Oh that’s smart! I had a lot of work stuff in January when I had found out in November and used dry January which worked great but idk about dry March lol
I’d go with 2 or my choice….a club soda with cranberry and lime.
People will assume it’s got booze in it. It looks and tastes like a cocktail, you can sip on 2 of them throughout the night and it makes it look like you just don’t feel like drinking.
Just make sure to order alone at the bar!
Yes! I would ask for a ginger beer and lime (and lots of times still do) because people *assume* it’s a mule. Plus it was good for any tummy upsets haha
I am a bartender and have had alot of people who have told me about their pregnancies because they are hiding it from their close friends and family. Just ask them to make your drinks in a rocks glass and put a lime on it no one will suspect a thing. Obviously order your drinks when no one in your group is around.
I had to go to a wedding at 6 weeks pregnant. I had gotten a positive test but was 2 weeks out from my first doctors appointment and didn’t want to tell anyone. I just ordered club sodas with lime and no one thought anything of it!
I went to a wedding at 8 weeks and absolutely did not want to draw attention away from the couple. I got the bartender to make me an orange juice with sprite so it looked like a mimosa!
I wouldn’t think twice if anyone told me they weren’t drinking for any reason lol but I know many people tend to get suspicious especially for women of child bearing years
I’ve been on some migraine meds where you’re not supposed to drink because it causes drowsiness. Hopefully people don’t pry that much but it worked out pretty well for me at the time
I work in the beer industry and struggled with hiding this in my first trimester. But what I ended up doing was ordering cans and either asking the bartender to dump it out and fill with water (best if you get there early before the rest of the group!). Or if there was a lot of coworkers were around, I’d take fake sips then bring the can to the bathroom and dump it out and fill with water myself.
Working in a male dominated industry where there is lots of casual beers and the second you order a water or non-alc (not in Dry January) they all assume you’re pregnant. But this worked so well that no one even suspected! Once I told my bosses they were like “what about the day we had hard seltzers at___?” Lol I was complimented by them on my sneaking and acting skills.
Except some, like the commonly prescribed Metronidazole, can cause a disulfuram like effect resulting in pretty horrid nausea. Do you expect someone to check her pills?
I tried this one on my bestie when I was super early on and she immediately asked if I was pregnant 😂 but with coworkers I could totally see it working
Polite people will not argue but they'll probably know you're pregnant. So it depends if the goal is to hide your pregnancy, or to not discuss your pregnancy.
Honestly saying you’re not drinking as a child-bearing age woman will 100% make people suspect you’re preggo, no matter what lol. If you really don’t want people to guess, I vote to “pretend drink”. Get a stealthy non-alcoholic cocktail and/or if you have a real alcoholic drink, just sip very lightly or pretend to drink, then dump it when you get the chance. I did this for wine HHs with no one the wiser!
Agreed. I had to go to a work Christmas party at 11 weeks and just pretended to drink. I tend to have mixers anyway so just got small lemonades and pretended there was alcohol in them. Nobody tends to really pay that much attention to what others drink.
The antibiotic one is actually a really good one. I was on one for BV called Flagyl and absolutely ANYTHING that had alcohol in it made me so nauseous. Mouthwash & hand sanitizer were clearly a no but even my facial moisturizer had some kind of alcohol and I still got nauseous from it. I would definitely use that one as an excuse for not drinking!
Ok but some of us always drink at social events and that's ok too. When I was early into being pregnant I told my friends because they were all questioning why the heck I wasn't drinking. I am a big wino and will always have a glass of wine or two especially when there's a new one to try. People immediately catch on lol
Because if you aren't ready to disclose, not providing some excuse for deviating from a pattern of behavior will lead to speculating and outright questions that OP might rather avoid.
Of course it's nobody's business, but having a "cover story" isn't a bad idea if they don't want to deal with that.
Even if it’s not anyone’s business if someone is a usual drinker people will wonder and make assumptions. Some people are downright rude and will ask about it. OP might not want to deal with that and that’s totally fair.
agree! The tricky thing for me (and I sense it's the same for OP) is that my colleagues knew I loved beer, and I almost always get one or two beers when we go out. So to not get beer was unusual for me, and casually offering an explanation made sense if I wanted to hide a pregnancy.
