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Parenting

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Original poster

How much do you drink?

28 replies

Autumn13 · 20/01/2021 21:33

I have a 6 month old, my husband works Mon to Fri so can't help me out during the day. When the evening comes I find myself gasping for an alcoholic drink! I'll sometimes have a bottle of wine a week or sometimes a couple of double whiskies and coke in the evening when DD is asleep. Am I drinking too much? I feel like I just really need to chill in the evening and the alcohol helps a lot. A 6 month old is alot of work by myself.

OP posts:

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 20/01/2021 21:36

I’m not a big drinker just because I’ve never really liked the taste. Love a cocktail but I think it’s the sugar I love.
Nothing overly wrong with The amount your drinking but rather more worrying is that you sound like it’s become a crutch for you as you are lone parenting. Alcohol should never be a crutch.
Can you always here your baby in the night after a drink and tend to them?

Prisonbreak · 20/01/2021 21:37

I don’t drink at all but I am the daughter of an alcoholic who drank himself to death so my relationship with alcohol has never been positive. So would say though, if you are asking if you are drinking too much then you are probably drinking too much

idontlikealdi · 20/01/2021 21:38

A bottle of wine a week? No you're not.

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lcdododo · 20/01/2021 21:39

I don't drink, and I think if you're at the point you're asking yourself if you're drinking too much, then you're drinking too much

Original poster

Autumn13 · 20/01/2021 21:40

Yes I can, I never get drunk. I'm always up if my baby cries and have never had enough to incapacitate myself.

OP posts:

Mum2jenny · 20/01/2021 21:41

I’m obviously beyond the pale as I can easily drink a bottle of wine in one evening!

triceratops12 · 20/01/2021 21:42

I don't drink but mainly due to my anxiety. I think what would happen if I needed to drive DC to hospital and I was over the limit? So I just don't do it.

EezyOozy · 20/01/2021 21:42

A bottle of wine over a week is fine

relaxtakeiteasyeatcheese · 20/01/2021 21:43

I don't drink, I've just never liked the taste of alcohol.

Thatwentbadly · 20/01/2021 21:47

The amount sounds fine but the fact that you are gasping for a drink and need it to relax is not ideal.

YRGAM · 20/01/2021 21:48

A beer an evening once the boy's in bed. I like nice and strong Belgian beers so I can only really manage one at a time!

Dugee · 20/01/2021 21:51

The OP won't be over the limit if she's drinking under 1.5 units a day. A bottle of wine usually has 9-10 units in, if that's averaged out over the 7 week nights (or even 5 nights), it's really not a lot of alcohol.

Onedropbeat · 20/01/2021 21:56

I’m same as you OP

8 month old baby and a toddler and a DH who leaves for work every morning before I get up at 6:30 and I don’t see him again until 6pm.

It’s draining and I count down the hours until I can hand over and have a drink

Anonanon12 · 20/01/2021 21:57

I have a large glass of wine a night too, I call it self medicating for de-stressing... I feel it's not particularly healthy but equally it helps me relax. I did at one point feel myself slipping to having 2 large glasses a night so I made my time of when I could have a glass, later and later so I could only fit in the one glass before bed. I guess it's better than smoking or eating a pack of biscuits!
I am thinking of going 3 nights a week without it but I think I'd replace it with chocolate.. And I'm at risk of type 2 diabetes... Why do all the nice things have to be bad for us???

Breastfeedingworries · 20/01/2021 21:58

I’ve put away 3 bottles of wine to myself on an evening....and I don’t think I have a problem.

smoothchange · 20/01/2021 22:01

I think you are at the top of a big slope. The fact that you are gasping for a drink because your 6 month old is a lot of work means you probably shouldn't be drinking.

SandyRayH · 20/01/2021 22:01

A bottle of wine over a week sounds fine. A couple of double whiskies a night, especially if happening daily, sounds a lot. I have an addictive personality and fall into routines easily. I'd begin combining the wine and the whiskies before long, so I'd try to stop this routine you've fallen into and find something healthier to help you switch off (reading/a film/bath/quiz etc). Then maybe enjoy a drink more on say a Friday and/or Saturday evening.

Veryverycalmnow · 20/01/2021 22:03

Lately had half to 3 quarters of a bottle of wine for a few nights in a row...😬

LikeTheOceansWeRise · 21/01/2021 04:12

It's hard at the moment. It's January, Covid is at it's worst and you are running around after a baba all day. I'm the same - sometimes I just really want a glass or 2 of wine once the day is finalllllly over.

However I find things more difficult to manage the next day if I've had a drink the night before, its a vicious cycle.

If you are worried its becoming a crutch, maybe save the drinks for the weekend. If you are not worried, then crack on. How much is acceptable for you to drink is determined by you, everyone will always have wildly differing opinions on this one!

lovelilies · 21/01/2021 04:17

I don't. I just find even a small amount makes me feel a bit sick and have a headache. Plus it's expensive so I'm quite glad! Give me a tea any day

PeggyHill · 21/01/2021 05:13

The amount you're drinking isn't concerning at all, but your attitude to it could be. Sounds like you really "need" that drink after you've put DC to bed.

I got like that when my DD was little. I think it was a combination of not being able to go out and do anything, needing to be relatively quiet so as not to wake her up, and being absolutely exhausted from looking after a baby all day. It was my treat. Then it became my routine. Then it became what I thought about to get me through the day... And that's when I knocked it on the head. I missed it a lot for all of a week, and then it was really easy to just have a cup of tea and a biscuit instead.

hellolittlebaby · 21/01/2021 06:27

I don't drink at all really. Sometimes one bottle of beer at the weekend but I can't even remember the last time I did that.

I couldn't deal with night wakings and i prefer a cup of tea anyway 😂

Fressia123 · 21/01/2021 06:33

I drink in average 1.5 bottles of wine and a couple.of beers on a weekly basis. I used to drink WAY more.

MaMaD1990 · 21/01/2021 06:35

I was the same as you OP, have a glass every evening to wind down. I just became aware that I was drinking to wind down and that didn't sit right with me and was becoming a bad habit. I rarely drink anything now, only if its a special occasion or if I'm going out (pre-covid obvs).

Dangermouse80 · 21/01/2021 07:08

Always had a couple of doubles a night since the kids were 3 months plus. For me it helped me to relax. Now they are older I still drink 3 drinks a night. For me it is my way of having a treat.
Strangely if I'm going out (non lockdown times!) I'm normally driving so won't drink at all that evening.
I look at it that is my choice and treat. Other people treat themselves with chocolate or raiding the biscuit cupboard!! Each to their own.

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