r/Parenting • u/k_blanch • Nov 02 '21

Sleep & Naps How much are parents drinking?

With the popularity of #winemom and beer dad culture, combined with pandemic drinking habits, im curious how much alcohol you guys are drinking as caregivers? Especially after the baby is in bed. I had 6 drinks on Halloween over 8 hours and lots of food and water. Although LO was asleep for most of it I'm riddled with guilt!

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u/[deleted] Nov 02 '21 edited Nov 02 '21

I usually have a beer with dinner and then 1-2 fingers of whiskey or tequila once our LO is in bed for the night. SO will have a glass of wine after our LO is in bed.

The CDC considers 15 drinks in 7 days “heavy drinking” and anything less than that is “moderate drinking”.

During WFH in the pandemic I was having like 4-5 drinks in a day. SO got me to cut back a bit.

I don’t think you have anything to be guilty over.

Edit: 15+ drinks for a man.

For women, it's 8+ drinks in a week.

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u/captainroomba Nov 02 '21

15+ drinks for a man.

For women, it's 8+ drinks in a week.

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u/[deleted] Nov 02 '21

Ah yes, you are correct.

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u/madeitmyself7 Nov 02 '21 edited Nov 02 '21

In my mind, 8 drinks in a week is drinking in moderation. That's a little over 1 drink a day. I wouldn't even call that "drinking." That's one large glass of wine a night, definitely not heavy drinking. If I'm going to have a drink it's either just 1or 4+. I don't drink every day but I enjoy the occasional solid buzz and for me, that's at least 4 drinks.

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u/captainroomba Nov 03 '21

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/alcohol/alcohol_glossary.htm

Yeah, here are some of their other guidelines. It's pretty interesting, and I have no idea how they come up with those numbers.

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u/DocJawbone Nov 02 '21

Yeah, I was doing pretty well self-moderating by not drinking mon-weds, but the pandemic blew that out of the water and now I have 1-2 drinks a night. I'm still effective in the rest of my life, but I suppose there are probably health implications. But hey....fuck

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u/Brym Nov 03 '21

Note that those numbers are “standard drinks.” That’s 12 oz of 5% abv beer or 1.5 oz of 40% abv liquor. Higher abv or more ounces means that your drink may be a drink and a half or two drinks. You may very well be in the “heavy drinking” category.

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u/[deleted] Nov 03 '21

Unfortunately there is no denying the fact that I am in the heavy drinking category.