Is it safe? · by category
medication during pregnancy
Pregnancy safety cards in this category, each answer-first and cited.
- Evidence summary
Aczone (Dapsone Gel) During Pregnancy
Aczone, a topical dapsone gel used for acne, has very low systemic absorption, about 1 percent of an oral dapsone dose.
- Evidence summary
Is Adderall safe while breastfeeding?
Adderall (dextroamphetamine-amphetamine) passes into breast milk in measurable amounts, and manufacturer labeling advises against use while nursing.
- Evidence summary
Advair During Pregnancy: Is It Safe?
Advair, a combination inhaler with the corticosteroid fluticasone and the long-acting bronchodilator salmeterol.
- Evidence summary
Is amoxicillin safe while breastfeeding?
Amoxicillin is considered compatible with breastfeeding because only a small amount reaches milk.
- Evidence summary
Is Bactrim Safe During Pregnancy?
Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim) is a combination antibiotic that ACOG considers first-line for urinary tract infections in the second.
- Evidence summary
Betamethasone Shots During Pregnancy: Why They Are Given
Betamethasone injections during pregnancy are antenatal corticosteroids offered when birth may occur early enough for a newborn breathing benefit.
- Evidence summary
Can you take birth control pills while breastfeeding?
Birth control pills are generally compatible with breastfeeding, but the hormone type matters: estrogen-containing combination pills can reduce milk.
- Evidence summary
Is Celexa (Citalopram) Safe During Pregnancy?
Celexa (citalopram) is a commonly prescribed SSRI antidepressant and one of the better-studied antidepressants used in pregnancy.
- Evidence summary
Is Cymbalta (Duloxetine) Safe During Pregnancy?
Cymbalta (duloxetine) hasn't been linked to a higher chance of birth defects in large studies.
- Evidence summary
Does Sertraline (Zoloft) Affect Fertility?
Sertraline (Zoloft) hasn't been shown to definitively lower fertility: research is mixed, with one study linking SSRI use to a slightly lower chance of.
- Avoid
Is domperidone safe to increase milk supply?
Domperidone is a prescription medication used in some countries to boost milk supply, but it is not FDA-approved for any use in the United States.
- Evidence summary
Doxycycline for Acne During Pregnancy
Doxycycline is a tetracycline-class antibiotic sometimes prescribed for acne, but tetracyclines are generally avoided during pregnancy.
- Evidence summary
Dupixent During Pregnancy: Is It Safe?
Dupixent (dupilumab) is a prescription biologic injectable prescribed for asthma and eczema, and pregnancy safety evidence for it is still limited.
- Evidence summary
Epilepsy medication before trying to conceive
Epilepsy medication should be reviewed with your neurologist before trying to conceive, not stopped on your own.
- Evidence summary
Is finasteride and male fertility safe during pregnancy?
Finasteride, taken for hair loss or an enlarged prostate, has been linked to lower sperm counts in some men.
- Evidence summary
How long to stop tretinoin before trying to conceive?
Tretinoin, the prescription retinoid in Retin-A, clears most people's bodies within about a day.
- Evidence summary
Is Klonopin (Clonazepam) Safe During Pregnancy?
Klonopin (clonazepam) is a prescription benzodiazepine used for anxiety and seizure disorders.
- Evidence summary
Labetalol During Pregnancy: Safety for Blood Pressure
Labetalol is one of the most commonly used blood pressure medications in pregnancy, and available research doesn't suggest it raises the risk of birth.
- Evidence summary
Levothyroxine dose before trying to conceive
Levothyroxine dose needs typically rise once you conceive, so providers recommend getting your TSH to 2.5 mIU/L or below before you start trying.
- Evidence summary
Is Lexapro safe while breastfeeding?
Lexapro (escitalopram) passes into breast milk in small amounts, and a panel of experts names it among the safest SSRI options for breastfeeding.
- Evidence summary
Lisinopril During Pregnancy: Why It's Not Recommended
Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor for high blood pressure, should be avoided in the second and third trimesters because it can cause serious kidney.
- Evidence summary
Is lisinopril safe before trying to conceive?
Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor used for blood pressure, is not considered safe to continue once pregnancy is further along.
