Drinking alcohol whilst TTC

[Flyergirl]

Drink till it's pink, that's been my motto. That said, I have cut back quite a bit - not just for TTC purposes but also for health. Apparently more than 1 drink a day for women raises the risk of certain cancers (breast, ovarian and colon I think). Not to mention the extra calories, which I can't really afford given that I'm pretty sedentary when I'm not traveling!

I work in sales and travel 1-2 weeks per month, which is stressful sometimes, and my colleagues and I bond over drinks in the hotel bar etc. But also, I felt I'd been drinking too much: depending on alcohol to take the edge off. That's when I decided to cut back. I'm down to 1 glass of wine with dinner. Last night, I was feeling stressed out - while prepping for a week of meetings on the road, I discovered at 4 PM that my data for one customer was all wrong and had to redo my reports - so I poured myself a second glass of wine. But after a couple of sips, I realized I wasn't enjoying it (it was some local plonk) so I poured it down the sink. That was a big step for me.

 

[Leikela]

I am 35 and this is my first time trying to conceive with my husband. I drank more than the recommended amount up until DPO 0. Once we started trying I cut down to no more than 2 beers at one time. I stopped drinking altogether after DPO 9, as I was noticing I was weepy, sensitive to smells and having low back pain. I don't want to risk anything so I am quitting until I know for sure. If I get the BFP, then of course no more.

 

[Miss_C]

I truly am totally and utterly gobsmacked at the number of people who "justify" their reasons for drinking alcohol. Surely if a child is so important it wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice to get yourself as healthy as possible. After 35 the stats are starting to pile up and you certainly don't wanna be past 40 cos the 1 in 2 miscarriage rate is devastating - been there done that.

And biologically alcohol will do you less harm in the days following ovulation that it will at any other time during your cycle. It takes 3 months to nurture and grow a healthy egg, once you ovulate it is free flowing until it implants and even then the baby is fed off the yolk sac for the first few weeks - however a healthy blood supply to the uterus is important too.

 

[Bettydraper]

I truly am totally and utterly gobsmacked at the number of people who "justify" their reasons for drinking alcohol. Surely if a child is so important it wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice to get yourself as healthy as possible. After 35 the stats are starting to pile up and you certainly don't wanna be past 40 cos the 1 in 2 miscarriage rate is devastating - been there done that.

And biologically alcohol will do you less harm in the days following ovulation that it will at any other time during your cycle. It takes 3 months to nurture and grow a healthy egg, once you ovulate it is free flowing until it implants and even then the baby is fed off the yolk sac for the first few weeks - however a healthy blood supply to the uterus is important too.

Miss C, I appreciate that you have a strong opinion on this (and probably stemming from a lot of pain, so this isn't meant in an aggressive way) and you've already made it clear, but we come on here to discuss things and not get the book thrown at us if aren't all the same. There are so many things that effect our ability to conceive and not all ladies are here because they are experiencing problems ttc. Drinking is part of my day to day life, and my career and social life is very much geared around being out/restaurants etc. I enjoy it, but I too have cut down recently to make sure there is balance in my life. Saying that I know many women who have become pregnant whilst continuing their current lifestyle (in whatever form that it, extreme sports, nights out), isn't to justify anything, its to state a fact and this isn't the same as saying X took crack so we can all do what we want. My doctor told me that moderate drinking is fine and that its best to keep life as normal as possible otherwise stress creeps in causes its own problems. Anyway, that's my two cents worth.

 

[Cypress]

I truly am totally and utterly gobsmacked at the number of people who "justify" their reasons for drinking alcohol. Surely if a child is so important it wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice to get yourself as healthy as possible. After 35 the stats are starting to pile up and you certainly don't wanna be past 40 cos the 1 in 2 miscarriage rate is devastating - been there done that.

And biologically alcohol will do you less harm in the days following ovulation that it will at any other time during your cycle. It takes 3 months to nurture and grow a healthy egg, once you ovulate it is free flowing until it implants and even then the baby is fed off the yolk sac for the first few weeks - however a healthy blood supply to the uterus is important too.

MissC everyone is entitled to their opinion, so in the friendly spirit of sharing opinions, I would just like to express the alternative opinion that for those who have been trying for a long time, and made many sacrifices for a long time, and suffered extreme and/or repeated pain through either lack of success or loss (and I understand you have too, I am very sorry for your loss), the attempt to hold your sanity together through moderate alcohol and/or caffeine consumption can indeed become logically more important than the potential risk it poses. You mentioned earlier in the thread that alcohol and caffiene don't help you personally reduce stress, but for those of us for whom it does, it can play an important role in dealing with the stress of TTC, especially LTTTC. For me, a year of being teetotal yet still having two miscarriages is enough to make me see the logic in a glass of wine to regain some sense of normality.

