Drinking at Christmas!!

[babyunicornvomit]

Unsure of what to do as we have decided to not tell parents about my pregnancy until after Christmas (I'm 7w) because they're very old fashioned and will think it's absurd to have a baby outside wedlock - also its unlikely they will be happy for me for a number or reasons, at least not right away.
However they will probably expect me to be drinking over Christmas, at least one glass of wine with each meal - probably 2 on Christmas day and 1 boxing day, plus the Eve party on 24th. What do i do?!

Options so far - feign illness, say I'm doing dry December (hardly believable), just have the couple of glasses???

[reallyanotherone]

Just say you don't want a drink?

I hate this culture that you have to have some sort of "excuse" not to drink, as if you would never voluntarily not drink.

I'm teetotal, have been for years, and still get asked why I'm not drinking. Because there must be a "reason". Nope, I just choose not to drink.

Personally I think, "no thank you, I'll have coke" should be acceptable, no questions asked.

[Lapinlapin]

I'd have one small glass and then accept any others you feel you need to but don't drink them!

It's easier than you think to pretend to have a sip, and then maybe tip a bit away when no-one's watching. Or will your partner be there? Can he help you out by swapping glasses?

Or just say you don't fancy a drink when offered? Can always say you'll have one later ( but just not)

[Libbylove2015]

I have just gone through my xmas party at work 'pretending' to drink - having a half glass of tonic and pretending it had gin in it, sipping (but not drinking) wine and getting my OH to take big gulps when nobody is looking...I think (touch wood) we pulled it off as nobody seemed to notice.

I also had a tablespoon of white wine and topped the glass up with water so it looked like wine (albeit a bit weak)!

Can you use the driving excuse or are you staying? With my family it is more difficult, so I am usually the 'driver' or have told everyone I have a bladder infection and am on antibiotics. If they question, explain that you have been having to sit in a bath of warm water to pee it is so bad and there is no way you are risking aggravating it. That usually shuts them up!

[Nikki2ol6]

Alcohol free wine is nice and you can drink as much as you like and let me tell you a little secret when I drank it I felt like it was making me tipsy lol I may have a full bottle at Christmas if I'm still in 1 piece ! I will be 39wks😱

[Nikki2ol6]

Oh and if you need to use a empty wine bottle and tip it in there so nobody knows it's alcohol free

[Dontwannabeabadmum]

Me and my friends all drink rose, at a wedding when none of us knew someone was pregnant she was drinking cranberry juice and telling everyone it was just a really strong rose!

[JigglyTuff]

It is very easy to fake it. Accept a glass or two and ditch them when no one is looking.

Honestly you would be amazed at how little attention other people pay to your wine consumption unless you make a Big Deal if it. As your parents don't sound like they would be pleased, they're even less likely to suspect

[Scrowy]

Develop a mild/moderate sickness bug the day before.

Covers you for any general queasiness (theres no way I would have been able to stomach a Christmas dinner at 8/9 weeks with either of my pregnancies) and explains why you don't fancy alcohol.

[GlasgowGeorgie]

Why had I not thought of this Nikki?!! Genius!!

[T00ManyB00ks]

Say you've got cystitis. Usually shuts ppl up if they persist.

[Oysterbabe]

Just accept it and don't drink it. I put my glass next to DH's he alternated between picking up my glass and his. Your partner might end up smashed though.

[farfarawayfromhome]

reallyanotherone you by your own admission say how people are belligerent when you don't drink after years of being teetotal...

It is hard OP, I tried to get DH to order a tonic water and pretended mine had gin in it. Shock horror I have very sociable job and anyone not drinking was very obvious, good luck!

[PotteringAlong]

Just tell them you're pregnant- if you try to blag it they will guess anyway.

[toffeeboffin]

Cystitis is a good one.

[peppatax]

I'm at at Christmas party tonight - 14 weeks and I'm going to have a couple of small ones. If I was hammering the jagerbombs then fair enough but it should be enough to throw people off and means I don't have to spend the night talking about it. I do look pretty fat mind you.

[GlasgowGeorgie]

"Cystitis is a good one"

Pregnancy is weird innit

[Muddlingthroughtoo]

Tell them you are hungover and can't face alcohol? Or that you have an alcohol problem and you have been sober 10 days now, well done you

[Brown76]

Tell them you're hungover from a big session in the pub on xmas eve, and have a bad tummy/feel a bit queasy. Puts them off the scent. You can then have 'just a small one' on Boxing Day when you've 'recovered'.

[Mouthofmisery]

UTI and on antibiotics. No one will probe beyond that.

[HarrietVane99]

Develop a mild/moderate sickness bug the day before.

Please don't. I wouldn't be at all pleased if someone rocked up to a Christmas party and announced they had a sickness bug.

Agree with pp - just accept a glass of wine and sip it occasionally through the evening. If you don't make a big thing of it, probably no-one will notice.

[NeverAShadowOfDoubt]

I just wanted to comment and say that I too was feeling very anxious about telling my mum I was pregnant as she too is very old school and very old fashioned about children before wedlock. I worked myself into a right old state about it and my dp calmed me down, came with me and prompted me into the 'we have some good news' conversation and she honestly was absolutely thrilled and I was so taken aback I kept repeating it in case she somehow hadnt understood! So you may just be surprised .

[NeverAShadowOfDoubt]

sorry about the missing advice re your original question and point of the thread about drinking, I've been absolutely no help at all

[babyunicornvomit]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! The bottle of alcohol free poured into a 'real' wine bottle is a top notch idea

also NeverAShadowOfDoubt thank you! I'm trying not to be too optimistic as they're VERY against babies before marriage and all that too, but hopefully my parents might surprise me!

[haveacupoftea]

Pretend youre really hungover and cant face drink

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Are you staying there can you be the driver?

Antibs for cycstitis is good

Hungover from xmas so only going to have one and just take in kitchen and tip a bit away etc

Hopefully your parents will relax a bit when they see how happy you are. They may surprise you

Slightly diff , but years ago when I met partner then we decided to live together (in sin) my parents were disappointed and they would have been the same about baby out of wedlock. Think they even said that they didn't want Shame on the family ......

8yrs later we got married and then difficulty in ttc. Dh then died and when I did meet someone they were happy I was happy and didn't say a word when we moved in together after 6mths

Think mums words were 'there is worse things that can happen then living with someone ' we the did ivf and failed and they paid for 2nd cycle - we were not even engaged and again not a word about baby out of wedlock

Sadly mum died and no 2 failed but we carried on without telling anyone and then got engaged and no 5 worked and my dad is happy

Basically a long story but If your parents say anything tell them there are worse things that could happen then being preg and not married