Infertility

alcohol question

This is probably a dumb question. My dh and I are taking a weekend away this weekend and will going out to dinner and a show. Neither of us are big drinkers but if we do something like this we do like to have a drink - I'm talking like one or 2. Tomorrow I go in for an US to check my follicles for possible IUI next week. This will be our first time. I think I've had 1 drink in the past 4 months since we've started this process so I'm not sure of the effects. Obviously if you go overboard it's not going to help anything, but if I have 1 or 2 is that a big deal? I'll probably pass it up just to be safe but I really would like to enjoy one drink if I can. Thoughts?

Re: alcohol question

  • My RE didn't want me drinking any alcohol during cycles we were actively trying via iui and ivf. Would you call your RE tomorrow and ask them? If you wouldnt, you probably already know the correct answer to your own question.
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  • My re always tells me to have a glass of wine or two. You can drink until it's pink. I have never heard of an re saying don't even have a glass of wine. That's pretty mean. And you're not sharing blood with your baby until you get a positive test. So if you haven't even had an iui yet why wouldn't you be able to drink?
  • edited December 2015
    I drank the whole time. I love my wine :) I had a glass of wine the night before my ER even. Now that I'm preparing my body for a FET, I'll watch what I'm drinking, but she never said not to. Once I have my FET though, I won't until I get a BFN.
    Me: 31 PCOS + Homozygous A1298C MTHFR DH: 32 A-OK!
    December 2015-IVF 24 eggs retrieved, 16 mature, 14 fertilized with ICSI, 9 frozen blastocysts
    January 2016-FET #1-BFP!
    February 2016-MC @ 7w3d
    April 2016-Hysterscopy and D&C
    May 2016-September 2016-Prepare to move to Qatar and TTC is on hold
    October 2016-Natural BFP & MC @ 6w
    December 2016-Natural CP
    April 2017-FET #2-BFP-It's TWINS!
    Follow our journey
  • When I asked my RE, she said a glass of wine here or there would do no harm. Think about it, how many people go out and get wasted and don't even know their pregnant! My sister and I had a winery weekend (and drank a TON) and then she found out she was pregnant. She asked her Dr if it would have any negative impacts on the baby and he told her nope since the baby wasn't sharing blood with her yet.

    I obviously wouldn't go overboard, but enjoy a few glasses with your DH this weekend!

  • I also think a glass or two is fine. Just make sure you stay hydrated. You sound like you aren't going to go overboard or anything and you wouldn't even have had your IUI yet, so it really shouldn't matter. Enjoy your weekend!!
    Married to DH 10/6/12
    TTC since 5/14
    Unexplained with (controlled) hypothyroidism and suspected ovulatory dysfunction (but, I do ovulate on my own)
    Clomid 50 mg 3/15 (unmonitored) - BFN
    Clomid 50 mg + metformin 4/15 (unmonitored) - BFN 
    First RE appt. 5/15; Natural cycle 5/15 monitored with 2 mature follicles and Pregnyl Trigger (full dose) + prometrium - BFN
    6/15 HSG - clear tubes & normal uterus; great PCT test results
    TI - 100 mg Clomid + prometrium (AM & PM) + vaginal estrace (AM & PM) 6-7/15 (monitored) --> no additional response and thinned lining - BFN
    TI - Injectables (follistim + Gonal-F, Ganirelix, & 1/2 dose Pregnyl) + prometrium (AM & PM) 9/15 --> 3-7 mature follicles (3 definites and 4+ that could have matured due to trigger) @ O -->BFN + 5 large cysts
    BC for 2 weeks due to cysts
    TI - Injectables (Gonal-F, Ganirelix & full dose Pregnyl) + prometrium (AM & PM) 10/15 --> 1 mature follicle --> BFN 
    TI - Last attempt at injectables (Gonal-F, Ganirelix & 1/2 dose Pregnyl) + crinone (AM only) + vaginal estrace (AM & PM) 11/15 --> 3-4 mature follicles --> BFP!! 11/27/15 @ 13dpo (shockingly, actually waited until then to test)

    Beta #1 @ 16dpo (11/30/15) = 1,075
    Beta #2 @ 19dpo (12/3/15) = 3,150
    One baby: Saw heartbeat @ 5w5d (114 bpm; baby measuring 2.3mm)

    "Great Things are Happening"
  • I did want to add, though, that if RE states that your ultrasound shows you're lining is on the thinner side, then I personally would abstain. I've read (don't know how true) it's possible alcohol can reduce blood flow to your lining, so I'd want to do everything to give it it's best shot of beefing up in time. Once again, the impact of one glass of wine I'm sure is extremely low, so it probably wouldn't matter but it's how I personally handled it when Clomid thinned my lining.
    Married to DH 10/6/12
    TTC since 5/14
    Unexplained with (controlled) hypothyroidism and suspected ovulatory dysfunction (but, I do ovulate on my own)
    Clomid 50 mg 3/15 (unmonitored) - BFN
    Clomid 50 mg + metformin 4/15 (unmonitored) - BFN 
    First RE appt. 5/15; Natural cycle 5/15 monitored with 2 mature follicles and Pregnyl Trigger (full dose) + prometrium - BFN
    6/15 HSG - clear tubes & normal uterus; great PCT test results
    TI - 100 mg Clomid + prometrium (AM & PM) + vaginal estrace (AM & PM) 6-7/15 (monitored) --> no additional response and thinned lining - BFN
    TI - Injectables (follistim + Gonal-F, Ganirelix, & 1/2 dose Pregnyl) + prometrium (AM & PM) 9/15 --> 3-7 mature follicles (3 definites and 4+ that could have matured due to trigger) @ O -->BFN + 5 large cysts
    BC for 2 weeks due to cysts
    TI - Injectables (Gonal-F, Ganirelix & full dose Pregnyl) + prometrium (AM & PM) 10/15 --> 1 mature follicle --> BFN 
    TI - Last attempt at injectables (Gonal-F, Ganirelix & 1/2 dose Pregnyl) + crinone (AM only) + vaginal estrace (AM & PM) 11/15 --> 3-4 mature follicles --> BFP!! 11/27/15 @ 13dpo (shockingly, actually waited until then to test)