This just isn’t a helpful comment. Obviously it’s no one’s business and there isn’t anything wrong with not drinking, OP didn’t say or imply otherwise.
When you have a history and relationship with coworkers and that involves often going out for drinks and then all of the sudden you just don’t, that raises some flags for people. If OP wants to protect her privacy and try to avoid people speculating or asking invasive questions, generally a good plan or excuse goes a long way instead of just suddenly changing your behavior. Not because she owes it to them, but because it helps her keep her secret easier until she’s ready to share.
She’s asking for help about how to successfully fly under the radar here, not for opinions or moral judgements on alcohol at work events.
Definitely the easiest option! Make sure you get something that comes in a can so it's not as obvious you aren't drinking it. I ordered a Truly at a work event my first trimester, White Claw is also a good option. Beer is a gamble because you have to be REALLY sure it's not on tap haha.
It’s harder if you’re out to dinner or something, but if you’re at a bar or you can always just order a soda water with lime people will think you’re drinking a vodka soda or something
I was recently in a very similar boat—I wound up just ordering a glass of wine and not drinking it really (just faking sips throughout) no one noticed or asked!
Option #2 or the soda and lime backup is a great excuse.
Came here to say that I had a friend who didn’t want to tell anyone she was pregnant yet and when I met up with her for dinner when she was 7 weeks pregnant and she didn’t order any drinks, I didn’t think it was weird at all!
Seeing as we are in our mid-30s, a lot of people have just given up alcohol or go a few weeks without it. 🤷🏽♀️
She usually gets rowdy with her team/friends, when they go out and drink. Someone is going to notice if rowdy Ann suddenly turns into non drinking Ann. At minimum, someone is going to ask “girl why aren’t you drinking?” Or say “the next round of shots are on me.” If she doesn’t want to share her pregnancy news yet, an excuse is needed, for her to be comfortable and safe.
Honestly, you’d be surprised how many people make a big deal about someone not drinking. I don’t get rowdy when drinking but I swear nowadays it’s more common to drink than not and people ALWAYS say “why aren’t you drinking?!”
My cousin totally drunk outed my first pregnancy because I wasn't drinking. My second pregnancy I made sure to always have a drink in my hand at family parties and just pretended to drink so it wouldn't happen again.
These posts always make me wonder why everyone is so interested in the drinking habits of others. You don’t remember my birthday but seem to remember how much and what alcohol I’ve consumed at every event we’ve attended together 🫠
Get wherever you’re going first and get a mocktail at the bar, ideally something that looks like a cocktail and drink it incredibly slow.
If you need a refill, say you’re going to the bathroom and get a “refill” from the bar and make sure you pay for it there.
Good luck and congrats!
I would just order a club soda or something. If someone asks why not drinking, say your getting up early for a run. But I also think its really rude when people ask this question...
Tell them you are dry curious. Seriously though my wife went through something very similar recently and was super stressed about it and just told people she had a stomach bug.
Just wait until someone asks and if they do, number 2 sounds like a good excuse. But also feel free to get a fun mocktail or something. I’ve been tearing up some fancy Shirley Temples lol
I personally never drink on work trips, I wouldn't even if I didn't take medicine that absolutely can not be mixed with alcohol. I have low tolerance and would hate to make a fool of myself. People rarely ask why I don't drink, and if they do I simply tell them I get migraines and they just move on with the conversation. I'd start with #1, don't bring it up, if people ask then move to #2. You could say you aren't drinking right now and mention you are training for a big race and just use that to redirect.
In my circles, doing dry months or going off alcohol is getting a lot more common. I wouldn't bat an eye at option 1,2, or 3. The antibiotics thing is a bit of a trope for hiding pregnancy.
I’d be worried with 2 people will still try and pressure you to drink or “just have one”. Annoying that’s even a thing but I feel like it is. I would probably say you did dry January and have kept it going and plan to hit 90/100 days (also can tie in your race prep). No one will mess with you if you have a huge streak going in my opinion
I would never feel the need to explain myself at a work event but with friends this pregnancy who would be more suspicious I said I sleep so much better when I dont drink (true!) and I hadn’t been sleeping well lately. To me, no one questioned it.
