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Shhh - share your leeeeetle white lies during pregnancy with PG tips Decaf and you could win £250 NOW CLOSED

172 replies

AnnMumsnet · 20/01/2014 13:33

You may know know the advice is to cut down on caffeine during pregnancy.

Inspired by threads like this the team at PG tips Decaff want you to share your best little white lies told in early pregnancy. Maybe the ones about why you're not drinking or why your usual has changed that you told your friends or work colleagues in those precious few weeks between P-ingOAS and getting a positive and feeling confident enough to be able to announce the pregnancy. Or you may have a top tip on explaining why you're not on the strong(er) stuff all of a sudden.

The team at PG tips Decaff say "With PG tips decaf, you can still enjoy the splendid luxury and taste of a nice cuppa, without having to think about the caffeine as it contains less than 10mg per cup - available in packs of 40, 80 or 160"

So share your tips, lies told and examples of when you had to think on your feet on this thread: everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £250 voucher for the store of their choice.

thanks and good luck
Brew Wine
MNHQ

OP posts:
manfalou · 20/01/2014 20:47

I was always on Antibiotics for a throat infection which just made me go totally off junk food too... or had gone out the night before so couldn't face anymore alcohol. Depends who I was telling the fib to.

mawbroon · 20/01/2014 21:34

I did a lot of the driving, so no excuse needed.

Also, one time I turned up at a party with cranberry juice and said I was drinking it for a reason. So, most people assumed cystitis. I felt that I hadn't completely lied, just been a bit misleading!

sharond101 · 20/01/2014 21:47

i said I had thrush so as not to use jacuzzi or steam room in leisure centre. I am tea total and decaffeinated tea at that so needed no excuse for the drinking.

MadMonkeys · 20/01/2014 22:01

I didn't have to lie at all, I felt awful but nobody seemed to notice!

lolancurly · 21/01/2014 07:46

I would say that I was on a detox diet, which always fools the men, but there are very few women who wouldn't suspect something was a miss as it is practically unheard of for me to go without booze! I once found out I was pregnant, 2 weeks after starting a new job and tried not to say anything whilst feeling like death and dreadfully dreadfully sick. My new colleagues were really worried about me and I should have 'fessed up sooner.

Ilovexmastime · 21/01/2014 07:50

I used to buy myself a glass of lemonade and tell people it was vodka and lemonade. I'd ask the barman for ice and a slice to make it look realistic.

Punkatheart · 21/01/2014 08:58

I was sick all the time and told everyone that I had suddenly become very sensitive to my workplace. Considering that I worked in a pathology lab and was surrounded by body parts, they seemed to swallow it. So to speak.

RubyGoat · 21/01/2014 09:03

I said I had a UTI. It explained the frequent loo trips, drinking lots, possible antibiotics, zero alcohol, dizziness, lack of appetite, & discouraged further questions!

Patilla · 21/01/2014 09:12

I had "food poisoning" to explain my lack of appetite.

Then ended up on "antibiotics for a minor skin infection" to explain my lack of drinking.

Then DS "started waking in the night" to explain my tiredness.

Pregnancy is very obvious with me so I generally become a hermit in the early stages.

In fact once we had announced our first pg friends admitted that they had started to become really concerned for my health.

I felt terrible to have worried people so just soldiered through and explained less when I became pg with DD.

tinypumpkin · 21/01/2014 11:30

Just watching my weight :) It wasn't really an issue to be honest.

Letitsnow9 · 21/01/2014 12:27

My friends wouldn't notice any change in drinking habits, I drink decaf and no alcohol plus they aren't the type to push drink upon you so it's not a big thing saying no

FernArable · 21/01/2014 14:12

I told everyone I was on antibiotics so couldn't drink. Completely forgetting that I was talking to a nurse who began demanding to know what antibiotics and insisting that I could have at least one. I went bright red and everyone knew Blush

alliswellfornow · 21/01/2014 15:15

I said that it was disturbing my sleep patterns.Grin

Jptb · 21/01/2014 15:21

It's pretty sad that people feel we have to make up a reason and justify to other people why we don't drink/smoke/drink caffeine. No?

ItsATIARA · 21/01/2014 15:52

It's a deviation from ones normal routine Jptb. If I am seen walking into work from the opposite direction to normal, having coffee instead of tea, wearing a new coat, or buying the TV Times instead of the Radio Times, then I might be asked to comment on that.

My top tip for the workplace is to have just one confidant who can run interference for you if necessary, and in extreme circumstance get a round in at the pub and return from the bar saying loudly "and here's your G&T Tiara!" As he hands you a lemonade. IME nobody in the history of the world has ever believed any woman between the age of 14 and 60 who claimed to be not drinking because she's on antibiotics for a dental abcess.

MrsKwazii · 21/01/2014 15:57

If there was drinking going on, I made sure I was driving. And for foods that you're advised to avoid, I was trying a new way of eating which ruled out x, y or z. I never had morning sickness thankfully, that must be so hard to mask.

Jptb · 21/01/2014 15:58

Then isn't an 'I don't want to.' enough? I don't feel any need to justify anything to anyone. :)

supermariossister · 21/01/2014 16:34

can't think of a white lie off the top of my head I get the odd assumption about drinking and being pregnant despite not being pregnant because I prefer not to drink. never understand why noone believes that I just don't want to drink but reading this it now makes sense!

ILoveMyCaravan · 21/01/2014 17:04

I found out I was pregnant six weeks before my wedding day. So I couldn't indulge in all the lovely wine we'd spent ages choosing for the meal. I managed a sip of Pimms when we arrived at the venue, but after that I don't think anyone really noticed I wasn't drinking wine, as they were too busy knocking it back themselves!

mrsbunnyw · 21/01/2014 17:28

I was quite rubbish about this as was showing from 5 weeks. As that was pretty much straight after Christmas, everyone figured it out at work. And I had to eat constantly to avoid nausea, which probably made me 'show' even more! Second time around I wasn't at work any way, and family guessed the instant I started having decaff, but I had massive exhaustion early on that time so didn't really leave the house for quite a while. We'd just moved house and didn't know anyone so it was quite easy to hide.

peronel · 21/01/2014 18:44

"I'm on a health kick" - that's the easiest excuse!

ZillionChocolate · 21/01/2014 19:05

Dry January/drank too much in December. Caffeine makes me wee all the time, can't taste the difference with decaf.

helcrai · 21/01/2014 19:16

I had awful morning sickness from about 7 weeks with both of my two daughters so I had "fess up" pretty early on. My friend made up a story about an extreme detox diet which went on for weeks!

Cherryjellybean · 21/01/2014 19:46

In my first pregnancy I first told work I had food poisoning but I was still in work so they all guessed in the first week of sickness.
I tried to avoid people and lunches with people that didnt know yet... Nearly everyone guessed by 8 weeks

Steffanoid · 21/01/2014 19:52

one colleague overheard me saying about going tothedoctors and asked if it was because of all of the throwing up i was doing, so i kinda went umm yeahhhh he said its just a virus and it will clear up soon Hmm