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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How did you explain not drinking to friends in the early weeks?

25 replies

babyfettle · 09/01/2006 20:18

Hi
Just found out I'm pregnant for the second time. Have been trying for a while, so it's a bit of a shock albeit a very exciting one to suddenly find myself pregnant that I'm still trying to get my head around it and I'm not ready to tell people yet. Trouble is we have a ball to go to in 2 weeks time and it will be so obvious that I'm not drinking.
Has anyone any good suggestions for explaining the lack of alcohol consumption away to avoid the pregnancy questions? The "I'm on antibiotics" or "I've not been well" have never really convinced anyone! And I can't say I'm driving as we will be 300 miles from home, so we won't be driving home that night!
Thanks!

ps I hope this doesn't make me sound as if I'm normally an alcoholic!

OP posts:

gigglinggoblin · 09/01/2006 20:19

get dh to buy you coke all night and tell them its got vodka in it

Piffle · 09/01/2006 20:20

Tell them you're on anti histamines for an allergic reaction and cannot drink
A variation on a theme

Pruni · 09/01/2006 20:21

Message withdrawn

anchovies · 09/01/2006 20:23

I sneakily asked for soda water in a tall glass with lemon, used to drink it all night and nobody ever guessed!

zippy539 · 09/01/2006 20:23

On anti-biotics for an tooth infection? (I only say tooth infection cause no one is likely to want to look at it and the only time I was ever told not to drink with antibiotics was for this very complaint).

Pretend you're doing a month long New Year detox and you've done so well so far, you don't want to spoil it.

Along the vodka and coke lines, you could drink tonic water with ice and lemon and pretend it's gin.

Big congratulations btw!

zippy539 · 09/01/2006 20:25

Forgot my favourite - just coming out of a stomach bug and can't face alcohol yet.

Tipex · 09/01/2006 20:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fisil · 09/01/2006 20:30

I did that one Tipex. Only thing was when a friend said "wow, you necked that G&T, we'll have to go out partying some time."

Remember to drink it as if it is an alcoholic drink!

Yummymummy24 · 09/01/2006 20:30

Just say you dont drink. Then stare at them and smile or look away they'll be so freaked out they wont carry it on talking about it. I really don't drink and no one usually notices, just keep telling yourself they don't know you're preg. After a couple of drinks everyones usually far to busy having fun to notice what youre doing. Unless theyre close friends, then i'd do the vodka and coke thing and act pissed.

yoyo · 09/01/2006 20:31

Orange juice with soda water as a mock Buck's Fizz? Have a glass of water in front of you the whole time and keep swapping your DH's empty glass for your full one. He will be legless by the end of the night though.

HRHQueenOfQuelNoel · 09/01/2006 20:33

Can't remember how I explained it - don't recall ever having to. But I did discover that if you drink too many cartons of pure fruit juice (lovely South African stuff it was) you can get totally high on it - at a friends leaving party in Zimbabwe (they were coming back to the UK) and I didn't want to drink - I was the only person drinking the "Ceres" juices they had (everyone else was on the booze) and felt more drunk/high than I've done after drinking and smoking dope

kayzed · 09/01/2006 20:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

babyfettle · 09/01/2006 20:53

Wow, posted this thread and then went off for some supper and came back to some cracking ideas!

Unfortunately, everyone on my table knows me very well, therefore knows that I generally enjoy my nights out (which are few and far between with DD1!). Also as it is a sitdown dinner, it will be more obvious that I'm not drinking - although I had already considered the swap glasses with DH as he drinks them idea, but I don't think he needs much encouragement to get legless - he'll just be thinking of the fact that he won't have to drive home the next day! I've heard some DHs/DPs actually also give up alcohol in support while their other half is pregnant - but that is probably entirely different discussion!

OP posts:

peepee · 09/01/2006 21:05

Tell them you had too much to drink the night b 4 and feel lousy.

peepee · 09/01/2006 21:06

babbyfettle...........

Dream on girly. My DH said that and has never managed it

Tommy · 09/01/2006 21:07

I think the detox idea might work especially in January. At my hen night when I was pregnant () I had one glass of champagne (sipped very slowly)and then went on to lime and soda which can look like a spritzer.
Or, have a glass of water as well and say you don't want to dehydrate and drink that at the ame time as drinking the same glass of wine all evening.

jam3 · 10/01/2006 07:08

I just drove so dh was drinking giving me the perfect excuse not to!

Imafairygetmeoutofhere · 10/01/2006 08:01

First time around all my friends guessed I was pregnant because I wasn't drinking! This time we had a wedding to go to before I 'came out' so I drank soft drinks beforehand ('pacing myself'!), made sure that I had my glass half filled with wine at the table and every now and again pretended to drink it, and afterwards ordered bottles of beer (if you go for a dark bottle like Bud no one can see how much you've drunk!!!) which I'd put down on the table next to DH's, and then he'd just pick up my one and finish it. Needless to say seeing as he was drinking for two he got plastered, but it seemed to work, only one person twigged (and she knew I was planning anyway).
Or if anyone asks you could just say that you're trying to conceive, which usually shuts people up!!!

Congrats by the way!

Laura032004 · 10/01/2006 08:02

Are they close friends? Could you say you are trying to get pg so not drinking? Or is that too close to the truth?

I had a glass of wine / champagne, but kept topping that glass up with water, rather than my water glass, so it lasted the whole meal, and nobody clicked that I wasn't drinking.

Could DS/DD be ill, so you want to keep a clear head in case you need to drive back early the next day?

Imafairygetmeoutofhere · 10/01/2006 08:36

Laura - I was thinking about the illness one too, but thought it might be tempting fate!! How about if the BABYSITTER isn't feeling too well, and might need to leave early, so babyfettle needs to keep a clear head in case she needs to drive back.

Laura032004 · 10/01/2006 08:38

Imafairygetmeoutofhere - I always worry about saying that for exactly the same reason!

Piffle · 10/01/2006 10:24

I got totally smashed on xmas night and have not drunk sicne, dp's parents are convinced I'm pregnant but I ain't...
Sometimes you cannot win!

Original poster

babyfettle · 10/01/2006 21:12

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their suggestions - think I'll go with a combination of trying for a baby, coupled with a new year's resolution and detox. But as they are all close friends, perhaps we'll feel ready to tell them all by then! We're so excited it's going to be difficult to keep it quiet now anyway!

OP posts:

PrincessPeaHead · 10/01/2006 21:15

I always found that if you drank tonic water with a slice, people assumed it was gin and tonic. Then if someone offers you the same again you can say "could you do just tonic this time, I'm trying to pace myself". WOrks quite well!

expatinscotland · 10/01/2006 21:16

i tell them i'm on anti-depressants and therefore can only smoke hash.

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