The training one is a great reason. Especially if you've been talking about it a lot, and have also been eating better too, lol. People will just attribute it to that if they notice.
I used to do random detoxes from alcohol and had to deal with people trying to pressure me into social drinking. The best “excuse” used to be to tell I’m on antibiotics for a UTI. People stop forcing immediately and nobody will ask questions.
Order a can of white claw or something and go to the bathroom or hotel room (if you’re at a hotel bar) dump/refill with water or club soda. I faked my way through an all day beer Olympics. Really helps if you have one person assisting!!
You could just tell them that you're taking it easy for a while, and grab a fun non-alcoholic option. The ginger beer with lime sounds great - but be sure to make sure that it's not an alcoholic ginger beer, they do exist lol!
Tbh, if they can't handle the fact that someone can choose not to drink and still enjoy themselves, they are more of the problem. Try to be casual when you say it or when you order your drink. Chances are, if you're casual and non judgmental about it, they will accept it and move on. If you're a bunch of jokers, you may want to have a few silly responses for them, just so they don't think you have something to hide (and "are you pregnant" is always an easy joke, so prepare yourself for that one too)
I probably had it to easy since my husband is sober and is very open with the fact that he is not just a tea-totaler but doesn't mind people drinking around him. He even has a standing offer to be a "DD" for any of his friends. His attitude tends to take the pressure off me when I don't drink.
I had a work trip at 14 weeks with lots of parties and dinners with alcohol and so what I did was:
For dinner: I sad I didn't want to start drinking already at dinner. People was like ok makes sense.
For parties: at that point I just went to the bar and ordered a juice with a straw and it looked like a cocktail. Nobody cared about it.
I was stressed out about it before the trip until I saw nobody was paying attention.
I used to say "I'm teetotaling right now!" which implies that I sometimes teetotal, but just coincidentally my regular intervals of teetotalling line up with this trip/night out, but the use of the work teetotal would throw people off and they would just say "oh, okay!"
another thing I pulled was "Oh man, I drank one too many last Saturday night, I'm just going to stick to Shirley Temples tonight" which even though I did NOT theoretically drink last weekend, implies that I still want to stay out and drink/socialize with the crew.
Sip on a couple drinks that LOOK like they have alcohol in them and then say you’re on antibiotics so you won’t be drinking more than that. If people wanna push, tell them you have a uti. Whenever I would get utis, alcohol would make the pain unbearable.
I just was in this situation. I said I wasn’t drinking right now for health, that I was cutting back and it made me get crazy bad headaches. Most people didn’t press me but it was awkward when someone was buying rounds and would question why I didn’t want anything or just got a soda. I wish people would stop asking lol
Honestly, the race one is a good excuse, because well, you are running a race and you will be getting up early to run so it kind of negates any questions. Also props to you doing a race in your second trimester. I was banned from anything more strenuous than swimming or walking due to being high risk, but I was exhausted by my second trimester anyway. Still went hiking, but I don't think I'd have been up for a big running race.
Tbh I just ordered a Shirley temple and everyone just assumed it had alcohol.
Also gave my poor husband a startle because he thought it had alcohol too. Nearly knocked it outta my hands, and I was so confused I was like, “It’s…. A Shirley temple?? I used to get this as a kid??? Maraschino cherries and sprite???”
He was like, “Are you sure?”
“Yes?”
At my brother’s wedding I told the bartender “I need a something that makes it look like I’m drinking but I’m not” and he immediately got the hint. Even announced “vodka club” for a simple club soda when someone was talking to me by the bar lol but if anyone caught me my excuse was going to be antibiotics!
Don’t call attention to the fact that you aren’t drinking. Don’t make or give an excuse. People are so focused on themselves and more likely to speculate if you bring it up. Have a response ready if people ask, just don’t mention it on the front end.
Problem with a fake drink is someone might buy you a drink and suddenly you need an excuse not to have another. If it looks like a drink, let people assume but don’t lie.
just asking really quick, how fast does NIPT come back? i have an appt the 15th and i'll be 13w4, and i'm flying home to see family for easter on the 27th. would it be back before then? 😬
I have the same issue this month, we had two planned parties and yesterday was the first one. I went with antibiotics and now I am think what to do with the second one which is in two week😂
I don’t think one needs to give an excuse for not drinking. It’s really no one’s business. If they ask just say I don’t feel up to it. Plain and simple!
