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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Did giving up alcohol help you conceive?

36 replies

Holls81 · 13/04/2022 17:24

Hiya.
Hubby and I both early 40’s and ttc baby no 3. Currently cycle 4.
Other 2 kiddies (8+4) and 1 other pregnancy which ended in a miscarriage, all conceived in first month of trying.
Both dh and I are a healthy(ish) weight (maybe a couple of lbs more than I’d like to be but defo not overweight) eat a lot of veggies and protein and home cooked food and have active lifestyles. I don’t ever drink anything containing caffeine either.
We both enjoy a few drinks at the weekend (of course I’ve always stopped when pg) but I’ve recently been reading that this can stop you conceiving.
Has anyone had any joy falling pregnant once quitting the booze?
Also, has anyone else conceived 2 babies really quickly then found it took a lot longer over 40?
Thank you x

OP posts:
dogsoverhumans · 14/04/2022 00:50

It could have been a coincidence but I was ttc naturally for over 2 years it just happened that I hadn't had any alcohol for around 6 weeks when I did successfully fall pregnant. I'm now 30 weeks

sauceyorange · 14/04/2022 00:52

Unless you drink so much it stops
You ovulating, no, there's no evidence it has any effect. Au contraire

123xanadu · 14/04/2022 00:57

Nope. I was 26 when I started trying and had given up alcohol. Took 15 months to conceive .

Juke1 · 14/04/2022 01:53

I conceived at the end of dry January/early Feb (drinking a G&T 4-5 nights a week before then). This was in the fifth month of trying. Not sure if coincidence or related!

timeisnotaline · 14/04/2022 02:31

I don’t imagine it would help much if at all since it doesn’t sound like you drink a lot. I took 4 months to conceive #3 at 38 and the gp said it was just age compared to my one shot wonders for 1 & 2 (my cycle had become erratic hence gp)
There is a ttc over 40 thread on here. I think there are some additional supplements people can take to improve egg quality - coq10 is definitely one of them but I don’t know what they are or if they work.

alittleadvicepls · 14/04/2022 03:18

Fertility specialist told us both to quit caffeine and alcohol (along with other treatments). We now have a 12 week old 😊

stuntbubbles · 14/04/2022 03:38

Nope, I’m 40, teetotal and have been TTC since November with no luck. Got absolutely spannered the week I found out I was pregnant with DD, but I was 4 years younger.

On the other hand I was never a big drinker so quitting altogether won’t have changed much. DP was a massive drinker and quit in January so I’m hoping three months on the wagon will have had an impact on his sperm.

bez91 · 14/04/2022 06:53

I really doubt it has that much impact unless you're an alcoholic. Gave up alcohol for practically 18 months whilst TTC, 3 MC. Got ridiculous drunk to drown my sorrows and conceived weekend, now 36 weeks pregnant

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 14/04/2022 08:16

No, but it can’t do any harm.

I’m afraid the most likely reason for the longer period ttc this time is your age.

PlumsInTheIcebox · 14/04/2022 08:17

Sorry OP but it will be your age. It’s not that unusual to be in perimenopause in your early forties. Have you had any symptoms?

itssquidstella · 14/04/2022 08:21

No. I got pregnant over a very boozy august bank holiday weekend! I do think taking Co-Enzyme Q-10 helped, though.

Original poster
Holls81 · 14/04/2022 08:33

I always knew it would take longer with my age although I’ve read so many positive posts where people have been over 40 and it’s not taken them long. I’ve made my peace with that but just wondered if there was anything else I could do along the way to help! My periods are regular as clockwork, always have been. Every 27 days without fail (except the month when I had Covid and af was 3 days late but I was told you can ovulate late when unwell.) No symptoms at all.
dh and i were both a little fitter and didn’t drink as much 4 years back when we conceived dc2 after only dtd once! It defo wouldn’t be a bad thing for us to look after ourselves a bit more 😂
After having looked at some articles I think that it’s the drinking in your 2ww that can affect hormone levels thus affecting the right environment for implantation. Makes sense, I guess!
Oh well, we can but try!

OP posts:
Original poster
Holls81 · 14/04/2022 08:59

@timeisnotaline

I don’t imagine it would help much if at all since it doesn’t sound like you drink a lot. I took 4 months to conceive #3 at 38 and the gp said it was just age compared to my one shot wonders for 1 & 2 (my cycle had become erratic hence gp) There is a ttc over 40 thread on here. I think there are some additional supplements people can take to improve egg quality - coq10 is definitely one of them but I don’t know what they are or if they work.
Thank you for this. Just found the threads. Xx
OP posts:
Original poster
Holls81 · 14/04/2022 09:00

@itssquidstella

No. I got pregnant over a very boozy august bank holiday weekend! I do think taking Co-Enzyme Q-10 helped, though.
I’ve just started taking that too x
OP posts:
Original poster
Holls81 · 14/04/2022 09:04

@PlumsInTheIcebox

Sorry OP but it will be your age. It’s not that unusual to be in perimenopause in your early forties. Have you had any symptoms?
I know that my age is going to be an issue but have read a lot of positive stories so I am still hopeful. 🤞🏻 My periods are regular as clockwork, ewcm on the same days each month and ov pain on day 13 every month. I hope that if I was perimenopausal I would have had some indicators. I think it’s just after falling so quickly the first 3 it’s a bit of a kick in the teeth!
OP posts:
PlumsInTheIcebox · 14/04/2022 09:22

I mean this very kindly OP but you have had a very unusual experience of conception up to now and it sounds like you are now just experiencing what is much more typical for the vast majority of people. Four cycles of ttc isn't a kick in the teeth.

