How did you manage to not drink during pregnancy?

[enkelt2]

Just that, really. I've never been pregnant. Out of all the things pregnant women do for their children, the one thing that impresses me the most is that they can manage to not drink! For such a long time!

I'm not an alcoholic but just cannot fathom not being able to get a beer or two every couple of days, whenever I want.

So for people who used to drink regularly before your pregnancy, do you just... go cold turkey out of sheer will power?? Or did pregnancy make you alcohol-adverse?

Genuinely curious.

Try parenting a child with FASD. Then you wouldn't touch it if you're having unprotected sex.
I adopted my son, knowing full well he would likely have FASD but nothing could have prepared me for just how tough it really is. He is truly amazing, I love him with everything but I am so full of anger towards his BM for how much harder she chose to make his life. It impacts him every single day, in everything he does and it was entirely preventable. Controversial but I believe known alcohol use in pregnancy should be dealt with as GBH. It's brain damage inducing. If that isn't enough then don't get pregnant.

Well, I will confess that giving up alcohol was a major downside of pregnancy for me. I used to enjoy a drink most days before getting pregnant, and I missed it. I did just stick it out the first 3 months, made my DH give up too haha (sharing is caring). After that I had an occasional sip of wine or a teeny glass once a week. I read up on the risks and I'm comfortable with my decision. Even my obstetrician said she saw no issue with it. I think the guidance errs on the side of caution, and so it should, but there's plenty of information out there for a woman to make up her own mind.

If you are worrying about giving up alcohol for 9 months, when there is strong evidence of significant danger, you do have a dependency.
Please seek some help before you consider pregnancy.

Love a drink, just couldn’t do anything that could potentially harm my baby. Wouldn’t even call it will power, you just don’t. There were some situations where I thought I’d love a drink but you just don’t.
Never drank the same way since I’ve had my baby anyway. Nice to have the choice of a drink but too scared to disrupt sleep anymore than it already is!

This!!

I just stopped i don't have a drink problem it is a choice to me so I made the choice not to drink

I don't really like alcohol so it was easy 🤣
BUT I limited my caffeine to the recommended amount which meant I had one coffee less a day...I did miss that 😅 you just do it. You don't want anything harming your unborn baby, so it's easier than you think when actually pregnant.

My friend made her husband bring her salami to the hospital after she'd given birth and she ate a whole pack 😅

Mothers put their baby's needs before their own. If you really can't get that then there's no hope for you. Don't have a child.

I was always a big drinker but the moment I found out I was pregnant all desire to drink disappeared, even after a Dr told me it was ok in small amounts. As you say op there are so many dangers, why would I add to those risks for something that I don’t actually need.

I rarely drank beforehand. So really it made no difference. I worked out I frequently go months at a time with none anyway.

Never drink coffee so caffiene not really much issue there. Did eat chocolate so I guess there was caffiene there. But I was so sick I lost 10% of my bodyweight so I wasn't exactly eating loads!

I looked at the reasons why you do and don't do things. E.g. no eggs that aren't red lion stamped - due to salmonella. But I did eat eggs out at restaurants sourced from local farms as it's UK law the chickens need to be vaccinated. If it was something like alcohol where there is genuine risk I absolutely didn't do it.

I would drink a couple of times a week pre-pregnancy. Would get to a Thursday and I'd be dreaming of my Friday night bottle of wine ordinarily. When I found out I was pregnant I just stopped completely (other than half a glass of fizz at my cousins wedding) and I honestly didn't think twice/crave it. Not alcohol adverse just went without saying that it was off limits

I loved a good drink and smoke🙊before I was pregnant. We had ivf so the smoking went first
as you don't get help if
you smoke. When pregnant the drink went. It was just very much a case of that can't happen so it didn't.

My thoughts too.

OP if you really don’t think you can quit alcohol whilst pregnant, you should probably avoid pregnancy completely.

At least until you have come to terms with whatever alcohol dependency issues you have.

I think a lot can depend of the model of parental love you experienced yourself, either that it’s the norm or you consciously make a choice to be different to your own upbringing if it is wasn’t typical. I also think it massively helps if you’re a little older and have had some adult life time to prioritise your own needs. And I have to say I don’t know how people manage it without supportive partners.

I felt hungover for the first two or three months so really didn’t fancy alcohol. Once you’ve been off it for a while it’s not hard to just continue, your habits have changed. Also by then you usually go public about being pg so nobody offers you a drink.

I did have the odd drink during pregnancy, maybe twice a month.

Coffee I allowed myself 1 a day and one tea.

The real bugger was avoiding rare meat and various cheeses.

You just don’t, I was youngish and starting my career when I got pregnant with my son (an age ago) it was very much expected to go out with your team or clients most nights of the week.

If I couldn’t of quit alcohol once I found out I was off and I would of contacted my go or midwife asap for help and support

Agree that putting yourself second is a massive transition. I didn’t struggle with ths in pg but god I did with a baby/toddler.

I love wine but you just know you can't. I used to have the odd glass of wine and otherwise it was alcohol free stuff on a Saturday. I really liked Becks Blue shandy. Also having a variety of fruit teas.

When I was pregnant more than 20 years ago the advice was that a very small amount of alcohol occasionally was OK so I had a 125 mil glass of wine every few weeks when we went out - I think in the middle trimester. A long time ago so don't fully remember - think it was advised none in first and third trimester but small amount OK in middle. I ate a lot of sweets and biscuits so just told people I was using my treat calories for food (this was before I told anyone).

When my friend had her DC in the late 80s she was encouraged to drink stout!

I mean this is truly the easiest thing I have done. Compared to the other things I have done for my children!
I am not much of a drinker, though.

Sure but personally I don't see the point. I'm going to be sat up half the night feeding a baby and up early with them; there's every possibility they won't settle and I'll bring them into the bed with me which you shouldn't do if you've been drinking.
To me it's not worth it/safe. I've had the odd wine in the afternoon since having my second but evening boozing is off the table while I EBF.

I had my babies in my 20s and I loved my nights out, going dancing and drinking, but once I was pregnant I just didn't do it, i wasn't sick or anything just not interested, and I honestly didn't miss it at all.

I worked way too damn hard to get pregnant to do anything that might mess it up. I only drank while ttc if I had my period. I wasn’t taking any chances.

It took me 3 surgeries just to make my uterus a place where an embryo could actually implant and grow. I don’t know how many hours and days of my life I spent at the RE.

the ability to drink was not on my radar.

O gosh, no raw meat like no sashimi either??? And no I'm not planning on getting pregnant. I should think one can't get pregnant without sperm! 😂

You just don’t. I did miss it, so once every so often I would have an alcohol free cider (Kopperberg). Tasted exactly the same.