Booze and the 2WW...

[RightUpMyRue]

Do you refrain or indulge like I just did?

I did a test and when it came back negative. Again. I poured myself a glass. It could still be a little early this month. There's still a small chance but I am def partaking! Do join me for a glass! :)

Good to know I'm not alone, wineis I'm only about 5-6 DPO so the test I did this morning and the day before was obviously negative. I think I've read somewhere, on here possibly, that the foetus doesn't share your blood supply until about 6 weeks anyway?

I think it's probably pretty safe to have a glass or two until we get a lovely BFP. Cheers

I think you are right! Plus if you're only 5/6 days you are probably preimplantation so def no trouble! Good luck for a BFP this month?! Chink! I'll drink to that ;p x

I think I might have actually been pissed when I tested with ds1 . Ah feck it, they aren't even joined into your bloodstream for quite awhile, it was negative btw, probably due to my dilute wee, was bfp the next day , and yes I was good and abstained.

Erm actually why on earth would you test 5-6 dpo

My name is RightUp and I am a testerholic.

That is why.

I shouldn't worry too much. You've potentially got the next 8 and a bit months or so to abstain...

I wouldn't worry about it. As you say, the baby doesn't share your bloodstream initially. It might take a while and living as "pre-pregnant" for months on end can be dispiriting.

However, if you have been trying a while and not getting anywhere, you might want to consider cutting down. I've looked at this in some detail (as I love my wine so I really didn't want it to be so!) and there are studies out there that show a really quite substantial impact on conception rates for even modest amounts of alcohol consumption. I find it difficult to believe these studies as I know so many people who were trollied around the time they conceived and before finding out they were pregnant. Nonetheless the studies are there and most IVF clinics seem to recommend abstaining totally. We are preparing for IVF and I have decided to abstain for a while. It was a difficult decision for me because I really do enjoy a nice glass of wine and am a bit of a "wine buff" and I am sceptical because of all the anecdotal evidence I just mentioned, but at this point we have been trying so long I am prepared to try pretty much anything.

In short, it seems like it might have an effect on conception rates, but if you are not having problems personally I would carry on as normal until you get a BFP (and this is the approach we took for well over a year of ttc).

tricky one.....

Basically I completely agree with eurochick

i was very lucky with DS and conceived easily (probably when pissed and drank throughout the 2WW as we weren't really trying) but getting pg a second time was harder. I was a moderate drinker (1/2 bottle of wine a couple of times a week) but after 6 months of TTC i gave up drinking and 5 weeks later got my BFP.

It may well be totally unrelated but if you have been trying for a while it might be worth giving up (or dramatically cutting down)

Eurochick - i recognise your name from round these boards - wishing you all the luck in the world with your IVF x

Thanks berries. I cut down to a couple of glasses of wine a couple of times a week when I started to ttc but I decided that it might be time to cut it out completely in the final push for the finale of Project Baby Win.

I decided not to drink this last cycle at all. I don't drink in the 2ww. I have an extremely short follicular phase, and I read recently in TCOYF that the body is beginning to prepare for the next cycle before it is even beginning (e.g. before start of period). Coincidence or not.. I got my BFP this week.

Same as euro, I have been TTC for yonks and have recently decided to to cut down my alcohol intake, as has DH. I've read that even a small amount can negatively affect your conception chances if things are taking longer than you'd like. I'm on just a couple of glasses of wine a week now and fucking hell it's hard going.

Good luck.

You are all right. I cut right back to the occasional glass when ttc no.1 but luckily got preg 2nd month and didn't touch a drop after I got my bfp throughout preg and most of bf (another year). This is only the first month of ttc no.2 so still enjoying a glass a couple of times a week. Don't drink much anymore anyway, can't remember the last time I was drunk. Can't face the early mornings with a hangover & not like we go out like we used to!!!!!! :D

It's quite handy that's it's Lent as I am known for liking my wine. I'm not religious but give something up every year and am known for doing so. This year I have loudly announced it's alcohol, which gets me out of awkward questions for the next 30-odd days!

good for you euro.... it's horrible having to justify things to 'well meaning' friends isn't it

Congrats on your BFP sedge

I can not have a drink from one week to the next but I just really fancied one last night so I had one. I don't think booze is affecting my TTC. It may be affecting DP's. He drinks within the limit (justabout) but everyday so perhaps that's what's slowing things up? It will be a very difficult thing to get him to cut down further.

I'd also like to add good luck wishes to eurochick. You're a real source of information on these conception boards. We're lucky to have you

I have also stopped drinking completely after reading about how it impacts fertility. I only stopped 3 weeks ago, af due on Tuesday so I don't expect it to have made any difference to this cycle, but fx for the next month.

Thank you Rue that is very kind. I've just gathered titbits of info from other people and regurgitated them as apporpriate! I'm a lawyer, so faced with any issue my natural inclination is to do as much research as possible and get a broad understanding of it. I'm glad someone has found it helpful.

Good luck with ttc.

Eurochick, I have also given up alcohol for Lent and I am also a lawyer. Are you me? There was a teeny tiny rugby-induced slip up on Sunday but in fact it wasn't very enjoyable drinking knowing I was supposed to be off it. I'm hopeful that abstaining will pay dividends soon.

All very interesting ... I have been having the odd glass here and there. What about caffeine though?? I'm really struggling as trying very hard to cut down to at very most one cup of coffee and two teas a day. I would drink decaf coffee but I've heard the chemicals in decaf are worse than the caffeine!

DS was a Christmas party season baby so definitely no cutting down/abstaining there . I got pregnant with DC2 as soon as we TTC so I hadnt really started any extra measures, but tbh with a toddler I dont drink like I used to so I was well within the limits.

I agree with both sides though -

• On the one hand if you've been trying for a while and nothing's happening then it cant hurt to knock it on the head/ cut right down for a bit
• But at the same time, dedicating your whole life to TTC can just make you obsess/ take over your life and it can just take a while.

However, there's no real point in just not drinking in the 2ww as it's ovulation that's supposed to be affected by alcohol rather than implantation AFAIK

I think the non-drinking thing is something those of us struggling to conceive feel is something we can exert some control over, you know? Seeing as the rest of it feels like we are bobbing helplessly around in some other boat's wake.

As for the caffeine thing, then nothing on earth will make me give up tea I'm afraid. But I only have three cups a day and don't drink coffee. I think studies on that have been very inconclusive, though a lot of caffeine is thought to be linked to miscarriage.

ah crap reallifeisforwimps, I drank throughout the ovulation stage this month and stopped as soon as it was finished. got it completely the wrong way round then! I should have known really, it does seem obvious when you think about it that ovulation would be affected by booze more than anything. I'm still going to abstain mostly throughout the 2ww though, and now that I've got an outside chance that this might be the month, I don't really feel like drinking anyway. whether or not i feel the same in a week's time though is another matter!

dont care That's just my understanding- that excessive alcohol can interfere with the hormones that cause ovulation. I could be wrong though.