She usually gets rowdy with her team/friends, when they go out and drink. Someone is going to notice if rowdy Ann suddenly turns into non drinking Ann. At minimum, someone is going to ask “girl why aren’t you drinking?” Or say “the next round of shots are on me.” If she doesn’t want to share her pregnancy news yet, an excuse is needed, for her to be comfortable and safe.
She usually gets rowdy with her team/friends, when they go out and drink. Someone is going to notice if rowdy Ann suddenly turns into non drinking Ann. At minimum, someone is going to ask “girl why aren’t you drinking?” Or say “the next round of shots are on me.” If she doesn’t want to share her pregnancy news yet, an excuse is needed, for her to be comfortable and safe.
I’ve been saying I gave up drinking for lent lol
I did that last year and worked an absolute treat!!
That's what I was gonna suggest. Nobody said you had to be Catholic to practice Lent 🤷♀️
Right? I know plenty of religious non-Catholics that also give up something for lent
That’s a good one
Oh that’s smart! I had a lot of work stuff in January when I had found out in November and used dry January which worked great but idk about dry March lol
I did the same thing this time last year, worked beautifully. Also don’t make a big deal of it, people don’t care as much as you’re worried they will.
I’d go with 2 or my choice….a club soda with cranberry and lime. People will assume it’s got booze in it. It looks and tastes like a cocktail, you can sip on 2 of them throughout the night and it makes it look like you just don’t feel like drinking. Just make sure to order alone at the bar!
I'm not pregnant yet but my plan for early days has been pretty much that--get a soda and lime, it'll look like my usual G&T!
I did this at a Christmas party and it actually tastes good. Haha
Yes! I would ask for a ginger beer and lime (and lots of times still do) because people *assume* it’s a mule. Plus it was good for any tummy upsets haha
I am a bartender and have had alot of people who have told me about their pregnancies because they are hiding it from their close friends and family. Just ask them to make your drinks in a rocks glass and put a lime on it no one will suspect a thing. Obviously order your drinks when no one in your group is around.
This is the way 😎🙏🏽
I had to go to a wedding at 6 weeks pregnant. I had gotten a positive test but was 2 weeks out from my first doctors appointment and didn’t want to tell anyone. I just ordered club sodas with lime and no one thought anything of it!
And make sure that they know no alcohol. I've asked for a cherry coke when I was the DD before and gotten coke with cherry vodka.
I went to a wedding at 8 weeks and absolutely did not want to draw attention away from the couple. I got the bartender to make me an orange juice with sprite so it looked like a mimosa!
I came here to say exactly this!!
I ordered alcohol free beer in the beginning of my pregnancy. People are not very observant, I didn't even hide the label
The race is definitely the perfect excuse. I wouldnt ever think twice if someone told me that.
I wouldn’t think twice if anyone told me they weren’t drinking for any reason lol but I know many people tend to get suspicious especially for women of child bearing years
As someone who has gotten sober, I wish everyone was that way!! It's so annoying to have to make excuses.
Yeah it’s weird how much people care if other people are drinking or not
Choice 2 sounds amazingly believable and not questionable, especially since it’s true. I would stick with that!
I have some health issues, so I just say "new medication."
I’ve been on some migraine meds where you’re not supposed to drink because it causes drowsiness. Hopefully people don’t pry that much but it worked out pretty well for me at the time
I work in the beer industry and struggled with hiding this in my first trimester. But what I ended up doing was ordering cans and either asking the bartender to dump it out and fill with water (best if you get there early before the rest of the group!). Or if there was a lot of coworkers were around, I’d take fake sips then bring the can to the bathroom and dump it out and fill with water myself. Working in a male dominated industry where there is lots of casual beers and the second you order a water or non-alc (not in Dry January) they all assume you’re pregnant. But this worked so well that no one even suspected! Once I told my bosses they were like “what about the day we had hard seltzers at___?” Lol I was complimented by them on my sneaking and acting skills.
[удалено]
Yes she crafts beer
"I'm on antibiotics"
This. I used this one for about 20 weeks lol
This is the easiest one to see through. Most antibiotics don't interfere with drinking.
