Help - need advice for a BIG work night out

[msgilbertblythe]

I've been asked to go to a black tie awards ceremony on Thurs night. Apparently it's a BIG deal to be asked, the night you're welcomed into the fold so to speak. Everyone gets hammered. They've told me to clear my schedule for Friday in anticipation.
Now I hate social occasions at the best of times, so a couple of drinks wouldn't have gone amiss. But the main issue is I'm pregnant and have to hide this fact. Help. Does anyone have any tips about how I can get away with this, and also how I can have a good time and be the life and soul without a single drop of alcohol? Thank you.

I've found that people are far less observant than you give them credit for, especially when they have had a few themselves! I went for a lunch with three other people and always had a glass of wine in front of me, just didn't drink anything, none of them noticed. I made sure I was always the one topping up glasses so I think they assumed I was doing mine too.

Just accept the glass of wine/champagne or whatever and carry it round with you and no-one will query it. Otherwise you could drink tonic water and just tell people it has gin in it?! Once everyone else is a few drinks in they're even less likely to notice. Good luck!

If anyone did notice when I was pregnant I always claimed I'd had a migraine the night before or that morning and alcohol aggravated them

As pp said, just nurse drinks or get soft drinks that can be passed off as booze, Appletize and apple Tango look like white wine and soda. Wear a very pale colour to avoid red wine in case of spillage. Do they know you well? If not just say that you're not a big drinker so a bit of a light weight? Being on anti biotics is just code for being pregnant now so I'd avoid that.

Hi,

I'd agree - just get the glass of wine and then carry it around. You can also accidentally forget it and leave it on the table if you are doing rounds. Everyone will be hammered and even though you might think people are picking up on it they won't be.

My colleagues who have been pregnant have had quite a good toasting technique where you can look like you are taking a sip - but then you just don't really take any into your mouth.

Congratulations on being welcomed into the fold! Sounds exciting!

Yes I second the posters above. Just keep accepting drinks when offered and either leave them down when you are moving around the room or take them with you to the toilet and pour some away. And there's always the option to 'accidentally' lose them.

I think that making up an excuse is more obvious so just appear like you are drinking and when everyone else is getting drunk they won't notice how much you are drinking (or not!)

all of the above. plus lime and soda, they will think there is vodka in there!

Have you ever seen that soft drink called schloer? I bought a bottle of that and filled a big water bottle full of it out in my handbag. I ordered white wine all night and poured out the wine and replaced it with the schloer.

I had a hen party and a wedding and nobody noticed at all! It looks the very same and my sister even said to me " how are you not falling off the chair, you ate guzzling wine all night!"
At the wedding one pregnant girl came over and said " oh I miss wine, let me smell yours!" and she smelled my glass and went aaaaahhhh.

Its brilliant, all you need I a big handbag, a bottle of schloer and sneak off to the toilet and bring your glass with you!

Yes, just pretend! This has got me through 3 work nights out and I'm 20 weeks now and still kept it quiet

Or "be on antibiotics" that mean you can't drink - my skin broke out awfully when I was in my first trimester so I said I was taking medication to improve it