IVF Downregulation and Alcohol

[SummerSolstice25]

We weren’t given any advice from the clinic re alcohol. I’m down regulating with a nasal spray at the moment, with stims injections due to start on the 22nd of Sept. I have a wedding on the 12th and a party on the 20th. I last had a drink 2 weeks ago. Do I abstain completely or can I have a glass or two at both of these occasions? What advice have your clinics given you? Thank you

I reckon if your clinic haven't said no booze/the medication leaflet doesn't, you'd be ok to have a couple of drinks. I don't think drinking a lot would be advised in the run up to egg collection but a couple of drinks won't hurt, in my non medical opinion!

My clinic told me to abstain completely from alcohol; they also - helpfully - told me after the fact that they believed I should have cut out all coffee and prescription painkillers. I freaked out, until I found out that there was no evidence at all that a moderate amount of coffee (one cup in the morning) did any damage. I asked them again, and they shrugged and said 'oh, we always say this because there's no evidence it helps and it might hurt'.

Clinics will always tell you to be a perfect angel, while also telling you that your mental health and emotional wellbeing matter too. In the real world, I sincerely doubt a glass of wine at a wedding will have much effect. The more important thing is - if it doesn't work out, will you beat yourself up? If you might, then it's not worth it. If you know you won't, then do.

I’m finding it difficult at the moment, having to behave as if I’m pregnant when I’m nowhere near it.

@SummerSolstice25 I went up and down with this, once we decided to do IVF I really reigned in drinking, but would have one or two small glasses of wine a week as I figured that's really jot going ro make a difference (and I'd feel ok to have 1 a week pregnant, not everyone's choice but fine by me). For my 2nd egg collection one I started stims I stopped drinking until after the collection was done. But after that, I figured the eggs were out so I could relax a bit, and until I had my transfers I just lived my life. I think for my 2nd transfer I had a glass or two in the TWW and didn't worry about the food rules much until I knew if I was pregnant or not. I found being slightly more relaxed helped me mentally and didn't make any difference to the outcome

I think the importance of you being as relaxed as possible and not anxious/stressed is much higher than the potential negative impact of of a couple of glasses of alcohol.

Full disclosure, I cut everything out pre-stims, but I barely drank anyway and for months have felt like it just makes me more anxious so it made sense. I also cut coffee out (used to have 1 cup after lunch) but kept my morning matcha (which still has caffeine) and I've got to say I miss that coffee!

When I spoke to the nurse about it she said while on stims, ideally no alcohol at all, but pre/post-stims and collection don't go binge drinking, but a glass or two is fine.
She suggested wine spritzer, mimosas or things like that to make you divvy up the alcohol and make that 1-2 glasses last longer, which I thought was a good suggestion especially if socialising and not in the mood to explain your non-drinking to people!

I had already decided I wouldn’t drink once the stims injections began. It was a lot easier on my first cycle (which got cancelled) as I was on the short protocol. This cycle is a lot longer with down regulation and two big occasions thrown in. If I didn’t have to attend them I wouldn’t mind. I’m not one to drink at home, and I would never have a glass of wine with dinner etc. I only really drink on a night out or a special occasion. But I do really enjoy having drinks when I am out, it’s a lot easier to tolerate a long day/night out with a few on board!