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!

You sound like an alcoholic

Also you must be spending a fair whack each month on booze. What about treating yourself to nice things each month instead to help you break the habit.

According to nhs guidelines ,as a breast feeding mum you are drinking too much.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding-and-lifestyle/alcohol/ you shouldn’t feed the baby until after 2-3 hrs for each drink you have, so if you are drinking 2 glasses a night isn’t that an issue as it would mean you can’t feed for perhaps 6 hrs?

You need a replacement like a dash water, no alcohol g and t or really posh expensive herbal tea

You're on ML so your baby must be so little, and you're drinking every night. Does that sound ok to you?

According to nhs guidelines ,as a breast feeding mum you are drinking too much.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding-and-lifestyle/alcohol/ you shouldn’t feed for more than 2-3 hrs for each drink you have, so if you are drinking 2 a night isn’t that an issue?

OP you say not many people live tee-totally. True, most adults don't completely abstain. But I think there are many of us who don't drink regularly. I'm someone who has only ever associated alcohol with socialising. I've never once had an alcoholic drink on my own (I'm mid 40s). I'm completely over binge drinking (that pretty much stopped in my 20s) - a couple beers is my max these days. Months can go by and I don't have any alcohol at all - it just doesn't cross my mind. I think you are at very high risk of addiction: you are drinking on a daily basis; you are using it to relax; you have a family history of alcoholism; presumably you sometimes drink alone.

I'd recommend you do something about this now so that it's not your child posting in a few decades about their alcoholic mother.

We did this in Covid for exactly the reasons you say - it sort of separately the monotony. No issues whatsoever stopping.

I would say though, if you have to make a concerted effort not to drink, that you probably need to have more nights of not drinking.

I always thought wine in moderation had a protective effect on the body?

www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1197745/full

Other key factors for cancer are obesity, genetics and smoking.

OP - try drinking a substitute like Roses lime, dash of lemon and soda. Add a splash of bitters for flavour and serve in your usual wine glass.
I've just done Dry January drinking this and actually look forward to it. I've found the no alcohol wines far too sweet and they are probably full of crap.
Even if you have a glass of wine afterwards you will have cut down.

I always thought wine in moderation had a protective effect on the body

Not several bottles a week 😂

OP at the end of last year I was in a v similar boat, about two glasses a night, one while cooking and another after or with dinner. It's pretty common eg in France to drink a bit every night (although less likely to do so alone eg while cooking).

Decided to do a low alcohol January - I bought a big box of multiple flavoured kombucha which is nice if you don't like sweet drinks that much, it's almost vinegary but in a nice way, definitely tastes closer to alcohol than to fizzy pop. I now have one of them in a nice glass with ice and lime etc while cooking and another later, 3 or so days a week. If you make an effort to make it fancy it's still a good treat, and you can still have wine the other days. Or swap the "cooking" drink for non alc and still have your actual drink after - you've halved your intake. Another idea would be 2 wine spritzes (if you drink white or rosé), so use one glass worth of wine but have two nice drinks. Although maybe more of a summer idea!

A nice bath and a relax is a good alternative too.

If you do like non alcoholic options, the guardian just reviewed the best - https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/feb/04/best-low-alcohol-non-alcoholic-drinks?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Join in on the Damp Feb thread- lots of us who are trying to tone it down a little without being too censorious

Yes that's why I said 'moderation'. Some posters are saying that any amount of alcohol can cause cancer.

Yes I'm on there ☺️
It's really helpful and very non judgmental

What would you do if something happened and you needed to drive to the hospital? I think it's important to stay sober in charge of children. Unless you have a partner, in which case you can take it in turns.

Actually that is what the evidence now shows - any amount of alcohol increases risk (and obviously the more you consume, the greater the risk).

WHO:
www.who.int/europe/news-room/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

Yeah, i personally think its wrong to drink whilst breast feeding as much as it is when pregnant, but like i said, personal opinion.

As for if you're drinking too much or have a problem, i'd class you as yes, you do. You actively look forward to drinking every single night and feel like theres nothing to look forward to if you're not going to have a drink. Thats bordering alcohol dependency in my book.

I missed she is breastfeeding 😞 good grief

You are going down a bad path if you need a glass of wine every night to look forward to. I have seen some people start like that and get a lot worse.

I was like you, a glass most nights after work, my go to now is a can of coke zero in the evenings, it’s the only time I drink something different than a coffee for breakfast and water all day

This is spot on. We now know almost no alcohol makes it through into the milk, the previous guidance was more to ensure no one was drunk and looking after a baby - that is where the danger lied.

I'm suprised at everyone's response 2 a glass of wine cooking and a glass with or after a meal. Yes it's not ideal and for your health less would be more. But there's probably something in everyone's diet this would apply to, chocolate/ crips / dessert / snacks.

If you're concerned - then cut down in some way and that will only be a positive. Non alcoholic wine is probably worse for you with how sweet it is, but things like Seedlip can make a nice non alcoholic cocktail equivalent.

Good luck getting through those early months xx

Gosh, no way would I drink that much while feeding no matter what anyone says..

Its not hypocritical. They are two different substances with two different consequences.

I can't find this thread, are you able to link it? Cheers!

OP doesn't want ideas to cut down. She's looking for people to agree that there's nothing wrong with her drinking habit.