How to tell people I'm not drinking...

[littlecontis]

Without revealing I'm pregnant? I have a few dinners planned in the next few weeks and I usually have a glass (or two) of G&Ts, I really don't want to tell anyone until I'm showing. Any advice?

You're doing 'Alcohol Free April' as you're trying to feel healthier?

You're on antibiotics.

Lent?

Covid booster had left you a bit sickly...

Alternatively you've been having migraines and the doc has suggested not drinking to see if it reduces the frequency?

Sponsored alcohol free month.

Best excuse is you are on the antibiotic metronidazole for a tooth infection. Can’t drink whilst taking them and for a week after you’ve stopped taking them! So perfect cover up :)

I always found it easiest just to accept a drink and then not drink it.

Order a lemonade and ask for it in a gin glass

Go to the bar and ask for simply a tonic or something that looks like your drinking, or buy a gin and just nurse it and let someone else drink it every so often that knows.
Worth noting a fair few places do non alcoholic drinks now so could look at the menu ahead? Or a moctail?

I'm pregnant for the second time, and the only thing that works is to Fake Drink. Any kind of excuse will raise suspicion. I'd get there early, order something that looks like an alcoholic drink (mocktail or similar in a fancy glass) then drink it slowly.

I went on a hen weekend away at 10 weeks pregnant and fake drank the whole time. Accepted glasses of prosecco, then just left them abandoned. Ordered diet coke at the bar when no one was around and pretended it was vodka coke. Etc etc.

Don't say anything. Women suddenly making excuses about not drinking = pregnancy.

I've said it a billion times on here, but just order a drink and don't drink it or order something different and don't mention it. I've never known a man make a song or dance about what's in his glass, certainly not to the extent of talking about antibiotics and sponsored sobriety. Most people don't pay any attention whatsoever to what people are drinking until a woman of childbearing age starts talking loudly about why she isn't drinking.

Take the car. You can’t drink because you are driving.

I can recommend alcohol free gin and tonic, tastes (and costs)about the same, ditto becks blue in a glass just looks like beer.

That metronidazole is quite the antibiotic........

@northernlola

I'm pregnant for the second time, and the only thing that works is to Fake Drink. Any kind of excuse will raise suspicion. I'd get there early, order something that looks like an alcoholic drink (mocktail or similar in a fancy glass) then drink it slowly.

I went on a hen weekend away at 10 weeks pregnant and fake drank the whole time. Accepted glasses of prosecco, then just left them abandoned. Ordered diet coke at the bar when no one was around and pretended it was vodka coke. Etc etc.

Was saying this to my partner today! If I get pregnant again I will literally not go anywhere or will do this. I would never suspect people were pregnant before but since having a child im totally onto every single person who provides any reason (legit or not) as to why they aren’t drinking! In future I’ll either tell the bar staff and pick something quite unusual to order so they know when they get that order it’s to be a mocktail version or just go early, get the first one, accept other drinks but take it to the toilet, get someone else to drink it etc

It is so true what others have said.. think back to a time when you’ve ever actually noticed what someone else is drinking if they haven’t exclaimed ‘I’m not drinking!’.. no one cares about anyone but themselves so you could be doing anything with the drink and they wouldn’t notice. The only thing I’d dread is shots but the way to do it is probably to say nothing, hold the shot, let them drink it then as they’re recovering from it screw your face up and say you feel sick at the smell of it after last time and someone else can have it 😂

Hangover. Never failed for me. If I was out with friends, had a heavy work do the night before. If I was out with colleagues, had a few for a friend's birthday the night before.

Have also decided if the event is at my own house or at a party I can control I’d take a bottle of real wine which I’d poured out and replaced with a non alcoholic version

Definitely don't draw attention to it and if anyone asks say you aren't drinking tonight and change the subject. I think we do need to normalise people not drinking without asking for a reason.

"I'm driving sorry"

@Frustratedcook

Hangover. Never failed for me. If I was out with friends, had a heavy work do the night before. If I was out with colleagues, had a few for a friend's birthday the night before.

Same here. I used to promise to consider 'hair of the dog' later when I'd had some more water, and then stayed on the water as I never quite felt up to it.

Antibiotics for ear infection.

@ShowOfHands

Don't say anything. Women suddenly making excuses about not drinking = pregnancy.

I've said it a billion times on here, but just order a drink and don't drink it or order something different and don't mention it. I've never known a man make a song or dance about what's in his glass, certainly not to the extent of talking about antibiotics and sponsored sobriety. Most people don't pay any attention whatsoever to what people are drinking until a woman of childbearing age starts talking loudly about why she isn't drinking.

100% all of this ^^

I've dropped a couple of microdots and I don't want the alcohol to fuck up my trip.

Dont say antibiotics, biggest giveaway for pregnancy.

I would just drive, then makes sense no drinking

Dentist appointment and don’t want to stink of alcohol. Genuinely had to use that one recently as was having regular treatment. People understood and that was the end of that.