Wine every night

[leopardprintanduggs]

I'm currently on maternity leave and have got myself into a routine of a glass or two of wine a night. I know this isn't ideal health wise but I feel like I need something to 'look forward to' in the evening and separate the night from the day. Anyone else in the same boat? I'm not a big eater so this is my treat. I've not bought a bottle of wine today as a concerted effort to have a night off and already feeling like there's nothing much to look forward tonight!

Totally get you. It’s how I got through my 30s and 40s, the stresses of work and caring responsibilities for kids and parents

Im now my 50s and due to weight gain I’ve given up most wine and am replacing the endorphins with the exercise bike.

Im worried that the wine over the years has damaged my memory and brain power but it might just be meno- brain fog, hard to know. It’s definitely not a good calorie source though, I’d try to start a better habit if you can

Wine in any more than a very small amount seems to be now accepted as carcinogenic. This, more than the dependency issue, has made me reduce what I drink a lot in the last few years.

Try lots of no alcohol substitutes.

Change your wine glasses to 125ml.

Add other wee treats as substitutes.

On mumsnet, eating crap seems to be more acceptable than drinking, which is a tad hypocritical

If you're EBF should you be drinking 2 glasses of wine a night? I didn't drink while I was breastfeeding but don't know what the guidelines are! It does sound like it could creep up on you and you're possibly drinking more than the recommended units per week. I would try having a few nights per week without drinking - treat yourself to a nice soak in lovely bubble bath and a herbal tea or some sparkling grape juice.

I’m not a drinker but fourteen glasses of wine a week while breastfeeding? I haven’t googled but I think that would concern me enough to check what (if any) alcohol is acceptable for a wee baby to be taking in their milk.

If she's feeding more than 2 hours after drinking the wine, her milk will be clear.

It's the drinking every night that I think is problematic.
When you establish a routine of drinking to that extent that's when you are in real danger of establishing a dependency. Your body isn't getting chance to flush the alcohol out of your system when you drink daily.
And it really is only a matter of time before the daily amount increases
I honestly think you should at least have some alcohol free days.
I speak btw as someone who has had a problematic relationship with alcohol all my adult life.

Alcohol is hugely diluted in breast milk so a glass or two of wine is negligible - as long as sober enough to look after baby, sober enough to feed is the guidance now. The actual danger is bed sharing after drinking which I don't do

Even if she's not, the levels passed to milk are negligible

Using alcohol to help you emotionally isn’t good.

@StormingNorman I agree - but I'm not. I'm very happy in my life at the moment, it just breaks up the evening and helps me feel a bit more like myself rather than wholly consumed in a baby bubble

I think giving up booze when pregnant is different to giving it up when you're not. When you're pregnant most of us instinctively do the right things to protect, nurture and grow this little thing inside us. Most of us are a bit more destructive when it comes to our own selves.

You're drinking 3-4 bottles a week, that's going to have an impact on your health and your overall wellbeing as well as your finances. I like a drink but if I drink every night (like at Christmas or on holiday) I feel like shit by the end of the week. If you want "me time" there's loads of stuff you can do that don't involve wine.

I think I would set myself the challenge to have a day without drink some time in the next week. I would then see how I felt without getting to have the drink?

I think I’d be concerned that it takes alcohol to make me feel like myself. My ex is a former (sober) alcoholic so I am probably more sensitive to people’s drinking habits and their denials.

OP, I don’t know if medical facts would help. Feel free to ignore.

The Times reporting a Californian study last year:

‘Glass of wine a day raises women’s heart disease risk’

Having at least eight alcoholic drinks a week on average significantly raises the risk of heart problems in young and middle-aged women, a study has found. Alcohol raises blood pressure and increases inflammation, even in young adults.

Women who drink more than one glass of wine a day are 45 per cent more likely to develop heart disease, research shows.
Having at least eight alcoholic drinks a week on average significantly raises the risk of heart problems in young and middle-aged women, particularly if they also binge drink some nights.
Scientists studied the drinking habits of 430,000 adults in California, who had an average age of 44, and none of whom were teetotal.
Their habits were followed for four years, and during which 3,108 developed heart disease — which can cause deadly heart attacks and strokes, and usually affects older adults.
The more people drank, the more likely they were to be diagnosed with heart disease, particularly in women. The authors said this is because alcohol raises blood pressure and causes inflammation, even in young adults.

I've not bought a bottle of wine today as a concerted effort to have a night off and already feeling like there's nothing much to look forward tonight!

That mindset is a bit concerning. "Nothing much to look forward to" (except for drinking)🤔

It's widely accepted now that no amount of alcohol is "safe" and even staying within the guidelines carries an increased breast cancer risk. I enjoy a glass or two per week but accept that even that small amount likely isn't risk free.

So it really is up to you, OP. There are long-term risks to even moderate drinking so it's a habit worth reconsidering.

If you thought it was ok you wouldn’t have posted

Drink something without alcohol and your health will thank you.

The WHO last March:

Breast cancer cases in Europe higher than ever
Breast cancer represents a major health concern for women across the WHO European Region, with more than 600 000 cases in 2022. The role of alcohol as a preventable risk factor for breast cancer is critical. For women in Europe, breast cancer is the primary cancer caused by alcohol, making up 66% of all cases of alcohol-attributable cancers.

Research indicates that even relatively low levels of alcohol consumption can contribute to the risk of developing breast cancer. More than half of all breast cancer cases attributable to alcohol in Europe are not due to heavy drinking, and about one third of new cases every year are due to drinking the equivalent of up to 2 small glasses of wine per day.

Two family members died from their alcohol addictions. Using alcohol to change how I feel would be a red flag for me. I don’t drink when I feel like I need a drink - ever.

Alcohol the answer to and the cause of all life's problems, as I believe Homer Simpson said.
It's a nasty neurotoxin, it resets our dopamine and makes us think life without it is boring.
I became allergic post menopause. I haven't had a drink for many years, I see it as an unexpected gift. I enjoy so many other things now.
I listened to a podcast by a lovely American lady Sober powered, and she explains how alcohol messes up our ability to feel pleasure. Basically drinking scale goes up to 100, normal enjoying the sunset or waking up on Saturday morning scale goes up to 10.
It can take a while to reset, that's why dry January although good isn't that good.

I get where you are coming from . I used to ‘only drink at weekends’ . Ie. Open a bottle on Friday, then maybe smother with the Sunday roast, which we’d finish in the Monday or Tuesday. Realised then I was drinking most nights.

OP, I don’t subscribe to the bizarre puritan approach taken by many on this thread. We are adults and we have a choice. I’ve been where you are on and off and never, ever had an actual problem with alcohol. I’ve had large periods of life where I didn’t drink for months or years. I grew up in Europe, where binge drinking wasn’t a ‘thing’ and a small glass of red wine with supper was normal.
Alcohol isn’t great for you, but it does relax you, so if it’s what you want a few nights a week, make that choice as an adult. Every night is probably too much…everything in moderation. Life is to be lived….as long as you watch it doesn’t get worse and you don’t rely on it….who cares!

Yeah I hear you OP, fellow nightly drinker here.
Agree with others, it does gradually creep up though and every day is really not good for you.
I struggled to stop as I couldn't find any alternative but I have since discovered Tanqueray Gin 0% if you like Gin.
I still haven't found a good 0% wine but there is one called Nice Session (red and white) at 3.5%. I like the white and DH says the red is really nice.
I try to do a few nights with no alcohol and end it with a herbal 'Sleep' tea