    Beta #1 @ 16dpo (11/30/15) = 1,075
    Beta #2 @ 19dpo (12/3/15) = 3,150
    One baby: Saw heartbeat @ 5w5d (114 bpm; baby measuring 2.3mm)

    "Great Things are Happening"
  • I say go enjoy yourself!! I'm of the same belief that until you get a positive test result you can have a drink or two! Health professionals in general recommend limiting alcohol when TTC but it's to get ready for pregnancy when you really can't have alcohol. I've had plenty of drinks through all of my cycles. I just make sure to stay hydrated, eat healthy, and exercise :)

    **BFP and loss warning**

    Me: 29
    DH: 29
    Us: Married Valentine's Day, 2015
    DH: No issues.
    Me: PCOS, unexplained infertility (whatever that means!!)
    June 2015 Medicated TI cycle: BFN
    July 2015:  Medicated TI cycle: BFN
    August 2015: IUI: BFP. Chemical pregnancy :(
    October 2015: IUI: BFN
    January 2016: Egg retrieval: 10 frozen embryos!
    March 2016: FET Cycle- 2 embryos transferred!: BFP !
  • I have driven myself crazy with this question. I think moderation is key, as it seems to be in most situations in life! I love my glass or two of wine with dinner (not every night) and I just makes sure to drink a lot of water to compensate. I am definitely going to ask my RE directly at my next appointment. If she says to abstain, I will, but she has never mentioned it before. To me, adding some wine into a lifestyle that includes plenty of sleep, a balanced diet, and some exercise seems rational and safe. GL though, I know a lot of this just comes down to a personal comfort level!
    Me: 33, PCOS with anovulation
    DH: 36, No known issues
    TTC since 11/2014
    1000mg Metformin daily

    Oct-Dec 2015: Letrozole 5mg, Ovidrel, TI = BFN x 2
    Feb-May 2016: Letrozole 5mg, Ovidrel, TI, Prometrium = BFN x 3
    August 2016: Clomid 100mg no response, Letrozole 5mg, Ovidrel, TI, Prometrium = BFN

  • A glass of wine isn't going to hurt anything!  Personally, I would limit it to 1 a day, but everyone's body is different.
    ***BFP & Child Warning***

    Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
    IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
    IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
    FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
    FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
    FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
  • Estrogen and progesterone levels can be affected by alcohol. I don't know if a glass or two will affect your levels. But I just wanted to share what I read. I rarely drink but I think going through the process I would love to indulge in a glass of wine. I don't think it would hurt.
  • My nurse said it was fine up to a day before transfer. I say definutely have a glass or 2!
  • Thanks for all the input! Unfortunately when I went for my US I had one follicle and it was too big (2.8 on cd10) so they said it wouldn't be worth doing IUI this month. We did enjoy our weekend...until somebody posted on my facebook implying that I was pregnant and immediately after that I saw a preg announcement for someone. I got awful bitter. SO FRUSTRATING! I will probably ask my RE at my next appointment. Gotta get me through the holidays somehow.
  • KLake42KLake42 member
    edited December 2015
    There's a lot of advice to "drink til it's pink," because there's no risk to the embryo until implantation.

    However, some studies have shown that women who abstain completely have more success with IVF.  And some studies have even suggested a better chance at conception if you quit caffeine, but the evidence isn't as strong with caffeine.

    If you drink very rarely, then you're probably getting almost the same benefit as abstaining completely.  Personally, I've limited my alcohol to one drink per month (the first night of AF), and I sometimes skip that drink, too.  I also gave up my morning coffee, and have maybe a cup of tea every other day.

    You can still get pregnant as a regular drinker (tons of people get pregnant when making bad decisions, drunk), but I want to take advantage of whatever will increase my chances.

    And that facebook stuff sounds really frustrating.  I think I've been limiting my social media a bit during all this. 
    Me- 39 (turning 40 in April), TTC for the first time ever (since Jan 2015), low ovarian reserve
    Married 3/14/14 to my wonderful wife, but her sperm count is rather low
    TTC with frozen donor sperm and science

    7 IUIs, 7 BFNs.
    2 IVF attempts, both cancelled and converted to IUI, both BFNs.
    Decided that my tired old ovaries are ready to retire.
    Next step- reciprocal IVF, using my wife's eggs, my uterus!  
    fresh 5 day transfer (2 embryos) 4/17/17- BFP! 
    Identical twins "due" 1/2/17 (but anticipated arrival sometime December)

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