To want to know your not-drinking excuses

[Lambzig]

I need an excuse for not drinking when I visit my d parents next weekend.

My father usually starts in on the gin and tonics at the stroke of 6, opens a few bottles with dinner and gets the cognac out with dessert. Usually this is lovely (except he gets a bit argumentative by coffee), but I cant drink at the moment, and dont want to tell him why, and need a good excuse - the old antibiotics excuse wont wash.

Has anyone got a good excuse?

(oops) you've got a hangver- your Dad will appreciate that!

Say you've already taken painkillers for a headache and alcohol would make it worse. It's a believeable excuse for most people.

I know you've said this is normally lovely of your dad, but I have to say, I find it hugely irritating when people seem to thik choosing not to drink on any particular occasion is some kind of deviant behaviour that they have the right to interrogate you about. I don't ask them why they've not served themselves any carrots and why and oh go on, don't be miserable about the carrots, so why it should work that way with any other substance for consumption beats me.

In the excuse realm, the accepting but not drinking a drink seems well recommended; however, over the course of 2 whole evenings it might geta bit like a French farce with all the trips to the sink/bathroom/plant pot. I second Neko's suggestion above about how you're giving up for a month. That should evoke enough guilt to either keep him quiet, or start an argument but in that case you can take the moral high ground.

Kidney infection

Gleefully describe the Pissing pure blood and hope its tmi.

worked for me at a boost party when I was just getting over a kidney infection, I got it as part of a rip - roaring uti (doctors exact description) so if they push, just start telling them about cystitis
Should shut em up!

Yup, I'd go with the cystitis one too. I tried using antibiotics as an excuse when pg and it totally backfired when one particularly irritating colleague started harping on about how his dad was a doctor "and it's utter nonsense, of course you can have a drink", they put the pressure on even more!
I didn't used to drink at all, and it's very difficult for people to accept, they think you're very odd not 'joining in'. I just stuck to my guns and repeated no thanks, over and over again.
If its just your dad that won't let up, let him pour you a glass the third time he insists, then just don't drink it. He may well stop offering if he sees his lovely booze going to waste!
Good luck

I used the cystitis excuse last week at a dinner party. Especially helps to explain the frequent loo trips as well.

Take your own bottle of non-alcoholic wine/beer/whatever you normally drink or something non-alcoholic decanted into a different bottle and only drink that.

Or claim you've never been a drinker, put on a worried face and ask your father if he's confused/suffering memory loss.

The only reason I've ever had for not drinking (except pregnancy) is diet. You could try ooh, do you know how many calories are in gin????? No thanks I'll stick to the water!

Too many calories (this is my real reason, not an excuse). If he insists on pouring you a drink, just leave it. If he nags you about it, it's a control thing and you do not have to respond.

It's beyond me - I'm sorry - why you can't just say 'no'. If he pushes it, just tell him you've given up drinking as it's so unhealthy. Put the spotlight back on to his own drinking excesses!

A few thoughts:

1. People will judge you for what will look like heavy drinking during pregnancy as when you do announce it, they'll think back. If you then explain you tipped some very nice wine down the sink or whatever, they'll either not believe you or think it a waste and you an idiot but you'll get lots of faces.

2. if the absolute worst happens and you miscarry (or terminate if you are waiting for test results or carry in with a pregnancy despite finding something out), actually you are probably going to tell your parents and close friends, and other people who are going to care about it and support you through it. Heck, you'll probably even tell your boss as you may end up in hospital and need several days off. You may even want people to know in order to validate the pregnancy for you. Miscarriage can be absolutely awful for both a woman and the DH - are you certain now you won't want support?

3. people sadly miscarry or lose their baby later than 12 weeks, and after scans and tests.

All in all, I simply do not understand the obsession with keeping it and why people hide not drinking from those close family and friends you'd tell anyway if something happened.

Because as well, even with all the above, chances are you'll have a successful pregnancy anyway!

Im with BIWI. All this is perpetuating that drinking = everyone must and not drinking = pregnant.
When did it not become ok to say 'I dont drink or I dont fancy drinking' and that be normal and ok?

I'm driving ... Which is usually the truth too.

mishimoshi, i don't think the OP has actually said she is pregnant.

Glad my cystitis suggestion has gone down well.
Lol at pissing blood.
I find it works to avoid dh's nocturnal fumblings too.

You can drink with most antibiotics these days, so you can't use that as an excuse.
Either plead a headache or say that you are taking oral antihistamines for an allergic reaction. You definitely can't mix alcohol and antihistamines.

Euphemia - so make a stand. Tell them this is your way and what you want to do.

It's the reason we have such a poor relationship with alcohol in this country. Everyone is expected to have a drink and is seen as weird or having something wrong with them if they refuse without an acceptable excuse.

Just say no. The MN mantra - 'no is a complete sentence'!

Same as twois. I had Metronidazole for a gum abcess and you absolutely cannot have a drop of alcohol or it will make you violently ill. You do have to eat plenty of food with them as well .

Gin and tonic at the stroke of 6... - heckling the vicar at a christening! OP your Dad sounds hilarious!!

p.s all my best ideas have already been suggested and as I tend to get a little competitive at these threads and start wanting my suggestion to be picked I had better not scrape the barrel with something rubbish or it could quite ruin my sunday.

Good luck. Congrats on the pregnancy

Lolling at the fact that people are grumpy because of the pregnancy assumption of anyone who turns down alcohol - and we (including me) are assuming she's pregnant!

I second the Metronidazole one.

Whatever excuse you use, they will still ask if you are pregnant. The best way to avoid telling them is to not see them until you want them to know. Your dad sounds awesome BTW.