to wish there was a nice alternative to booze

[lessonsintightropes]

I am currently on my two week wait TTC. I love wine and beer and fags. I have managed to sort out the latter by switching to VIP E Cigs, and haven't had a fag for a fortnight, which after 20 years of smoking feels like a major achievement!

But for someone who didn't have a brilliantly helpful relationship with alcohol before TTC, I do miss wine. I've tried Eisberg dealcoholised white (tastes like the smell of cat wee - horrid) Waitrose low alcohol cider (v nice, almost as good as the real thing, but still 1% so in minimal quantities only and don't want to get used to drinking it), Sutter Home Fre red blend (smells nice, tastes like ribena). I have a bottle of Torres Natureo in reserve in the fridge which I haven't yet tried.

I know that some women's taste buds in pregnancy go off all their favourite sorts of booze, and to be fair, the smell of spirits is rank and can't imagine drinking any. I also would really like to change some patterns so drinking isn't part of my normal evening routine, and feel free to judge away, but before TTC it really was. The only non alcohol substitute I seem to like for a whole evening so far is bitter lemon.

If you have any, I would be super grateful to hear some reasonable alternatives to have during a night at home - this is all fairly new to me as before TTC was out most evenings and am going stir crazy!

Becks blue is good but also an alcohol free Tiger beer is available - great with a weekend curry.

Lessons- very best of luck with the 2WW btw
Here's a linky to alcohol free drinks

at nice spliff.

It is spicy tomato juice weather. Gorgeous.

Thanks Cremola, and cheers for the link

It's a bummer isn't it!

Tonic water with fresh lime/lemon/orange squeezed in

San Pelligrino cans of grapefruit/blood orange

Bottlegreen pink tonic

Fevertree Mediterranean tonic/tonic with elderflower

Virgin Mary

I was another who liked my weekend tipple, and really hoped that pregnancy would put me off booze - sadly it didn't.
I agree that Becks blue is the best tasting alcohol free lager, not as sweet as some of the others. Alcohol free wine is a complete waste of time, tastes vile!
I drank lime and soda whenever I was out, convincing myself there was a shot of vodka in there too.
As it happens, I didn't miss alcohol too much when I was pregnant, a quick sip of DH's drink usually did the trick. Just the taste seemed to be sufficient rather than wanting a whole drink.
I was 5 months pregnant last Christmas, and I thought that was going to be challenge with everyone drinking around me. I made a small glass of champagne last all afternoon and evening (until my DB got impatient with me and necked it!).

Becks Blue, Bavaria Alcohol Free, tonic water with ice and lemon, lemonade or ginger beer with mint, non alcoholic mojito from Asda, non alcoholic sangria (recipes online)

2 codeine and a diet coke.

I have given up the booze as well and drink sparkling water with ice and a couple of dashes of bitters. Angostura is ok, Peychaud's is really nice, but if you can get orange or grapefruit they are lovely.

They cost a bit but I love them.

I agree, sometimes the soft drinks just don't cut it and all seem a bit samey and sweet after a while.
Lime and soda is a good alternative to wine. (Kind of dry.)
Pear flavour Schloer is yummy.
Alcohol free stuff though, I second the alcohol free Koppaberg as that's gorgeous!
The Becks one is nice too.

Most non alcoholic lager is lovely (Beck's esp) or shandy too. I didn't go off wine at all but would have a glass every so often - I had a particular glass that only held 75ml and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip. Then I would switch to apple juice mixed with fizzy water - a delicious drink that is not so sweet as to be sickly and easy to drink slowly when out for the night.

If someone could invent a nice alcohol free red wine I'd be a very happy person. I wasn't a big red wine drinker but craved it all the way through my pregnancy. Sadly, alcohol free wines are generally vile.

Elderflower cordial with sparkling water is nice, as is Becks Blue/Bavaria for a taste of beer.

I just had pear and cardamom juice from Sainsbury's. Can't really taste the cardamom, but it's rather nice. I also got a carton of ginger lemonade, but I haven't tasted that yet.

sainsburys alcohol free cider is nice. I used to drink american dry ginger chilled from a wine glass and kid myself it was alcoholic, swear I got giggly on it one afternoon. good luck.

I don't know if someone has said it - But I don't like cider, however koppaberg non alcoholic pear cider is amazing.

Try it over lots of ice - yum!

I must be old fashioned - how on earth will the odd glass of wine stop you conceiving?
If it reduces your stress, makes you feel better and makes life that bit more worth living, what on EARTH is the problem?
And please, nobody say Fetal Alcohol syndrome - that does not kick in till over 20 units a day.

actually talkin whilst I agree with you to a certain extent there is inconclusive proof as to the damage alcohol can do when pregnant and even though I am sure a glass or two won't damage TTC it does erode the intake of vitamins, alter sleep patterns so has some effect on health and if TTC most people want to give it their best chance. latest research has said that getting partner to give up makes no difference to sperm count, different advice to what I was given back in the day, but IMO even if this is true don't tell him -let him suffer too--

in my case I found that not working 60 hours a week for a shit boss had a much bigger impact than the odd glass of wine

its a bit like the "sleep on their back" for babies because "don't be poor" is pretty useless advice.

honestly OP
live a little and minimise stress

There are plenty, they just aren't 'legal'