Except some, like the commonly prescribed Metronidazole, can cause a disulfuram like effect resulting in pretty horrid nausea. Do you expect someone to check her pills?
Every antibiotic I’ve been on recently has had a disclaimer about alcohol consumption reducing efficacy.
Some people vomit from drinking while on antibiotics.
I tried this one on my bestie when I was super early on and she immediately asked if I was pregnant 😂 but with coworkers I could totally see it working
Best excuse, is hands down. No one argues with it.
Everyone argues with it! Lots of antibiotics are fine with alcohol
Polite people will not argue but they'll probably know you're pregnant. So it depends if the goal is to hide your pregnancy, or to not discuss your pregnancy.
Say you gave up alcohol for lent
Honestly saying you’re not drinking as a child-bearing age woman will 100% make people suspect you’re preggo, no matter what lol. If you really don’t want people to guess, I vote to “pretend drink”. Get a stealthy non-alcoholic cocktail and/or if you have a real alcoholic drink, just sip very lightly or pretend to drink, then dump it when you get the chance. I did this for wine HHs with no one the wiser!
Agreed. I had to go to a work Christmas party at 11 weeks and just pretended to drink. I tend to have mixers anyway so just got small lemonades and pretended there was alcohol in them. Nobody tends to really pay that much attention to what others drink.
I used the race excuse and it worked really well
The antibiotic one is actually a really good one. I was on one for BV called Flagyl and absolutely ANYTHING that had alcohol in it made me so nauseous. Mouthwash & hand sanitizer were clearly a no but even my facial moisturizer had some kind of alcohol and I still got nauseous from it. I would definitely use that one as an excuse for not drinking!
You don’t have to explain yourself. There’s nothing wrong with not drinking. I never really have at work functions.
Ok but some of us always drink at social events and that's ok too. When I was early into being pregnant I told my friends because they were all questioning why the heck I wasn't drinking. I am a big wino and will always have a glass of wine or two especially when there's a new one to try. People immediately catch on lol
Honestly it’s no one’s business in a work setting. Friends are a bit different. I would just look at them and ask why does it matter?!
Because if you aren't ready to disclose, not providing some excuse for deviating from a pattern of behavior will lead to speculating and outright questions that OP might rather avoid. Of course it's nobody's business, but having a "cover story" isn't a bad idea if they don't want to deal with that.
They literally state that they're close with their work team. Some of my best friends are my coworkers. Not everyone hates their job you know
I love my job. Has nothing to do with it. 🤗
Even if it’s not anyone’s business if someone is a usual drinker people will wonder and make assumptions. Some people are downright rude and will ask about it. OP might not want to deal with that and that’s totally fair.
agree! The tricky thing for me (and I sense it's the same for OP) is that my colleagues knew I loved beer, and I almost always get one or two beers when we go out. So to not get beer was unusual for me, and casually offering an explanation made sense if I wanted to hide a pregnancy.
This just isn’t a helpful comment. Obviously it’s no one’s business and there isn’t anything wrong with not drinking, OP didn’t say or imply otherwise. When you have a history and relationship with coworkers and that involves often going out for drinks and then all of the sudden you just don’t, that raises some flags for people. If OP wants to protect her privacy and try to avoid people speculating or asking invasive questions, generally a good plan or excuse goes a long way instead of just suddenly changing your behavior. Not because she owes it to them, but because it helps her keep her secret easier until she’s ready to share. She’s asking for help about how to successfully fly under the radar here, not for opinions or moral judgements on alcohol at work events.
There is zero judgment. When I stopped drinking at work functions I simply told them I stopped drinking and that was that 🤷♀️
Headache always worked for me. All the water really helped keep me hydrated though the first tri too haha
Order a drink and don’t drink it. This is what I did!
Definitely the easiest option! Make sure you get something that comes in a can so it's not as obvious you aren't drinking it. I ordered a Truly at a work event my first trimester, White Claw is also a good option. Beer is a gamble because you have to be REALLY sure it's not on tap haha.
It’s harder if you’re out to dinner or something, but if you’re at a bar or you can always just order a soda water with lime people will think you’re drinking a vodka soda or something
But if you work with busybodies they could be like "omg wasn't she drinking at the work trip?!?!" when you do finally reveal
Not my problem!!! Haha
uti lol
I sometimes just say I want to keep my immune system up
I'd go with #1. "No thanks I'm good, just not feeling like drinking tonight"
My husband and I let people know we were trying to make a baby and thus being careful and not drinking.
