What's the general consensus on drinking when trying to conceive/in the early stages before you find out you are pregnant

[GirlsAreLoud]

Just wondered what people's views were on drinking while trying to conceive or in those very early couple of weeks before you get a positive pregnancy test.

Do you consider it ok? I told that the impression that the placenta doesn't take over until 6 weeks and that before that it's the corpus luteum which provides the blood supply and alcohol doesn't pass through. Is this true, does anyone know?

The reason I ask is that I gave up alcohol when ttc and it made a stressful experience even more miserable and I'm thinking this time I might just keep on drinking wine throughout the process.

(obviously I know alcohol can have a big imapct on chances of conceiving.)

[OhBling]

Lurking.

Feel same. If i had to give up wine for the entire TTC process which could take MONTHS if not years, I'll die! [over dramatic emoticon]

But I do try to limit it to no more than one large glass at a time.

[lilysam]

I don't know any science behind it, but i have a drink until i got my bfp. This is my 4th now. As soon as i get a positive i never touch a drop.

The way i looked at it was i would never know how long it would take to conceive so could end up with months of no drinking for no real reason.....not that i'm a raving alcoholic but i do like a drink or two....helps you relax and not panic and obsess over ttc.

[GirlsAreLoud]

Thanks lilysam. I didn't drink throughout my last pregnancy including before I knew, but I got so stressed out and worked up by ttc.

This time I feel like if I don't change my life then at least it won't take over my life, IYSWIM.

[Joolsiam]

I had the same understanding as you GirlsAreLoud. I don't want to put my life on hold more than it already is, so do continue to drink, but do probably exercise a lot more moderation if I think I am spotting potential signs of pregnancy in the two week wait.

If alcohol is used in moderation, mum to be is more relaxed and I'm sure that helps TTC

[GirlsAreLoud]

Interesting, thanks.

[KatyS36]

I didn't drink when in the 'trying to concieve week' or for the two weeks when I might be pregnant. I did drink when I had my period (normally half a bottle of wine on several occasions).

I'm not sure what the science behind this is, but as I was 36 I wanted to give my body the best chance I could, but at the same time once I'd got over getting my period sitting on the sofa with my husband drinking a bottle of wine between us did cheer me up a lot.

I very luckily got pregnant after 4 months. I had mentally planned extending the 'super healthy living approach for 6 months' and then I was going to rethink.

This was what I thought best for me, but it doesn't necessarily mean its best for everyone.

good luck

[Tigresswoods]

TBH I think you can worry too much about this. Obviously going out and getting wasted on 20 bottles of WKD probably not a good move but I don't think you have to pack it in altogether.

I am no doctor but isn't it a bunch of cells in those very early stages?

I could be setting myself up for a bit of MN bashing here but if I had laid of the drink myself while TTC I would have gone for 18 months and that is just too horrible to consider.

Since finding out I have had VERY little to drink. I did have half a lager shandy last week which was REALLY pushing the boat out. I think that its important once you find out you are but in the REALLY early stages I am not sure it will make a difference.

My GP also told me in all his years (?) he has only ever seen one baby affected by alcohol and this was to an actual alcoholic so that half glass of champagne at your best mate's wedding reception is not going to hurt.

[GirlsAreLoud]

Good stuff

[starkadder]

Totally agree - I have always had that attitude - ttc so stressful anyway, and far worse if you are not drinking - not even because of giving up alcohol but because everyone notices and assumes you are pregnant already. Which is not the best if you aren't but would like to be.

Also, with me, with both successful (so far! touch wood! am only 10 wks into this one!) pregnancies (as opposed to 2 early MCs) I completely went off alcohol around a week after BFP. To the point of wanting to dash the glass out of someone elses hand because it makes me feel so ill to even LOOK at it. So, that about fits with 5-6 week gestation - I think my body is telling me what to do (or what not to do) now that it matters. If that makes sense.

S

[skidoodle]

I have never understood the thinking behind turning shagging lots with no contraception into a TTC project.

Obviously if things turn out not to be working well you need to pay attention to conception to increase your chances, but to start trying to conceive as a conscious activity and to change your life in preparation for a pregnancy that might take months, even in the happiest of circumstances, seems obsessive.

Live your life as though you are not pregnant until you are.

[funtimewincies]

Making drastic changes to your lifestyle (unless they are actually making it difficult to conecive) puts too much pressure on both partners IMO.

I've had 3 mcs between ds and this pg where I was 'being godd' about booze and stuff. Then I decided to say 'sod it', drank what I liked, ate what I liked, did what I liked and this pg stuck. The weekend before I found out I was pg I'd been double-digging the allotment !

skidoodle's last bit of advice is spot on I'd say.

[funtimewincies]

Being good even!

[MinkyBorage]

no idea on the rights and wrongs of it health wise, but I wouldn't dream of stopping drinking until I knew I was pg.

[GirlsAreLoud]

Hehe, that's good as I am enjoying a glass or three of red right now

[funtimewincies]

I can't wait for Christmas!

[MorrisZapp]

Totally agree with skidoodle. Have a drink, go on.

There'll be plenty to worry about if/ when you actually are PG, save yourself the grief until you're up the duff.

[Alibobster]

Like many babies I'm sure, my ds was conceived on holiday where we were drinking every night. Ttc again and it's been two years, there's no way I could give up drinking for all that time. I'm agree with Lilysam; I didn't change drinkling habits until I got a BFP and then I didn't touch a drop.

[Miia]

Our baby was conceived in France, in a chateau where we were collecting cases and cases of wine!!

Thought drinking in moderation wouldn't be harmful, especially at the beginning when the cells are not really even connected with your body.

[Grandhighpoohba]

My GP pointed out that many many babies are concieved when the mother is very drunk, and we don't have an epidemic of damaged children as a result. So I wouldn't worry.

Couldn't agree more with skidoodle

[MaybeAfterBreakfast]

Drinking essential for ttc

Both mine were conceived after drinking far too much wine.

[starkadder]

completely agree with everyone who said don't act as if you're pregnant till you actually are - with the one addition that I thinkit's probably quite a good idea to take folic acid. Not one of the super expensive pregnant vitamins, just get a jar of folic acid supplement from Holland and Barrett. Is super cheap and then you can feel smug for having taken it in advance when you find out you are up the duff. Nice to have something to feel smug rather than guilty about as, in my experience, the whole pregnancy (and motherhood) thing is FULL of guilt...