The studies about the risks that get bandied about are far from absolute, and in fact there is a massive study that showed that wine drinkers get pregnant faster than abstainers. So it's certainly not a black and white issue, there are many shades of grey. I'll happily abstain for the 9m of pregnancy, but until that begins I have to have a life of some kind. All I'm saying is that if I have a glass of wine or two to help me get through life, it doesn't mean I want to get pregnant any less, and it doesn't make me a bad person. I'm willing to sacrifice almost everything, except my sanity, and sometimes you need a small lifeline, otherwise life would be very bleak indeed.

Wishing you the very best, and good luck to everyone here xxx

 

[NorthStar]

Miss C I think the other ladies have already said it well, you have to assess the risks and make your own decisions based on a balance on what is right for you.

We all have our own particular areas of TTC we feel strongly about - I for example am really focussed on physical fitness, maintain a BMI of 23-24, and go to the gym at least 4 times a week. I wouldn't personally contemplate TTC without being in excellent physical shape, but I do not judge other ladies who make different choices.

Let's live and let live ladies.

 

[greens]

Making choices relies on having the facts.
We can all find reasons to support continuing something we want to not stop.
As long as we have made that choice through education/conteplation then we have the best chance to not be regretful in the future if what we desired did not happen (for what ever reason).

 

[Dans Mummy]

my first baby was born with cancer of the brain, i did drink once when my grandad died-i was 6 months pregnant...ive never drank when pregnant again...its not worth it, its really not. my un born baby-especially this hopefully forthcoming one, is more important to me that wine or beer. i feel and still feel very guilty for what i did.

 

[Leikela]

Dans Mummy,

Sorry to hear your story. Did the doctor's attribute your drinking as a direct link to your son's brain cancer? I think what we are talking about here on the forum is drinking a bit (2 beers or 2 glasses of wine max) while trying to conceive. Once we get the BFP, no drinks hit our lips. I would never drink if I knew I was pregnant. Just wanted to put that out there so you don't get the wrong idea about this thread. I hope your son is doing ok these days.

 

[magicvw]

In most of continental Europe it's not considered taboo to drink a glass of wine with your dinner while pregnant. They don't have a higher ratio of birth abnormalities than say the UK or USA.

On the other hand, I did find a medical article the other day that showed that having up to 5 drinks a week did not affect fertility but drinking more than 5 units/w did make it less likely for mothers to conceive. I can dig out the link if anyone's interested.

 

[Dans Mummy]

My son died-he was 3. Ive always been told it wasnt my fault, it was just one of those things. Tragically my baby was the one in a million, but its worse than that as he was the only child the surgeons knew who had this type of tumour, the other was a man. Even though everyone says it wasnt anything i did as i was very healthy and did all the right things, that always makes me feel terrible inside. It can be the same with most cancers-unless you smoke or drink to acsess, its just one of those terrible things that just happened to me and my baby.

 

[Dans Mummy]

What im trying to say is...drink, smoke etc if you want its your choice-just remember that when things go wrong you will always blame yourself-its natural, you want to protect your child and do the best you can to make them lovely and healthy...its no good saying 'if only i hadnt'...as it may be too late you see.

 

[magicvw]

I'm really sorry to hear your story Dans Mummy You are right that when tragedy strikes it is only human to blame yourself even if you did nothing wrong. I think if you hadn't had that drink though, nothing would be different except that you might have found something else to focus on like if you had ever exposed yourself to some chemical or paint or breathed deeply when walking near heavy traffic, or something else - there will always be something unless you live in a bubble which is of course just not possible. I understand what you are saying and it's heartbreaking that you do blame yourself, because I am certain that it wasn't your fault at all.

 

[Dans Mummy]

Its really really hard. I thanked you for your post-but it doesnt seem enough somehow.

 

[NorthStar]

DansMummy so sorry for your loss

 

[Mom To 2]

So sorry for your loss DansMummy.

I did not drink at all while before/after I knew I was pregnant with my DD.
DS was a surprise, and I drank right up till I found out I was pregnant with him. And when I drink, it's not just a few drinks.
But because of my binge drinking I have quit and have not drank in 2 1/2 years, so no drinking going on at all here.

 

[SabrinaKat]

I had a few drinks a week trying to conceive as I needed an outlet, particularly as it took us another two years after mc to conceive; that said, I haven't had more than a sip or two of wine a week since we got the positive test (and a small glass at thanksgiving). I also lost 3 stone (40-45lbs), did acupunture, took metformin (PCOS), got my bloods/thyroid sorted out, quit smoking, ate healthily and did gentle exercise (walking, cycling) and was able, at age 43, to get pregnant naturally. So, a glass or two of wine whilst trying to conceive was actually my only vice!

best wishes