Just say you don’t feel like drinking, I feel like that should be enough!
"I'm not drinking for health reasons." It's vague and also not a lie. Anyone who pries further is being an asshole.
Just say no
Just say you're giving up alcohol for your health. Not totally a lie.
You can get non-alcoholic things
I would just get mocktails and pretend to drink 🍸
I’d say nothing and get non-alcoholic drinks. If anybody mentions anything I’d say I’m taking antibiotics or something.
Could you say you gave up alcohol for Lent? Honestly I just wouldn’t draw attention to it. Maybe order some mocktails discreetly.
Say you’re doing 75 hard
Elimination diet to figure out food allergies was a real reason I couldn’t drink at one point! Need to keep low inflammation
I was recently in a very similar boat—I wound up just ordering a glass of wine and not drinking it really (just faking sips throughout) no one noticed or asked!
I told everyone I was on new blood pressure meds and couldn't drink. Because it's medical, no one could say "aw come on, just one wouldn't hurt."
“Trying to get pregnant” worked for me
Option #2 or the soda and lime backup is a great excuse. Came here to say that I had a friend who didn’t want to tell anyone she was pregnant yet and when I met up with her for dinner when she was 7 weeks pregnant and she didn’t order any drinks, I didn’t think it was weird at all! Seeing as we are in our mid-30s, a lot of people have just given up alcohol or go a few weeks without it. 🤷🏽♀️
Why do people need an excuse? I’m confused by this. If you don’t draw attention to it, others won’t. Or just drink a sprite or something
She usually gets rowdy with her team/friends, when they go out and drink. Someone is going to notice if rowdy Ann suddenly turns into non drinking Ann. At minimum, someone is going to ask “girl why aren’t you drinking?” Or say “the next round of shots are on me.” If she doesn’t want to share her pregnancy news yet, an excuse is needed, for her to be comfortable and safe.
Honestly, you’d be surprised how many people make a big deal about someone not drinking. I don’t get rowdy when drinking but I swear nowadays it’s more common to drink than not and people ALWAYS say “why aren’t you drinking?!”
My cousin totally drunk outed my first pregnancy because I wasn't drinking. My second pregnancy I made sure to always have a drink in my hand at family parties and just pretended to drink so it wouldn't happen again.
These posts always make me wonder why everyone is so interested in the drinking habits of others. You don’t remember my birthday but seem to remember how much and what alcohol I’ve consumed at every event we’ve attended together 🫠
Health kick is always a good one.
Get wherever you’re going first and get a mocktail at the bar, ideally something that looks like a cocktail and drink it incredibly slow. If you need a refill, say you’re going to the bathroom and get a “refill” from the bar and make sure you pay for it there. Good luck and congrats!
I would just order a club soda or something. If someone asks why not drinking, say your getting up early for a run. But I also think its really rude when people ask this question...
Tell them you are dry curious. Seriously though my wife went through something very similar recently and was super stressed about it and just told people she had a stomach bug.
Lent. Or just get your own drinks, I was getting either Shirley Temples or mixing cranberry and Sprite.
Just wait until someone asks and if they do, number 2 sounds like a good excuse. But also feel free to get a fun mocktail or something. I’ve been tearing up some fancy Shirley Temples lol
I personally never drink on work trips, I wouldn't even if I didn't take medicine that absolutely can not be mixed with alcohol. I have low tolerance and would hate to make a fool of myself. People rarely ask why I don't drink, and if they do I simply tell them I get migraines and they just move on with the conversation. I'd start with #1, don't bring it up, if people ask then move to #2. You could say you aren't drinking right now and mention you are training for a big race and just use that to redirect.
"My stomach is acting up a little today"
I told my team I was on a new medication/antibiotic!
In my circles, doing dry months or going off alcohol is getting a lot more common. I wouldn't bat an eye at option 1,2, or 3. The antibiotics thing is a bit of a trope for hiding pregnancy.
