Early pregnancy - don't want boss to know, but going out for a meal/drink next week - what would you do?

[whattheheck]

So, I'm 4 weeks pregnant, due to go out with my boss next week and don't want her to know yet; it could be bad at a time when I need work (i'm freelance). She'll guess however if I don't drink (did last time). How would you deal with this?

tell her you are on antibiotics

or a detox

or you have an early start

or you had loads the night before

There is a good thread from a couple of days ago on excuses / tactics people use re drinking. Sorry don't know how to link to another thread but it should be easy to find if you scroll down - hope you find some inspiration!

Could you not drive there?

no sadly don't have a car! Suppose could buy one quickly ....
The antibiotics one I tried last pregnancy and she didn't buy it then!

Honestly, I'm just not sure anyone pays that much attention. If it's a meal, accept a glass of wine and just don't drink it - or toy with it from time to time. That's far less likely to arouse her suspicions than coming up with an excuse. I managed a whole week away with close friends doing that, and no one noticed anything (probably because they were all too drunk because they were inadvertantly drinking what I would have been drinking under normal circumstances).

If it's a drink, that's harder. Drive, probably. Or say you have to work later. Or buy the drinks.

Anyone woman who refuses a drink and says "I'm on antibiotics" instantly is marked down as pregnant in my mind. Detox/diet would be more plausible, probably.

Yep it's a meal, with one other person so can't hide down other end of table. I think the toying might work - we'd usually share a bottle between three..
I think I'd just have to take charge of the pouring so I'm making sure it's down their throats not mine.
But (paranoid) wd have to take the odd sip - would it be ok if I didn't drink more than say a third of a glass?

you'll be fine if you have a little bit, honestly.

Get a beer in a bottle, or a glass of wine take a couple of little sips, but don't finish it. I'd wouldn't be a problem to drink half a glass with a meal, we are all a bit paranoid here.

Could you go for a white wine spritzer thing, made with tonic water rather than lemonade and it doesnt look too fizzy, it comes in a large glass and you could make it last you all night.

spritzer not a bad idea actually - although don't they usually end up putting a 250ml equivalent glass in?

I had this problem when newly preg with DS - had a big dinner with all managers and was only 8 weeks.

I took the route of taking a glass of wine and toying with it. Unfortunately the evening began with stand up drinks reception while we waited for meal to be ready. The meal was delayed so we ended up standing up for an hour with no nibbles and kust the glass of wine which i could not drink. I ended up collapsing in a faint on the floor and throwing up on the carpet! Everyone thought i was drunk!

There was a lot of teasing when i announced the pregnancy a few weeks later - though understandably most of the mothers in the party had guussed.

I too used the one glass of champagne sipped extremely slowly (while concealing an extra glass of water nearby) when I had to go to a drinks reception - also doing lots of mingling so you don't spend too long speaking to any one person.
But shandy/spritzer is also a good ploy, as is the driving excuse, or cystitis. Or, say you've given up drinking for the month just to see if you can do it (admittedly this works better in January, when lots of people are detoxing).
And actually, a lot of my non-pregnant friends don't drink if they have a really severe hangover, so you could ham that one up!
Good luck!

I went a bit overboard here and arrived at a meal I had early, asked the waitress that when I asked for a white wine spritzer to just bring me a lemonade with a dash of lemon juice but to charge us for a white wine spritzer.. she did it and noone was the none the wiser and I could relax!

personally I chose not to drink in early pg and wouldn't compromise that to hide my pg from my boss. I have no problems with others making a different choice but I do think most people choose not to drink early on.
Can you spend a few days noticably scratching down below before announcing you are on ABs??

make sure you order first drinks/ get there early and order alcohol free lager. It tastes the same and bottles look identical.

Say you have a bladder infection, order cranberry juice and go to the toiler loads.

Say youre on antibiotics, if she asks which tell her theyre metronidazole (the ones you cant drink with) for a 'lady' infection

Or drink the alcohol free Becks, same bottle slightly different colour label, you wouldnt know without looking hard and knowing your stuff