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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Reasons to give for not drinking alcohol?

29 replies

user1471433387 · 17/08/2016 12:41

Hi Ladies

I took a pregnancy test on Monday after my period was late by only two days. It came back positive but I know it is still very early days. I'm meeting up with friends later for drinks and I would normally have a few glasses of wine. I know people will be quizzing me about why I'm not drinking - what do I say? I'm thinking of saying I'm taking antibiotics but I've got a few more social events coming up on Saturday and Sunday. Could you legitimately be taking antibiotics for almost week?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

OP posts:

Heirhelp · 17/08/2016 12:43

Don't say antibiotics everybody will think pregnant. Say IBS nobody will question that.

dietborebingo · 17/08/2016 12:46

You could say you're doing a juice cleanse. It helps if you can bore the pants off them about the health benefits of juicing.

Orrrr you could say that someone bet that you couldn't go for the summer without booze, and you're determined to win.

MiddleClassProblem · 17/08/2016 12:47

Someone else said on another thread for a hen do say bad bout of cystitis as similarly people won't want to talk about it. Antibiotics is a dead give away.

OlennasWimple · 17/08/2016 12:50

Or be driving. Or hung over.

TBH whatever you say good friends will realize (but not comment)

ItMustBeBedtimeSurely · 17/08/2016 12:53

Don't say antibiotics, they'll be on to you in instantly.

Just accept a glass of wine and sip it, then leave it/dispose when no one's looking. And buy yourself a g&t from and bar with no gin. After a few drinks, people won't be paying attention to what you are drinking.

ImYourMama · 17/08/2016 12:54

We hosted a party the day after my BFP, I bought Becks blue (alcohol free) and 0% Koppaburg, put in a glass and no one noticed, have you got the chance to do this?

Motheroffourdragons · 17/08/2016 12:54

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on behalf of the poster.

Original poster

user1471433387 · 17/08/2016 15:06

Thanks for all the advice!

I won't be using antibiotics then! UTI or some illness sounds good as people probably won't push me further.

ImYourMama I'm going to a bar so I won't be able to do that but it is a good suggestion if I was hosting anything.

If I buy myself a glass of wine I will probably forget and drink it

People probably will guess, especially as I got married a few months ago. I just really don't want the pressure of people quizzing me about it at such early stages but hopefully I'm just being paranoid and no one will even notice!

OP posts:

JasperDamerel · 17/08/2016 15:11

Or say you are doing a no booze challenge for charity.

BabooshkaKate · 17/08/2016 15:37

Order virgin cocktails - have a quiet word with the bar staff, I'm sure they will be happy to keep it on the low if you give them a tip

And congrats!!

bigfriendlygiant · 17/08/2016 15:45

Inyourmama we hosted my husband's birthday party the day I got my BFP. I wish I had thought of Becks, I put vimto in a wine bottle. It was gross.

As long as you're not doing rounds, go for the g&t, rum & coke options. No one will notice unless you start making excuses.

MiddleClassProblem · 17/08/2016 15:47

JasperDamerel what if the want to donate?

MiddleClassProblem · 17/08/2016 15:48

They do often sell non alcoholic beer in bars these days so you could ask for one in a glass.

ImYourMama · 17/08/2016 16:10

Becks blue or tonic water only in a glass and you'll be fine :) good luck OP!

LondonRoo · 17/08/2016 17:11

Mocktails!!! I spent the first Saturday night that I knew I was pregnant drinking mocktails in a gay bar in soho. I told the barman I had just found out I was pregnant and he made a special virgin mojito for me! No one would have guessed and I got great service all evening from the barman!

CuriosityDoor · 18/08/2016 14:21

I've only just recently announced my pregnancy and had to go to quite a few drinks before I was ready to tell anyone. I drank a lot of "vodka" lemonade's! Just make sure you tell the bar staff you want it in a 16oz glass, otherwise you'll get a glass that gives it away! And make sure you time your drinking so you don't end up with an empty glass when it's someone else's round. Good luck and congratulations!

