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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

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Original poster

Drinking whilst TTC

21 replies

VeniVidiVino · 13/11/2011 19:32

DH and I are planning to start TTC in December (not long now - woop!) and I've been wondering about drinking when the time comes. As far as I understand it (and please do correct me if I'm wrong - new to this and some of you MNers have sooo much more knowledge than I do!) If you have a 'normal' 28 day cycle then day 1 is the first day of AF and ovulation is around day 10-14 depending. BUT - if you get upduffed then you have technically been pregnant since day 1 of your cycle, ie two weeks before you actually were pg. So, my question is, does any drinking you do in the two weeks(ish) leading up to conception count as early pregnancy drinking?

I really hope that makes sense, any advice would be really welcome as I can't work this one out at all

OP posts:

Signet2012 · 13/11/2011 20:18

I just posted something very similiar.

Im a tad worried :S

so bump

notnowImreading · 13/11/2011 20:29

I don't think so. I think the way of counting is just that - a way of counting. I've been ttc for ages and a nice glass of wine is the one consolation for the bloody period appearing again. Having said that, both times I've got pg have been when I've cut my drinking right down, so it does seem to help you get baby-ready. At the moment I know I ovulate on day 15 of my cycle so I stop drinking on day 12.

This is not particularly scientific!

eurochick · 13/11/2011 20:33

The first two weeks are counted because it is easier for drs to count pregnancy from the date of your last period. You are not actually pregnant then, although a dr would "date" your pregnancy from then. It's a fiction, for administrative convenience.

Oh and apparently, the embryo won't share your blood supply for a while after conception anyway. I can't remember the exact time. I'm sure there will be some info on the net somewhere.

gigglepin · 13/11/2011 20:35

well, from my experience of ttc for about 8 years now, and refusing to touch alcohol during this time, i would advise that you should enjoy a drink..in moderation becuase you are really putting such allot on hold for an undetermined length of time.
It can get a bit well, mind numbingly obsessive and very very tedious.

Original poster

VeniVidiVino · 13/11/2011 20:41

Thanks eurochick that seems to make logical sense, I shall give it a google :)

now and giggle I am enjoying what could be my last opportunity in a fair while to have but DH and I are cutting down to smaller amounts at weekends only apart from me accidentally getting drunk on Friday thanks for the advice!

OP posts:

MrFawkesMan · 13/11/2011 20:48

Had a conversation the other day with a friend who is head of OB/Gyn for a string of hospitals. He told me that as far as the research shows, a low level of alcohol (a glass a day) actually improves birth outcomes. It is hard to explain this to people in a controlled way (people would think they can drink any amount) so they don't communicate it.

Hope this helps you feel a bit less anxious about it :)

academyblues · 13/11/2011 20:48

You're not actually pregnant until the fertilised egg embeds in the uterus wall and starts producing HSG.

If you don't want to drink if you might be pregnant, you could stop a few days before your period is due.

If you have difficulty conceiving/want to maximise your chances, studies do suggest that women tend to conceive quicker when they - and preferably their partner or whoever's sperm it is - really cut down or stop drinking.

What you plan to do sounds about right. Good luck!

LibrarianAli · 13/11/2011 20:51

When we first started TTC and I was all eager and enthusiastic I was quite prim about drinking (and blue cheese, and pate, and going jogging), but now it's been a while and there's still no pregnancy I've decided there's no point putting my life on hold until I get that BFP, that's not to say I'm deliberately being un-healthy, but I've had a couple of glasses of wine with my dinner and enjoyed them thoroughly. I think my future baby will be happy that I've enjoyed these month instead of getting all stressed and tense!

rollonchristmas · 13/11/2011 21:01

I'm curious about this too, i'll be in this sit. soom

marking my place

I agree with cutting down until you know,

if you become preg and then bf you will have to abstain for a long time, make the most of it.

Original poster

VeniVidiVino · 13/11/2011 21:02

Thanks for all the advice :) especially good mrfawkes to hear that a bit of is supported by OB/GYN types.

librarianali and giggle I have my fingers crossed for both of your BFPs soon.

OP posts:

DialMforMummy · 13/11/2011 21:36

I've decided there's no point putting my life on hold until I get that BFP
I could not agree more. Live like you normally do, I did. I think that some people who are TTC put themselves under too much pressure and that is not helpful and certainly won't help you conceive faster. Having said that, I agree with the slowing down bit, certainly worth trying if you have been TTC for a while without results.
Best of luck!

eurochick · 13/11/2011 21:41

Almost a year in to our concerted effort to ttc (rather than taking a casual approach to contraception!), I refuse to live as "pre-pregnant" for half of each cycle - that would have been 6 months of this year! I think it would just make me more stressed if I had to drink softs at each work event, night out with friends, weddings, etc and that is not good for ttc either. I have moderated my intake (along with trying to eat more fruit and veg and make sure I do the exercise I should do) but I haven't cut it out.

