and then of course they were all talking.

I would eat the smoked salmon for sure and probably the eggs if they weren't actually raw. If you mean smoked salmon with scrambled eggs I'd count that as fine.

And congratulations

[Christmascheerful]

Smoked salmon is fine- eggs I would suggest cooked through or avoid. Alcohol IMHO avoid absolutely but obviously your choice...

Cheese board no blue veined/soft cheeses so cheddar would be ok...

Can you say you have a hangover hence why don't fancy runny eggs more alcohol? Congratulations

[TeaandHobnobs]

Do either you or OH have to do any driving on Christmas Day? If so, be the designated driver. If not, then sip at the champagne, and swap glasses with OH when he has had most of his. Ditto the red wine. Or say you've picked up/just got over a bit of a tummy bug, and you are not feeling up to rich foods - this genuinely happened to me once: I was ill after eating scrambled egg (not connected) and couldn't bear to eat the stuff for a long long time after.
Personally I would eat smoked salmon, and any non-mould-ripened cheeses. I also ate runny eggs in my latest pregnancy - the risk is salmonella, which chickens are vaccinated against now, so if eggs are lion-stamped, that should not be an issue. And I would consider one small glass of wine/champagne to be ok. Everyone has their own assessment of the risk though.
Congratulations too

[Mslg]

I was in the same boat as you, I'm 7 weeks + 2. I ended up telling my parents and two sisters, purely because the stress of trying to cover it up would have gotten to me. So my immediate family know now and can kind of help with the cover up to other people. I knew they would have smelled a rat anyway that I wasn't drinking. I figured that if something went wrong I would have told them anyway and to be honest it has made all of their Christmases 😃

[GothicRainbow]

Make sure you are the one to get drinks for everyone - then make yourself a 'long' drink of lemonade and say it's a G&T.

Carry it around and nurse it, topping it up every now and again. With the champagne a little bit I'm sure wouldn't hurt at all so if it was me I would ask for a Buck's Fizz.

Don't worry about the salmon or the eggs tuck in and enjoy!

[DontKillMyVibe]

I'm in the same boat. Had a big family do on Sunday and I avoided the issue by driving and pretending that I had half a glass and couldn't have any more.

[Cinnamon84]

Thanks everyone for your advice!

I think I will fake illness, though I'm really shit at lying/acting so it may go horribly wrong!

OH is only with us for half of the day then he's driving back to see his family.

I'll be spending Xmas eve to Boxing Day at my dads and I think he might guess as I normally love to indulge over Christmas. I had a mc at 6/7 weeks in January so obviously want to keep the news between me and oh for now.

[cheapredwine]

Metronidazole is a definitely no-alcohol antibiotic if that helps, often prescribed for dental nasties. I'd go tummy bug though, covers more bases.

[Bertieboo1]

If you come up with a mystery ailment that you are on antibiotics for, don't forget what it is! I made up an ear infection for my friend's hen do as I was only just pregnant, then got asked about it at the wedding (where luckily I could be the designated driver) but totally forgot what I had made up. That kind of gave the game away

[Britishblue99]

Anyone else due Christmas day? My specialist wants to induce me Xmas eve and keep me in too. I have three other children! We've tried everything to go into labour naturally. I want a home birth and previously had twins and my daughter without any tears or anything but gas and air. I also make my due date the 28th. The specialist is going by my scan due date and has a policy of not letting post 40 year olds go over their due dates. I just turned 43 have had loads of unnecessary ecg's (all normal), loads of scans ( all ok apart from one low fluid which then doubled in 3 days at next scan). She gave me a sweep last week and a half ago but fluid thick and cervix posterior. I'm going to have to stand my ground in the am or ruin my kids Christmas and birth plan.

[CarrotPuff]

IME pretending to drink is the best way to hide early pregnancy. I've done this 3 times, including a two week stay at my parents', going out to bars with friends, etc. No one clocked anything. Once people "see" you're drinking they don't really notice/suspect anything.

[Cinnamon84]

Carrot - That's a good point, I might try that, it seems less daunting than having to pretend to be ill!

[brookeberry]

Congrats cinnamon! Yes I poured myself a wine and pretended to sip when I wanted to hide it - nobody noticed!

[Oysterbabe]

I just got DH to drink mine too, subtly picking up a different glass each time so he slowly drank them both.

[Oysterbabe]

If you say you aren't drinking people will guess. Best to just not draw attention to it.

[bittapitta]

Britishblue you should start your own thread. I'm also 39 weeks and hoping it doesn't disrupt Xmas!

[5madthings]

Op the salmon and eggs are fine. Just make sure there eggs are lion stamped.

British if it were me and scans etc showed baby was fine I would wait even til just boxing day. Not all trusts induce on your due date due to age like yours is recommending. As long as baby is active, movements are good and you have no other risk factors being 40 and it being your due date wouldn't be enough to persuade me to have the risks of induction,particularly if your cervix etc doesn't seem ready.

[Chchchchangeabout]

British Blue - no one can make you be induced on a specific date if you don't want to be. Just say no thanks, you would rather wait until x date.

[LibrariesgaveusP0wer]

Salmon is fine. Eggs are fine if lion marked.

Don't say antibiotics. People use it and think it worked because most people understand the social etiquette and don't pull you up on the obvious lie.When someone goes to great lengths to tell me about antibiotics, I commiserate and wait for the announcement!

[toohardtothinkofaname]

Antibiotics just screams PREGNANT especially if newly mentioned. Salmon & eggs are fine, as is a little sip of tipple of you want. Think you're on the cusp of sharing a blood supply & wont do any harm. Then just play super guest & forever pour the drinks, making sure your own isn't alcoholic. Once they're trollied just dial it back.

[SweepTheHalls]

C section booked for the 30th. I'm just unreasonablely pissed off today as M and S have picked my Christmas order wrong and given me the luxury canapés rather than the classic ones I ordered (stamps feet). I don't like anything in that box, I wanted the ones I ordered, it's my birthday tomorrow as well, I'm 39 weeks and bloody uncomfortable and trying to avoid being in hospital in DS1's birthday on NYD!