Zoomzoomboom112 · 18/08/2016 20:02

Buy a non-alcoholic cocktail when no one else is at the bar and make sure everyone sees it so they think u r drinking. Once they see u with one drink you can get away with more. Or get an alcoholic drink and sip it but comment to someone that you don't like it and then abandon it for a coke or lemonade in a glass that looks like it's got vodka in it. The hangover one works well too. Or getting over a stomach bug. Good luck!

elliej83 · 18/08/2016 20:50

I had a leaving do to go and I had a word with the waitress and explained to situation. She said if I went to her all night she would make me non alcoholic cocktails and serve me a fizzy juice drink in a wine glass that looked like wine. She even brought some 'shots'over to the table my ex colleagues bought me. Only difficult parts were when I arrived and someone offered to buy me a drink but I just said I'm actually just really thirsty id love just a juice for now and part way through the night one of the girls went to the bar with me and someone else served us so I just said do you know what I feel really tipsy I'm going to have a non alcoholic one for this round as I don't want to feel rough tomorrow. No one batted an eye lid and actually said when they found out... But you did shots

Niks2026 · 23/08/2016 09:18

I've got my best friends wedding where I am a bridesmaid on Saturday and another good friends birthday the following week. I only found out yesterday I'm pregnant and they both knew my husband and I were trying for a baby so whatever excuse I give they are going to know. Although, I like the cystitis idea...I could say ttc and dtd every day has resulted in cystitis and it's too painful to drink alcohol?!?

Congrats op on your pregnancy

DrWhy · 23/08/2016 09:25

Niks that's easy if they know you are TTC, the NHS advice is to basically stop drinking then anyway! Just tell them that's why.
OP getting the bartender involved is probably the way that's least likely to be noticed. Otherwise couldn't you be driving?

treaclesoda · 23/08/2016 09:26

Everyone on mumsnet always says that saying you're on antibiotics is a dead giveaway but I don't see the big deal because of all the times someone has told me they're not drinking because they're on antibiotics there has only been once that it's been because they are actually pregnant. If someone tells me they're on antibiotics I just think 'oh, they're on antibiotics'.

But actually I wouldn't make an excuse at all. I'd just order a soft drink without any further discussion. I don't really understand the angst about making up excuses. Surely people don't automatically leap to the conclusion that you're pregnant just because you're not drinking?

BeBopTalulah · 23/08/2016 10:29

The trick is to not make a bit deal of it. Buy a non-alcoholic drink that looks like it could be alcoholic and if anyone questions you, just say that you may need to drive later or as others have mentioned, you're suffering from an upset tummy etc. Any dramatic response to being offered a drink is likely to out you straight away. When I first found out I was pregnant, the morning before a family occasion, I simple nursed one small wine all night. Nobody noticed anything. If I'd turned up and announced that I wasn't drinking and sat with cranberry juice all night I would have been outed!

EccentricPickle · 23/08/2016 10:40

I'd do what has already been suggested and just get a tonic water and pretend it has gin in, get a coke and pretend it has vodka in etc. No one will notice.

For the first drink you could maybe order a small glass of wine and sip it. I don't think one glass will do any harm - I've been for meals with pregnant friends where they have had one glass of prosecco with their meal.

I'm not pregnant but I am a lightweight and my friends are big drinkers and there's no way I can keep up. Quite often I'll switch to tonic water and no one notices.

I had my hen do when I was newly pregnant and I just drank non alcoholic cocktails. Nobody was any the wiser. They were all when I announced my pregnancy and were concerned about all the cocktails I had been drinking .

SoloD · 23/08/2016 10:47

Congratulations btw

EccentricPickle · 23/08/2016 10:49

The last time somebody told me that they were "on antibiotics" I suspected that they were pregnant and I was right . Although TBH, I would never question it even if I suspected - they aren't ready to announce it, it's none of my business. If someone said that they were on antibiotics I would just say "oh what a shame, hope you feel better soon" and secretly wonder if they were going to make an announcement in a few weeks.

Most of my friends seem to tell me that they're pregnant the minute that they've POAS though, ha ha .

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