what's your views on alcohol and TTC?

[theidsalright]

I have read the BMJ article saying it's best to avoid it in women and that the jury is out with regards to men (surprise surprise how it tends to work out like that for them!)
BUT

-my understanding is that as TTC can take a long time, it's best to continue with "life as normal", which in my case DOES include moderate alcohol consumption.

-I have experience of becoming obsessed with the whole TTC thing and cutting things out that I usually do to socialise/relax etc will inevitably lead me to obsession again.

-a colleague told me that she used to get pissed when AF arrived as that was that for another month-do other people do this? If I have to give up I could maybe soothe myself with this

Do you think that if I am seriously TTC alcohol has to go?

I think it depends on how old you are and how much it matters to you. DP and I are not young things and we are also not straight (which adds another layer of stress and complexity to the process, arguably), so both times we have been TTC we have pretty much dumped the alcohol - certainly no more than the occasional glass of wine (maybe twice a week) - and both times I think it (together with a good diet, lots of supplements etc) has helped.

I think that in retrospect you might think that it wasn't an awful lot to ask at least for a few months - as I say, I don't think that you have to be teetotal, just very very moderate. At one level if you are not going to drink while pregnant, then why would you when trying to get pregnant?

there are plenty of folks who could drink themselves stupid and otherwise misbehave healthwise and still get pregnant easily; there are others who can't - you don't know which one you are. We just thought that if we could speed things up, why not, given the stress and expense involved?

I find it much easier to dramatically cut down, than to cut booze out all together. In theory, I allow myself 4 units per week prior to ovulation, and 2 units per week after ovulation. This means I don't get miserable about not being able to have a glass of vino, and don't make friends suspicious. Psychologically, I find it so so much easier to know that, if I really want to, I can have a glass of wine, than to deny myself altogether (which probably makes me more likely to completely crack and drink lots). :)

I am 36 soon to be 37 so yes, do probably need a helping hand, even though AFAIK everything else is OK. The established fertility problem in our equation is sperm...

You both make helpful points. I get so much pressure from people to "just relax" about it all, but the reality is that time is precious AND that I probably drink about 12 units a week...so yes, food for thought...

I have cut down considerably for a while now (in part because for the year before trying I was watching my weight and alcohol is soooooooo calorific so it was a gradual process and not solely linked to ttc) but have not cut it out completely. I always think twice about drinking in the 2ww and mostly don't do it, but if I really fancy it I will have a glass or two (probably to a max of a couple of units a week). I am a little less careful in the first two weeks of the cycle but still try not to have more than a couple of glasses of wine a couple of times a week.

It could take a couple of years to get PG and I enjoy a glass of wine. And most of the people I know who have got duffed have done it when drinking to a greater or lesser degree rather than abstaining completely. The medical advice on it seems to change every year or two and if there was conclusive research that even the odd drink in the first two weeks after conception is harmful, I am sure it would be rammed down all out throats!

Im 25 and stopped drinking about a month before trying(Jan) and havent had a drink since. It wasnt as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Its a personal choice and everyones different. It just felt right for me to give up.

you see, if it was just about personal choice that would be one thing, but the impression I get from the research is that it's not really debatable-alcohol in moderation DOES affect fertility, well from the BMJ study cited here although I understand it's a bit old. Maybe someone can point me in the direction of newer stuff? My quick search reveals not much in relation to the alcohol-fertility debate.

I think it's interesting that some people allow themselves more to drink before the fertile period, when I would have thought abstaining then would make more sense from a fertility point of view (and get that you would abstain if you hoped you were pregnant after your fertile period).

I have decided to give up but if af arrives I will have a drink.

This weekend i've been in a situation where I do usually drink and dp has said it won't hurt but I just kept thinking what if I am pregnant.

This study is a review of lots of other literature about lifestyle factors affecting reproduction, although it concentrates on those undergoing treatment for infertility, NOT the general population.

The summary says that the only things that there is strong evidence for a link between the factor and decreased pg outcomes are: Age, Weight, Smoking.