It all depends on how badly you want a third child. If you can be philosophical about it then take the supplements and see what happens. If it's very very important to you to have a third child then you need to start exploring fertility treatment sooner rather than later - by the six month mark, I would say.

Good luck.

Original poster
Holls81 · 14/04/2022 09:35

@PlumsInTheIcebox

I mean this very kindly OP but you have had a very unusual experience of conception up to now and it sounds like you are now just experiencing what is much more typical for the vast majority of people. Four cycles of ttc isn't a kick in the teeth.

It all depends on how badly you want a third child. If you can be philosophical about it then take the supplements and see what happens. If it's very very important to you to have a third child then you need to start exploring fertility treatment sooner rather than later - by the six month mark, I would say.

Good luck.

Thank you for this. Yes. I completely agree, in fact I might take that post down as I can see how it may be taken the wrong way and seem quite insensitive. I know I am extremely blessed to have my 2 dc and have been extremely fortunate in that trying,for us, was successful so quickly. I’ve been taking supplements and doing all I can other than the not drinking. I’m cutting that out for the next couple of months anyway as we’ve had a couple of boozy months due to holidays and celebrations. Like I said, it won’t do my any harm to look after myself a bit more anyway. Thank you for your post x
OP posts:
theotherfossilsister · 14/04/2022 16:13

I'm pregnant after over three years, fertility treatment and reading all the books, eating the healthiest diet. I get your pain is valid but please don't call four months a kick in the teeth when you have two children.

Good luck

theotherfossilsister · 14/04/2022 16:14

Sorry if my post is harsh, it was just tough to read but I get you are struggling too.

cunningplan101 · 14/04/2022 16:54

Giving up caffeine and alcohol can improve egg quality (at least according to the book 'It starts with an egg', which is recommended by many people here).

We started trying in April last year when I was 39. We didn't change anything about our diet/lifestyle and conceived the following month. However, sadly we had a missed miscarriage in August.

I then gave up alcohol, caffeine and started taking vitamins and ubiquinol (following the regime in It Starts With An Egg). My husband doesn't drink but he started taking supplements. It took 4 months to conceive again - in December, aged 40 - and I am now 20 weeks pregnant.

So I think as studies show it can improve egg quality, then it's worth trying giving up both alcohol and caffeine if you won't miss them too much. Or going for moderation if giving up both will just stress you out more. Not necessarily to help you conceive more quickly, but to give you the best chance of having a health pregnancy when you do.

(I think this is probably only relevant to older women like us, whose egg quality is likely to be lower anyway.)

cunningplan101 · 14/04/2022 17:02

Also actually just thought I should say - I wasn't totally monastic on the alcohol. I'd still have a glass of wine if I went out for dinner with friends and enjoyed some mulled wine at a party a couple of weeks before I conceived. But I cut it out completely at home and when going out with DH.

I also used to drink A LOT of tea. So switching to caffeine-free tea might have been what helped too.

It sounds like you drink very little as it is, so I doubt it is causing you a problem.

Furrbabymama87 · 14/04/2022 17:04

Never made any difference to me. I was never a huge drinker but I always stopped completely as soon as I found out I was pregnant.

SareBear87 · 14/04/2022 17:34

Not for me, in fact the opposite. 12 cycles, lots of vitamins, healthy eating and nothing, 1 boozy weekend away with DP and boom - pregnant.
I blame the dessert wine 😂

But in all seriousness, I think everything in moderation is fine. Both my grandmothers conceived in their 40's and they drank and smoked like sailors!

Qwill · 14/04/2022 17:38

The opposite happened for me. Abstained for ages, then we stopped properly trying as we had booked a month off in august and thought we will just have a break and start trying again after Christmas (we had been trying for two years), drank extremely heavily, and conceived at the end of that month!! I’m not advocating it, maybe I was just more relaxed, it can feel like so much pressure sometimes.

Original poster
Holls81 · 14/04/2022 17:48

@theotherfossilsister
Please, please don’t apologise in the least.
I actually read my post back earlier and realised just how insensitive it sounded. I tried to take it down but couldn’t. I’m not sure how to do that.
I’m really annoyed with myself for what I wrote.
I know how incredibly fortunate I am to have what I do and I honestly am thankful every single day.
I think what I was trying to say was that being the age I am, I’d prepared myself for potentially the likelihood of a more complicated pregnancy, diabetes and increased rate of miscarriage. However, being that I was so fortunate previously I, somewhat naively, failed to consider that this might not happen for us now due to my age.
The realisation was more the kick in the teeth, not the duration as I know wholeheartedly that many many people struggle ttc for incredibly long periods.
I’m so pleased to hear that you’re pregnant and hope you’re doing well.
Thank you for your post. Not harsh at all. X

OP posts:
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