In terms of the timing, as I understand the process, you don't ovulate until roughly two weeks before your next period. Then the egg has to meet sperm and travel down the fallopian tubes to reach the womb. Then it has to implant (I think this happens on average 3-10 days after ovulation). Then for the first while (not sure exactly how long) the embryo is nourished by the egg yolk. Then after that it starts sharing your blood supply. So it doesn't happen straight away after conception. I hope this helps!

Minshu · 13/11/2011 22:25

My theory is that it can't matter that much until the blood supply is shared, which is a good few weeks after conception.

The reason for me holding on to that theory is a bender I went on while feeling premenstrual, not realising that the symptoms were actually pregnancy DD is fine.

Disclaimer: early pregnancy benders definitely not recommended, just not worth beating yourself up about.

KatAndKit · 14/11/2011 09:28

Until you get a positive test there is no need to start behaving as if you are pregnant. Otherwise you could have months of abstinence whilst ttc, followed by 9 months of pregnancy. Add on 6 months for breastfeeding and that might be a minimum of 18 months no booze. And that is if you conceive quickly.

Benders are not a great idea anyway. Excessive drinking on a regular basis may affect your fertility and make ttc take longer. Same problem if your man is going on benders.

But normal drinking before you know you are pregnant is fine. And if you get upduffed you haven't technically been pregnant since your last period. It's just a dating system that was invented as a rough guide before ultrasound dating was available.

Stasi · 14/11/2011 17:49

From the Patient.co.uk website:

"Advice from the Department of Health is that you should not drink at all if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. However, the exact amount of alcohol that is safe during pregnancy is not known. This is why the advice is not to drink at all. The very early stages of pregnancy may be the most vulnerable time. This is why it is just as important not to drink alcohol when you are trying to become pregnant. If you do chose to drink alcohol when you are pregnant then limit it to one or two units, once or twice a week. And never get drunk."

The only thing that is known is heavy drinking is bad. It is not proven that drinking before your baby has implanted is not bad, it is just not known.

I choose not to drink, but I don't like alcohol, so that is an easy choice for me to make. I think it is very unlikely that your child will have any recognisable problems or disorders if you drink moderately while ttc, or even while pg. To me, 15-20 units a week seems like an awful lot, and that is the only proven level to have a connection to serious side effects.

You have to make this decision for yourself, and feel comfortable you've made the right decision. I feel lucky that I don't like alcohol, and work with a number of non-drinkers, so it's easy for me to cut out the drinking. Though, even I occasionally have a glass of wine the day my AF turns up, along with a nice meal and a movie. Like a consolation prize. :)

eurochick · 14/11/2011 18:24

As far as I understand it, the advice not to drink at all is not based on any scientific research at all (and contrasts with the advice of a few years ago when up to a few units a week [don't remember exact number] were fine according to DoH).

Stasi · 15/11/2011 16:27

I was surprised to see that too - probably didn't make it very clear, but the only conclusions with evidence that I found on that site are for drinking over 15 units a week (for increased miscarriage and low birthweight), they don't count that as "heavy drinking" which is the only one linked to foetal alcohol syndrome.

However, my personal view is, if in 10 years time they discover alcohol is bad, and I'd drunk during my pg, I'd feel terrible. I don't want regrets, so I abstain. However, it's easy for me to do, and a lot harder for others. I do not pass judgement on anyone who chooses to drink through their pg - unless it's excessively.

eurochick · 15/11/2011 16:32

On a lighter note, the trickiest thing about drinking while ttc is making sure you don't spill any.

Ithangkew.

PopcornMouse · 15/11/2011 16:33

rotfl :o

Stasi · 15/11/2011 16:34

Hehe... maybe a baby bottle or a tomee tipee cup? (maybe a step too far there?)

I'm really glad that people know me as someone who doesn't drink. It would be really awkward to have everyone assume I'm ttc/pg because I chose not to drink while out with friends.

seriouscaffeineaddict · 16/11/2011 20:33

Phew, here I was thinking I must be the devil incarnate for not being able to put life on hold for the 2.5 years of ttc so far. Caffeine and vino both in moderation here, I'd be going out of my mind otherwise.

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