- Evidence summary
Losartan During Pregnancy: Risks and What to Know
Losartan is a blood pressure medication that isn't recommended during pregnancy, especially in the second.
- Evidence summary
Is Macrobid safe while breastfeeding?
Macrobid (nitrofurantoin) is a commonly prescribed UTI antibiotic that passes into breast milk in only small amounts.
- Evidence summary
Metformin Before Trying to Conceive: What to Know
Metformin can improve ovulation and pregnancy chances in women with PCOS trying to conceive.
- Evidence summary
Methyldopa During Pregnancy: Safety and Evidence
Methyldopa is a blood pressure medication with decades of pregnancy use behind it and no evidence linking it to birth defects.
- Evidence summary
Nifedipine During Pregnancy: Safety and Uses
Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker used during pregnancy to manage high blood pressure and, in a different regimen, to briefly delay preterm labor.
- Evidence summary
Is nitrous oxide for labor safe during pregnancy?
Nitrous oxide for labor is a fast-on, fast-off inhaled analgesic that the laboring patient controls through a mask.
- Evidence summary
Ozempic (Semaglutide) and Pregnancy: What to Know
Ozempic (semaglutide) isn't recommended during pregnancy or while trying to conceive, and current guidance calls for stopping it at least 5 half-lives.
- Evidence summary
Is Paxil (Paroxetine) Safe During Pregnancy?
Paroxetine, sold under the brand name Paxil, is a prescription SSRI antidepressant with a more cautionary pregnancy evidence base than most other SSRIs.
- Evidence summary
Is Penicillin Safe During Pregnancy?
Penicillin has one of the longest-used, most reassuring antibiotic safety records in pregnancy.
- Evidence summary
Pulmicort During Pregnancy: Is It Safe?
Pulmicort is an inhaled steroid, budesonide, used to control asthma, and among inhaled corticosteroids it generally has the strongest pregnancy safety.
- Evidence summary
Are statins safe before trying to conceive?
Statins were once routinely stopped for anyone planning a pregnancy, but the FDA removed that blanket warning in 2021 after decades of data found no.
- Avoid
Stopping Antidepressants Cold Turkey While Pregnant
Stopping antidepressants abruptly during pregnancy raises the risk of both withdrawal symptoms.
- Evidence summary
Tazorac During Pregnancy: Is It Safe?
Tazorac (tazarotene) is a topical retinoid that carries the strictest pregnancy warning of its drug class, Category X.
- Evidence summary
Does Testosterone Therapy Cause Male Infertility?
Testosterone therapy can lower or stop a male partner's sperm production, since added testosterone signals the brain to dial back the hormones that drive.
- Evidence summary
Took Adderall Before You Knew You Were Pregnant?
Adderall taken at a normal prescribed dose before you knew you were pregnant hasn't been linked to a higher chance of birth defects in the studies.
- Evidence summary
Took Antibiotics Before You Knew You Were Pregnant?
Antibiotics taken before you knew you were pregnant are usually less worrying than they feel: many commonly prescribed types.
- Evidence summary
Is Topamax (Topiramate) Safe During Pregnancy?
Topamax (topiramate) taken during the first trimester has been linked to a higher chance of oral clefts in the baby.
- Evidence summary
Vaginal progesterone during pregnancy: short cervix
Vaginal progesterone may lower early-birth risk in an asymptomatic singleton pregnancy when transvaginal ultrasound shows a short cervix before 24 weeks.
- Evidence summary
Is Wellbutrin safe while breastfeeding?
Wellbutrin (bupropion) passes into breast milk in small amounts and most nursing infants show no side effects.
- Evidence summary
Is Xanax Safe While Breastfeeding?
Xanax (alprazolam) passes into breast milk and, with repeated use, has been linked to infant irritability.
- Evidence summary
Is Zofran (ondansetron) safe while breastfeeding?
Zofran (ondansetron) is commonly used for nausea right around delivery or a C-section, and pharmacokinetic studies suggest only a small amount reaches.
- Evidence summary
Is Zoloft (sertraline) safe while breastfeeding?
Zoloft (sertraline) is generally considered one of the preferred antidepressants during breastfeeding, since only small amounts pass into breast milk.