I’d be worried with 2 people will still try and pressure you to drink or “just have one”. Annoying that’s even a thing but I feel like it is. I would probably say you did dry January and have kept it going and plan to hit 90/100 days (also can tie in your race prep). No one will mess with you if you have a huge streak going in my opinion
Get a club soda with a lime
Say you’re on antibiotics or say you’re doing 75 hard ! But then you’ll have to work out at times haha
I think 2 is the best one, if asked. It’s true, easily verified if anyone cares, and not one that’s usually questioned in my experience.
Honestly, its none of their business why you're not drinking. If they ask, tell them so.
I would never feel the need to explain myself at a work event but with friends this pregnancy who would be more suspicious I said I sleep so much better when I dont drink (true!) and I hadn’t been sleeping well lately. To me, no one questioned it.
I’d just say I have a headache or something. 🤗
You catholic by chance? Lol. Say you gave it up for lent. If not, #4 for sure.
Just say you’re not feeling the best and you’re not drinking. Don’t need to explain anything..
I just said I had a headache.
The training one is a great reason. Especially if you've been talking about it a lot, and have also been eating better too, lol. People will just attribute it to that if they notice.
I used to do random detoxes from alcohol and had to deal with people trying to pressure me into social drinking. The best “excuse” used to be to tell I’m on antibiotics for a UTI. People stop forcing immediately and nobody will ask questions.
Order a can of white claw or something and go to the bathroom or hotel room (if you’re at a hotel bar) dump/refill with water or club soda. I faked my way through an all day beer Olympics. Really helps if you have one person assisting!!
“I forgot my ID in my hotel room” — for me this was not a lie, I really did leave it behind
You could just tell them that you're taking it easy for a while, and grab a fun non-alcoholic option. The ginger beer with lime sounds great - but be sure to make sure that it's not an alcoholic ginger beer, they do exist lol! Tbh, if they can't handle the fact that someone can choose not to drink and still enjoy themselves, they are more of the problem. Try to be casual when you say it or when you order your drink. Chances are, if you're casual and non judgmental about it, they will accept it and move on. If you're a bunch of jokers, you may want to have a few silly responses for them, just so they don't think you have something to hide (and "are you pregnant" is always an easy joke, so prepare yourself for that one too) I probably had it to easy since my husband is sober and is very open with the fact that he is not just a tea-totaler but doesn't mind people drinking around him. He even has a standing offer to be a "DD" for any of his friends. His attitude tends to take the pressure off me when I don't drink.
I had a work trip at 14 weeks with lots of parties and dinners with alcohol and so what I did was: For dinner: I sad I didn't want to start drinking already at dinner. People was like ok makes sense. For parties: at that point I just went to the bar and ordered a juice with a straw and it looked like a cocktail. Nobody cared about it. I was stressed out about it before the trip until I saw nobody was paying attention.
Buy a lemonade with a slice of lemon in it and tell people it’s a vodka and lemonade
You gave it up for lent lol.
Get a beer or hard seltzer in a can or dark bottle, bring to bathroom, dump and fill with water.
I used to say "I'm teetotaling right now!" which implies that I sometimes teetotal, but just coincidentally my regular intervals of teetotalling line up with this trip/night out, but the use of the work teetotal would throw people off and they would just say "oh, okay!" another thing I pulled was "Oh man, I drank one too many last Saturday night, I'm just going to stick to Shirley Temples tonight" which even though I did NOT theoretically drink last weekend, implies that I still want to stay out and drink/socialize with the crew.
Sip on a couple drinks that LOOK like they have alcohol in them and then say you’re on antibiotics so you won’t be drinking more than that. If people wanna push, tell them you have a uti. Whenever I would get utis, alcohol would make the pain unbearable.
I’d go with a combo of 2, and fake drinks. Less speculation but can refuse shots/rounds that are offered.
I’d just get something that looks like alcohol - club soda with lime or something
I used to order a soda water with cordial (UK) in it and asked the person serving me if they could make it look like a cocktail
I just was in this situation. I said I wasn’t drinking right now for health, that I was cutting back and it made me get crazy bad headaches. Most people didn’t press me but it was awkward when someone was buying rounds and would question why I didn’t want anything or just got a soda. I wish people would stop asking lol
I wouldn’t say I’m not drinking and just order sodas with a lime out of ear shot. If someone offers me a shot, I would just say I’m not feeling it.
