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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

How important to avoid alcohol in the 2ww?

12 replies

badguider · 12/12/2012 21:08

DH and I have just started ttc and my next period is due on 30th December. I don't really want to avoid wine all Christmas, mainly because I don't want close family to ask if we're pregnant... because we've only just started TTC and we're quite old and I'm fully expecting it to take quite a long time and I don't want to be updating other people each month for the next year or more.. and I don't plan on being teetotal throughout.
BUT I obviously won't drink if it can do permanent damage or prevent conception...

I'm not talking about getting drunk, just a few glasses of red... but more than I would even consider if I actually was pregnant.

OP posts:

Original poster

badguider · 12/12/2012 21:09

Sorry, forgot the actual question there in my OP - the question is how important is it to avoid alcohol in the 2ww if ttc?

OP posts:

Frankelstein · 12/12/2012 21:49

Not at all in total honesty! Until a placenta has formed (5-ish weeks) the embryo is self-sufficient and takes no nutrients from you at all.

Obviously, this is not carte blanche to drink enough to pickle the little bean, but drinking is not going to cause any problems this early on.

I've been TTC for 2.5 years now and honestly think I would have gone insane without the occasional glass bottle of wine.

Charlotte321 · 12/12/2012 21:58

I'm with you frankel! Only thing is, I'm not so much concerned about drinking in the 2ww (for the reasons you said and also as my cycles are massively irregular anyway and I don't seem to ovulate naturally), but I'm wondering if alcohol lowers the chances of conceiving if you have problems like PCOS - and also does it make clomid/fertility treatments slightly less likely to work? (Ironically I'm having a glass of red as I type - was feeling a bit low today about ttc!)

Frankelstein · 12/12/2012 22:07

I have PCOS but am not aware that small amounts of alcohol are linked to problems when conceiving. Of course if you are drinking on a daily basis it could well be a factor, but an occasional drink is unlikely to cause problems.

EuroShagmore · 12/12/2012 22:08

I'm with frankel. From what I have read, the embryo isn't taking anything from you for the first couple of weeks. And I know many, many people who got trollied before they found out they were expecting and it doesn't seem to have done any harm.

I did give up alcohol completely for about 6 months (in the run up to IVF), but that just made me miserable, not pregnant. The rest of my time ttc, I have just drunk moderately throughout.

tothemoon · 12/12/2012 23:02

I was abstaining, but it's now 9dpo and I'm stressed. So if a nice relaxing glass of Sheridans won't pickle my imaginary bean, I shall indulge :)

resipsa · 13/12/2012 07:14

For reasons I won't bore you with, the 2 weeks before I found out DD was on her way were possibly the most drunken of my life. She's absolutely fine!

Christelle2207 · 13/12/2012 08:35

I recently got bfp having drunk moderarely through the 2ww, after taking clomid. Previously abstained completely for several months and it got me nowhere.
However, do try and limit your caffeine- there is a definite link between difficulty ttc and excessive caffeine. I went down to two or so cups of caff and am now on decaff the rest of the time.

Frankelstein · 13/12/2012 09:28

Agree about caffeine. I was never a big tea/coffee drinker but I have cut out coffee and switched to redbush tea.

Also, I read that Green Tea can prevent the absorption of folic acid, so try to keep that to a minimum too.

Original poster

badguider · 13/12/2012 10:33

Oh, that's good to know, as we're only just starting to TTC i don't want to make it a big deal if you know what i mean, I'd rather just sort of continue living my life but with the knowledge that i can't really plan more than a few months in advance (so i have booked skiing for march as i would ski in the first trimester while the embryo is well protected and small, but not booked a bike event in june and won't book it till i know i'm not pg as i wouldnt' bike pg).

OP posts:

OComeAllYeFaithBaby · 13/12/2012 10:54

I found I naturally cut down my alcohol intake during the tww but never stopped, in fact I drank more during my tww when I was actually pregnant because we were on holiday! (Only a couple of vodkas a day but still!). No problems with baby :)

Have a few glasses of wine, just don't get hammered.

Christelle2207 · 13/12/2012 22:10

badguider I booked skiing having TTC for a year then got BFP a week or so later! Hope it's the same for you. Will be 12 weeks when we go, at this stage just hoping I feel better by then, though even if I don't sure some mountain air will do me good.
Not ideal but if we do have a baby next year there will be no more skiing for a while.

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