To not risk drinking any alcohol even before I can find out if I’m pregnant?

[Reedshoes]

Or is it a bit OTT?

Trying for a baby and would be due on my period in a week so next Friday. So if I was pregnant right now, it would be very early on.

A friends having a BBQ so we’re going (socially distancing of course) and she asked what I’d like to drink so I explained the situation and I’ll stick to soft drinks and she made a joke that I was being totally OTT as I may not even be pregnant yet.

I might not be....but I might!

She said a couple of glasses a wine will be fine. I see her point but wanted other opinions as to whether I’m being OTT?

A couple of days after ovulation, you aren't even capable of being "pregnant". The very earliest implantation can take place is 6 days after ovulation. I mean, you never need a reason to not drink if you just don't want to drink, but it would be fairly pointless to not drink every time you ovulate, especially since you're talking about a couple of drinks and not a bender.

I started doing this and then it took years TTC and so carried on as normal x

Untill the embryo has actualy implanted theres very little risk of having a drink. However it's best to not drink or reduce the amount you are drinking while trying to conceive.

This is very much a "you do you" scenario. If you'd rather not then don't! I do have a drink in the TWW, but that's my choice. I've been TTC my second for several months so far. I did the same with my first.

Getting shit faced also increases your odds of conceiving in my experience

@Megan2018

I’ve that can be the case 😂

Heard

Thanks very much for your support ladies, much appreciated.

I’ve taken from this, that actually I am going to have a glass or two of wine at the BBQ. I don’t love social events really so having a glass of wine takes the edge off but I felt guilty for even considering it.

I don’t now 😬😃 thank you

Who the fuck's business is it to even question what you're drinking OP let alone comment on it ?

There are myriad reasons why you could be not drinking, other than ttc. None of their business! You do you, up to you entirely x

I drank as normal when we were trying. We were very fortunate that I got pregnant immediately. I poured myself a glass of wine on the Friday night, two weeks after, as usual and found that I couldn't stomach it, I didn't fancy it at all. I was worried there was something seriously wrong as that is unheard of for me! Was probably just my body's way of telling me not to drink. I went and did the test and that confirmed that I was pregnant. So you might find that you can't stomach it anyway when you do have a glass! Good luck for TTC.

Drink while you still have the opportunity. As soon as you know is the time to stop

Honestly, I’ve been trying to conceive for 9 months now including one miscarriage and I’d highly recommend you don’t go in all guns blazing with avoiding alcohol, trying to have sex at the exact right moment etc as it just massively increases the stress and guilt if you don’t conceive but you feel you’ve got to stick to it. As everyone here had pointed out, an embryo doesn’t receive anything from the mother for the first few weeks as it completely lives off the yolk sac, so it’s literally pointless.

All the advice around drinking in pregnancy is based on the fact they’re not allowed to do clinical trials on pregnant women due to ethics - so nobody knows how much alcohol is “bad”, but they do know that after a certain (very high) point it is very bad (foetal alcohol syndrome). But they can’t do trials to define what a “safe” amount is so they default to the most cautious advice which is to completely avoid alcohol. But there is literally no evidence that a small amount is harmful, but nobody can tell you what “small” is. I can assure you it’s more than a glass or two of wine once or twice a week the week after you ovulate though.

Seriously - the best way to avoid stress and upset when TTC is to recognise it is likely to take a year or so. Then decide if you really want to avoid alcohol for two weeks every month for a year or more with no evidence that this is necessary. If you get pregnant in the first month or two great, but be mentally prepared if may be much, much longer.

Your body, your choice.
Just remember that 1000s of years ago, water was so dirty that most people drank alcohol instead and people still reproduced.
Also, there's plenty of other things far riskier than exposing an unborn child to a glass or two of alcohol... like smoking, chemicals in some foods, some medication etc.

A drink or two will be fine - especially in the first few days after you ovulate, because implantation doesn’t even occur until 6-12 days after conception.

You don’t have to do anything that makes you anxious, but you won’t do any harm by having a couple of drinks.

Well I gave up alcohol 3 months before starting ttc so I'm sure your friend would love me

Yanbu!

Took me a year to get pregnant, no way was I sacrificing a drink when I wanted one. But you do whatever makes you feel comfortable. I'm sure you'll probably relax about it if it takes longer than anticipated

Aren’t you meant to abstain from alcohol whilst you’re TTC? Men included.

I mean even if chances of harm are low.

Why would you risk it?

Enjoy the alcohol. After 2.5 years of trying the month I got pregnant was the month I had a huge Eurovision party and got shit faced a week after ovulation. That baby is now 3.

I was also 37 weeks pregnant on Christmas Day twice. I had a glass of champagne both times

I've been ttc for 3 years, I started thinking no alcohol but I still have it now on the tww.

Can I just say all these posts about 'I want to ensure I cause no harm' are not helpful whatsoever. Speaking as someone has has had a few miscarriages. I know people might not mean it like that, but implying it would be someone's 'fault' they miscarried because they had a few glasses of wine is not okay.

I mean even if chances of harm are low.

The chances of harm from a physiological sense are zero. So why make it an issue?

The chances of harm from a physiological sense are zero. So why make it an issue?

Why bother giving up alcohol at all then for the first 5-6 weeks. May as well go out and get shit faced every night if that’s the case.

YANBU it's totally up to you. We're TTC and my ovulation date is between tomorrow and Tuesday. I've cut back on drinking already but I'm going to a party tomorrow with 10 good friends who will be all over me like a rash if I inexplicably wasn't drinking (in a good natured way, if I didn't comment or brushed it off they wouldn't push it) so I'll have a few G&Ts to keep them off the scent as we're not currently telling anyone that we're TTC. And, because I'll want a few, tbh! As soon as I have a BFP all booze will be out the window.

May as well go out and get shit faced every night if that’s the case.

Well it wouldn’t affect the baby.

Plenty of other reasons why you wouldn’t do that though.

@FurbabyLife - why do both need to abstain from alcohol if trying to conceive? Is that backed up with any medical evidence of something you've come up with yourself?

I personally don’t think it’s a big deal. I did limit the amount of alcohol I drank when trying for DS. Like about 2/3 glasses wine a week. Throughout The whole of my pregnancy I had a beer , 3 glasses wine and 3 glasses fizz. So 7 alcoholic drinks altogether.
With DD I found out I was preg in January and I had lots to drink over Xmas period so was very worried but I spoke to midwife who was very reassuring. I didn’t drink again when preg with her because I felt guilty about my drinking before I found out that I was expecting.