Alcohol

[Wotty]

Hi! I'm new so please bear with me! My husband and I are thinking about starting to try to conceive next year. I don't expect it to be easy as I'm late 30s. Friends have said that my husband must not drink any alcohol for at least 3 months before we start to try. Is this right? I know it's good advice, I suppose I'm just wondering whether male partners follow this advice in the real world...

Sorry if this is on the wrong page!

The less alcohol the better but people also need to remember to live whilst TTC. Mine has cut down but still has one or two if we're out at a meal or with friends etc!

I've had hardly any since TTC but even then a glass of wine every so often isn't the end of the world!

We didn’t cut down before 1st pregnancy; got pregnant in a few months but unfortunately that ended in loss. Since trying again we have reduced but not cut off entirely. I think a few a week isn’t really going to make a different if everything is fine otherwise. As PP said, it’s really important to still live your life whilst TTC, and keep busy. You could do every ‘right’ and it still take some time

If you’re using a hormonal contraceptive I’d stop now and use condoms until next year if you would definitely not want a pregnancy. It will benefit hopefully getting natural cycles back so you can track ovulation more easily

I don't think you need to completely stop drinking but depending on how much you drink you might think about cutting down.

The NHS says this:
Drinking alcohol excessively can affect the quality of sperm. The UK Chief Medical Officers' recommendation is to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, which should be spread evenly over 3 days or more.

I.e. the same as the general population!

www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/mens-health/how-can-i-improve-my-chances-of-becoming-a-dad/#:~:text=It%20may%20seem%20obvious%2C%20but,increase%20your%20chances%20of%20conceiving.

I found out I was pregnant while drunk after thinking wine tasted weird all day.... also knew I conceived after a gig while drunk as it was the only time and that turned out well!

I remember learning in my degree that some elements of sperm production commence circa 3 months prior to when they're ready to be released from the testes.

Based on that, I would certainly agree to avoid alcohol personally. Not because you won't be able to conceive, but ultimately the quality of the egg/sperm, can surely influence quality of the output.

You don't need to stop completely. That 3 month thing is absolute rubbish - unless you're an alcoholic, alcohol doesn't stay in your body for long!

Just follow the NHS guidelines and you'll be fine 😊

@Outliers Yep I think that's it.

All really interesting, thanks. It sounds like most people try to reduce but not totally stop drinking.

I know science and medical knowledge is great these days but the people have been drinking at pretty unhealthy levels for centuries and still managed to procreate! Maybe reduce the intake if it’s a little high, but still enjoy yourselves if that means having a beer/wine!