Hiding pregnancy!!

[KRP8]

So I’ve just found out I’m pregnant at 8 months pp😳I was pregnant last Christmas and everyone knew, so didn’t need to hide anything or worry about people being suspicious of me not drinking! This year is different, I’m not far enough along and would like to keep this pregnancy a secret until I’m at least half way. As someone with a family who takes their drinking pretty seriously, how am I meant to get through Christmas without drinking, without them finding out why🫠 Any tips would be appreciated!! I’ve even seriously considered pretending to be sick over Christmas with an endo flare up so that I don’t have to see anyone at all, but would obviously prefer to see my family and friends over Christmas😢

Just say you are not drinking as you’ve got a small baby. I didn’t drink when mine were babies as I often co slept if they wouldn’t settle. Also I was knackered and even a small tipple wouldn’t have helped that

Surely drinking with an 8 month old is pretty irrelevant anyway? Just say you and DH are taking turns who gets to drink and who is “on duty”.

A few options...

1. Pretend to be on a serious health kick where you are giving up alcohol (bit sanctimonious at Christmas and they'll probably try and persuade you to drink).

2. Tell them it's for your current baby - you've realised alcohol makes you feel a lot worse than before you had the baby, you're worried you're not being the best mum you can be, doctor has told you to give it up for a while because you're having a lot of headaches etc.

3. Be 'ill'.

I'd go for option 2 with my family but I think they would mostly respect it and not try to force me (although I reckon they'd still try to persuade me to have one glass of prosecco 'because it's christmas').

If my family were more pushy, I'd just go for option 3, although that's a bit sad because then you have to pretend to be unwell and miss out on the fun.

@Autumn1990 @fourelementary Those are good ideas but it depends whether that is how OP has been behaving for the last 8 months. If she was previously drinking and suddenly stops then that's a bit strange isn't it?

Can you be the driver?? That lets you off...

I'm guessing your not bf your current baby?

Can't deal with slept deprivation and alcohol?
Post partum your body processes alcohol very badly and you get a hangover from the tiniest amount , so you've decided to give up for a while (this actually was the case for me, and it took me a few months to realise).
You're on antibiotics...
You need to be sober and available to your child in case they are ill and need to go to hospital...
Calorie control... you'd rather have cake

Thank you all for such quick replies. There has been a few occasions lately where I have been drinking with family, obviously before finding out I was pregnant again! Because of this it would seem strange to them to not even have one drink with Christmas dinner etc. I don’t drive so can’t use that excuse😢 as I said my family and partner’s family are big on drinking, especially at Christmas. And they all knew how last year I was craving a Bailey’s, but couldn’t have one as I was pregnant🤣 So to turn one down this year, they would catch on immediately. I would hate to miss out on Christmas, but I just feel like my family would try and force me to drink, and then would know instantly if I turned the drink down🫠 I’ve had a look at zero alcohol options, and just thought maybe I could just switch it out? But I know that my MIL would be suspish if I turned down homemade baileys that she makes every year🫣

Just accept the drinks and take fake sips then pour it away or get your DP to drink it when nobody is looking! It's the turning down of drinks that gets people's attention - if you accept them nobody really monitors whether or not you actually drink them in my experience.

As pp said. I went on a hen do when I was 6 weeks pregnant. I took the drinks from people and then shortly after I went to the toilet and poured it away and refilled with lemonade (it was a red cup so I just refilled on the table after) and no one noticed.

Or go to the toilet/sink occasionally and pour small amounts away as though you are slowly drinking it (and so they don’t rush to refill it).

Absolutely. I concealed a pregnancy through several big parties and weekends away until I was 19 weeks (wasn’t sure whether I was going to have to terminate because of treatment for a condition that showed up in my pregnancy scans), by accepting drinks as usual and always having one by my plate or in my hand when circulating. Much the easiest way to do it.

Antibiotics for UTI

@KRP8 Could you tell them you actually already have a vicious hangover and feeling veeeery fragile? Tried this at a recent party with my family. They're big on booze and...miraculously...they bought it. I don't drive so also had that issue of not being able to pretend 😬

(I ended up throwing up a lot during the party owing to all-day morning sickness ...which at least made it more authentic 🫣)

Lol nobody falls for that, might as well just wear a neon sign!

Agree with others I’d just fake it, that’s what I did last year when I was pregnant with my daughter for quite a few events. I was in the same boat in that my friends/family would have been suspicious if I’d said antibiotics etc so I took some Shloer and swapped out the wine for that discreetly, when a drink was made for me I accepted it, held it etc and then husband drank it.

Take the drink and nuts don’t drink it, no one notices. Get your DP to drink it, pour some down the toilet etc. People notice refusing a drink a lot more.

Otherwise known as ‘I’M PREGNANT!!!’

Fake it, take a drink and discreetly swap for non alcoholic.

Or you know what just tell them about the pregnancy?

Accept offered drinks occasionally, hold the glass for a while, put it down next to DP and let him drink it.

Honestly after everyone else has had a drink or two they won't notice.