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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

Do you drink alcohol when your 'trying'?

15 replies

AFishWithoutABicycle · 02/09/2013 20:38

Not literally as your DTD but in the month your trying to conceive? We have family coming around the time I'm expecting to ovulate and if I'm not drinking they will think ive already had the BFP. I'm not a totally alkie but our family drinks a lot when we all get together.
What did/do you do?

OP posts:

Nel1975 · 02/09/2013 20:41

I am not a big drinker but we had been TTC for several months and in the end I got my BFP in the month when I had several nights out when I had a reasonable amount to drink

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/09/2013 20:44

I drank all the way throughout my pregnancy (when I felt up to it) on the basis that there is no evidence to suggest it is unsafe and some limited evidence that shows it is beneficial.

Don't be downing the vodka a bottle at a time, - the odd glass or spritzer will be necessary to get pregnant ime fine.

TransatlanticCityGirl · 02/09/2013 21:08

I drank to my heart's content (not much these days, sadly!) before I ovulated, and post ovulation I'd have the odd drink. In my last pregnancy I did have the odd drink throughout my pregnancy but never much more than 3 units per week.

Dealing with friends and family... if you can be the bartender or ordering the round (or your partner who can be in cahoots with you) why not just drink lots of 'mixed drinks' - without the alcohol. They'll never know if your cranberry and vodka is just cranberry or your rum and coke is just coke.... I find that once my friends have had a few themselves, their attention to what I'm drinking quickly fades...

murielspark · 03/09/2013 09:27

I was avoiding alcohol completely for the first three months of TTC. Then that started to get really old, I felt I was putting my life on hold for something that could take another year or more to even happen, so I relaxed a bit and now will have a drink if I want a drink, goddammit.

We had two family visits this summer, and abstaining was just impossible. They drove me up the wall.

eurochick · 03/09/2013 09:50

I'm on my 35th cycle of ttc. If I wasn't drinking occasionally, it would have been even more of a sh1tfest.

AnythingNotEverything · 03/09/2013 09:59

It's a good idea to cut down when ttc as it improved the quality of sperm apparently, but you can't put your whole life on hold while TTC.

Also, you can drink post ovulation, even if you conceive but don't known it yet. Baby doesn't share your blood stream for quite a few weeks.

Souper · 03/09/2013 10:02

I only drank when my period arrived each month and I knew for definite that I wasn't pregnant.

2lilgirls · 03/09/2013 11:35

I drink a few glasses of wine most weekends. I am on my 3rd month ttc now. If I am still ttc at 6 months I'll probably give it up completely.

keepswimming1 · 03/09/2013 11:41

I'm just cutting down - then when I get my bfp I will stop completly but like 2lilgirls if still nothing after 6months I would consider stopping altogether

Original poster

AFishWithoutABicycle · 03/09/2013 11:43

Thanks for answering... I just wanted to test the water. I think I'll keep drinking but keep it to a minimum. like trans says no one will notice after they have had a couple.

OP posts:

2lilgirls · 03/09/2013 12:01

What about coffee ladies? (I'm actually having one right now lol)

I'm thinking if I get to 6 months I'll also cut out. I've read that decaf has some chemical that is worse than caffeine so it's not necessarily the healthy choice.

AnythingNotEverything · 03/09/2013 12:22

I think there are two separate issues here:

what promotes healthy ovulation and healthy sperm production, and also helps you actually dtd often enough to have a good chance of conceiving. This is particularly important for men - some take Zinc I think.
what should you avoid because it can damage very newly conceived LOs.

Re: the second - you don't pass anything on to baby until after implantation, and possibly further along I believe.

There is evidence that caffeine increases the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight babies, but the safe levels are quite high (unless you're an espresso fiend!).

Ttc can be a stressful time. I think you can make it easier on yourselves by really understanding the risks.

I also think unless you're snorting the stuff, energy may be better spent taking your folic acid, maintaining/achieving a healthy BMI, eating a varied healthy diet and enjoying dtd as often as you can!

Just my opinion!

RaRaZ · 03/09/2013 12:22

I'm still drinking both caffeine and alcohol. I want to continue living my life whilst ttc so I don't end up feeling like I've put my life on hold for no reason if it takes ages to conceive. I've conceived twice whilst drinking a fair amount of both alcohol and caffeine, so I've kinda reasoned that it mustn't affect me that much. Good luck, OP!

BrianTheMole · 03/09/2013 12:26

I carried on as I was until dc where concieved.

Sparrowlegs248 · 04/09/2013 07:12

I have cut down since ttc but to be fair i knew i was drinking too much (wine daily) so i have at leadt two alcohol free nights and only 1 glass weekdays. Two or three at weekends. This prob still sounds a lot but i'm getting there! Also, working on the principle that i won't be drinking while prggers or bf!

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