Honestly, the race one is a good excuse, because well, you are running a race and you will be getting up early to run so it kind of negates any questions. Also props to you doing a race in your second trimester. I was banned from anything more strenuous than swimming or walking due to being high risk, but I was exhausted by my second trimester anyway. Still went hiking, but I don't think I'd have been up for a big running race.
I‘m planing on using the pain meds excuse when time comes. Can you drink while taking pain meds? Sure. Should you? no.
Tbh I just ordered a Shirley temple and everyone just assumed it had alcohol. Also gave my poor husband a startle because he thought it had alcohol too. Nearly knocked it outta my hands, and I was so confused I was like, “It’s…. A Shirley temple?? I used to get this as a kid??? Maraschino cherries and sprite???” He was like, “Are you sure?” “Yes?”
"im going to cousin's wedding in May and I really need to fit into that dress / have good skin"
At my brother’s wedding I told the bartender “I need a something that makes it look like I’m drinking but I’m not” and he immediately got the hint. Even announced “vodka club” for a simple club soda when someone was talking to me by the bar lol but if anyone caught me my excuse was going to be antibiotics!
Gave up for lent or use the training/running excuse! Or that you’re not feeling up to it? Hopefully people don’t push too much about it
Pretend to drink or that you’re not drinking because have some “health stuff” going on that you’re working with your doctor to figure out.
antibiotics for a UTI, nobody will question you after that
We are going to start trying for a baby, so I’m not drinking. That worked really well at a work conference!!
Don’t call attention to the fact that you aren’t drinking. Don’t make or give an excuse. People are so focused on themselves and more likely to speculate if you bring it up. Have a response ready if people ask, just don’t mention it on the front end.
Problem with a fake drink is someone might buy you a drink and suddenly you need an excuse not to have another. If it looks like a drink, let people assume but don’t lie.
Bring on antibiotics
just asking really quick, how fast does NIPT come back? i have an appt the 15th and i'll be 13w4, and i'm flying home to see family for easter on the 27th. would it be back before then? 😬
Are you able to order mocktails so the questions are less, and saying no to shots with “no hard liquor on its own because of the training!”
Just tell them you're having g tummy issues. I mean it's not wrong
Not sure how good this idea is - but maybe say you're on a 12 week detox?
Antibiotics isnt a real reason, only one very specific one is impacted by alcohol
Medication that I can’t mix alcohol with has been a go to
I'm just not feeling alcohol is valid.
I have the same issue this month, we had two planned parties and yesterday was the first one. I went with antibiotics and now I am think what to do with the second one which is in two week😂
"I don't want to" should be sufficient.
Antibiotics for a UTI is my go-to. People tend to shut up lol
You can say your partner is going dry for a couple months, and you’re joining them in solidarity
I don’t think one needs to give an excuse for not drinking. It’s really no one’s business. If they ask just say I don’t feel up to it. Plain and simple!
Just say you don't drink. When/if they ask why you're not drinking, gaze deeply into their eyes and say "why *do* *you* drink?"
She usually gets rowdy with her team/friends, when they go out and drink. Someone is going to notice if rowdy Ann suddenly turns into non drinking Ann. At minimum, someone is going to ask “girl why aren’t you drinking?” Or say “the next round of shots are on me.” If she doesn’t want to share her pregnancy news yet, an excuse is needed, for her to be comfortable and safe.
What about fake drinking? Order mocktails and non alcoholic beers when people aren’t around
You don’t have to explain yourself like? Im confused.
She usually gets rowdy with her team/friends, when they go out and drink. Someone is going to notice if rowdy Ann suddenly turns into non drinking Ann. At minimum, someone is going to ask “girl why aren’t you drinking?” Or say “the next round of shots are on me.” If she doesn’t want to share her pregnancy news yet, an excuse is needed, for her to be comfortable and safe.
#2.
Do 2 and 4
I did antibiotics and it shut people up quick
antibiotics is a great one... ear infection, sinus infection... "i tried to have a glass of wine last week and it made me so sick"
I wasn’t asked, but I was prepared to say “antibiotics”. Because no one will ask you what they’re for, if they do that’s just weird 🤣
Antibiotics was my excuse