They also looked at: diet, exercise, stress, caffeine, alcohol, and environmental pollutants and found no strong evidence that it affected things one way or the other.

That doesn't mean that it doesn't affect things, of course, could just be that the studies weren't done well enough to find the link or provide strong enough evidence.

My person take on this, is that it depends on what you call 'moderate'. The BMJ study divided them into 1-5 drinks per week or greater. I don't drink anywhere near 5 drinks a week, I might have 1 glass of wine on a friday evening, or if I'm out for lunch, but even that wouldn't be every week - so I think over the course of the month I probably have 2-3 drinks max. I think hard about it in the TWW and normally abstain then but not always.

NICE guidelines suggest moderate amounts of alcohol are ok (and only talk about damaging the foetus if you happen to be pregnant):

www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/10936/29267/29267.pdf

Hmmm, it's a difficult one, I am ttc#3 however it's the 1st time I've actually tried to do it on purpose, so the last two times I was obviously drinking as usual. I think I will carry on as I am until I start experiencing some symptoms... Given that when I became pregnant the other two times drinking made me throw up I should be ok....

im going to carry on having the odd glass of wine once or twice a week like i usually do as I don't think there is anything conclusive to support ditching it.
And i like it :)

I think if you know your body is working properly (ie ovulating) like Ladybee said, alcohol isn't going to make much difference to your fertility. In fact, that study suggests it makes little odds anyway.

The danger of drinking when pregnant is to the foetus. And I think that the BMJ article would suggest a blanket NOT to drink whilst TTC because you could be pregnant and not know. And so harm the foetus. But the thing with the 2ww is that even if you manage to fertilise an egg, it won't have actually embedded into the uterus and start producing pregnancy hormones until you get that BFP. And even then, according to my fertility consultant, it isn't hooked up to the womens blood supply and isn't drawing any nourishment from our bodies until 6 weeks. Therefore, what we do during the 2ww will not affect the foetus (within reason, you understand!).

Added to the fact I'd have been abstaining for 18 months and be thoroughly miserable, I say a few drinks until the BFP appears, are definitely in order!

what an intelligent lot you are!

This is a really interesting discussion, mainly because I think lots of women DO abstain when TTC but don't know WHY, other than that thought that if they are pregnant then they don't want to harm the developing foetus (which is of course the best reason!).

The link between fertility and alcohol does appear to be open for debate though.

Personally, I think I might become a bit more moderate in my drinking, just to be sure I am giving it my best shot. I won't abstain completely though, as this could be a long haul.

i do not abstain; however, i do take a zinc supplement. alcohol consumption can lead to zinc deficiency which is thought to be key in healthy cell division and hence in reproductive health.

before this current (healthy) pregnancy i had a down's pregnancy. at the time i was not taking zinc. around the time i must have conceived we went to a wedding which was an extremely boozy weekend. there is no suggested medical link between any of these factors, but around that time i was generally out and about drinking and having lots of fun generally. maybe there will someday be a proven link between excess alcohol, zinc deficiency and chromosomal abnormality and i will realise i could have prevented it. who knows.

with the current pregnancy i did drink but not to excess, plus i took zinc. we conceived easily both times (and a chemical pregnancy in between).

i know im probably opening myself to criticism with this post, but to be honest, theres still a lot thats not known about reproduction and how random genetic mutations occur, who knows, by saying this one of you TTC-ers might go and buy a cheap bottle of zinc supplements (BTW i have also fought off every single cough cold and infection thats been going round since i started taking them) and you might unwittingly prevent an abnormality, whether you are a drinker or not.

sorry, i just realised that might have been unclear as i seem to contradict myself in para 2. what i meant was, there is no suggested link between alcohol and trisomies not the assertion that zinc could prevent this, but there is now growing evidence and knowledge of the role that zinc can play in healthy cell division and that zinc can be deficient in heavy drinkers - hence my self-flagellating thoughts are founded in logic.

Ilovekittyelise I am not sure about the other stuff you mention but the self flagellation IS very evident!