Skip to main content

Should you be taking medicines while pregnant?

Unfortunately for most women, pregnancy comes with a few side effects. These can range from slightly annoying to being disruptive to your daily routine. You might have a raging headache or relentless morning sickness, and if so, you’re probably wondering what the cure is! Can you take over-the-counter medicines while pregnant?

While you should always consult a physician for any medical-related questions, we have the basics on medication during pregnancy laid out for you.

Pregnany woman talking with pharmacist
Geber86/Getty Images

Ranking medicine safety

Some medications are perfectly fine to take while pregnant, while others should be avoided at all costs. This is because some medicines reach your unborn child and can affect their growth or development negatively. For a majority of medications — more than 90% — there is little data on their safety during pregnancy. Those medicines that have been adequately researched are placed into a pregnancy category.

In the United States, category A is considered the safest, and is reserved for medications that have not been linked to any risk during pregnancy in controlled human trials. On the other hand, the benefits of a category X medication are outweighed by its drawbacks; these are medicines that have been shown to cause fetal abnormalities and should not be taken by anyone while pregnant.

Category D medications are also associated with some risk, but there may be some cases in which they are medically necessary. Medicines that have not been classified into a particular category due to a lack of sufficient research are marked as category N.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications

So, it might be a given that prescription medicines are put into a pregnancy category when possible, but is the same true for over-the-counter medicines? Yes, it is. Due to the prevalence of OTC medicines, more research on their safety is available than your average prescription drug. However, a general rule is that you should not take any medication during pregnancy unless it is absolutely necessary, as nearly every drug crosses the placenta to your fetus. An exception to that rule is the daily prenatal vitamin, which is recommended for every pregnant woman.

Be very cautious of taking other medicines, though, and discuss any medicines you might want to take with your doctor ahead of time. Some medications that are perfectly fine for a non-pregnant woman can be detrimental to a baby’s growth in utero. Yet, other medicines are OK only during certain periods of your pregnancy.

OTC medications to avoid while pregnant include ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as Pepto-Bismol and some antihistamines. These are by far the most commonly taken OTC medicines that cannot be taken while pregnant. However, this list is not exhaustive.

Prescription drugs

Similar to OTC drugs, some prescription drugs are OK to take during pregnancy while others are not. When you find out you are pregnant, you should tell your practitioner about any medications you have been prescribed. They will work with you to figure out which are safe to continue taking, and which you might have to discontinue or find an alternative for. Regardless of which drugs you are prescribed, your doctor will weigh the benefits and risks of each.

Among frequently used prescription drugs that are unsafe during pregnancy are acne medicines including oral isotretinoin and topical retinoids, thalidomide, fluconazole, tetracycline antibiotics, topiramate, and some psychiatric medications. Luckily, alternatives to many of those drugs exist.

For example, most new generation antipsychotics are thought to be safer to take during pregnancy than lithium for bipolar disorder.

Herbal supplements

In addition to your prescription medications, you should let your doctor know about any herbal supplements you take. Some of these are also unsafe to the growing fetus. Herbs that are known to negatively impact babies in utero are blue and black cohosh, ephedra, pennyroyal and large quantities of garlic, ginger, rosemary, sage, and turmeric (the amounts typically eaten are safe).

Illicit drugs

While illegal substances are harmful to you, they are even worse for a fetus. Most of them pass through the placenta and negatively affect a growing baby. This also includes alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco, which are associated with premature birth, birth defects, low birth weight, miscarriage, stillbirth, and other pregnancy-related issues.

If you abuse opiates, you should not quit them suddenly. Work with your health practitioner to switch to other drugs that will treat your addiction and are less harmful to your baby.

Obstetrician talking with a patient
SDI Productions/Getty Images

No matter the drug of concern, always ask your obstetrician/gynecologist or midwife about the safety of any medication you might take while pregnant. Do this before taking it! Keep in mind that although something might be safe for you, it’s not necessarily safe for your baby.

Meanwhile, read on further and check out healthy meals for pregnant women.

Editors' Recommendations

NewFolks
How you should discipline a teen for vaping
Here are some tips for dealing with vaping teenagers
Teen vaping outside

Ah, adolescence. That time of awkward growth, confusing feelings, and unstoppable urges to try new things. It's also the time when many are influenced by peer pressure to try things that aren't good for them, like vaping. Unfortunately, teens as young as 13 are trying vaping at least once, while some tweens are already into vaping. If you've discovered your teen is vaping and you're not sure what to do, it's easy to worry and immediately think of ways to punish your child, even though it's hard to know what an appropriate punishment for vaping is.

Teen vaping has spiraled out of control with middle and high schools dealing with vaping issues in restrooms and elsewhere on school grounds. As parents, we need to be concerned about teen vaping because of the chemicals it exposes kids to, as well as the likelihood of nicotine addiction. Then, there's the rise in lung injury related to an illness associated with vaping. It's important teens understand the risks of vaping, which is where finding an appropriate punishment comes in.

Read more
8 super easy, healthy breakfasts for pregnant women you can make in 15 minutes
Fast and healthy breakfasts that don't take long
Pregnant woman making eggs

We know it's hard to keep food down during pregnancy, but you shouldn't skip breakfast if you can help it. This is a time when it's even more important to make sure you're nourishing your body. Eating breakfast as a pregnant woman helps with morning sickness, since having food in your stomach is one of the strategies to combat nausea, and having breakfast packed with nutrition will help your baby grow.

A good breakfast for everyone, but especially pregnant women, has protein, calcium, fiber, and iron, and these all have additional vitamins to boot. If you're not normally a breakfast eater or are simply looking for some new ideas to add to your meal plan rotation, here are healthy recipes to add to your pregnancy grocery list that don't take long to make. These breakfasts for pregnant women will inspire a healthy start to the day and hopefully keep that nausea away.

Read more
Concerned about head-shaking child behavior? Here’s what you need to know
Notice unusual head shaking with your little one? See if you should be concerned
A baby on their stomach holding themselves up.

Sometimes babies exhibit behavior that causes parents concern. If you've noticed your child is shaking their head more than you think is typical behavior, your first reaction might be to worry. That's a perfectly understandable instinct when your baby does something that seems a bit unusual. But how do you know if this is uncommon and how worried should you be about head-shaking child behavior?

We've compiled a variety of information about head-shaking behavior to help ease your mind and let you know when head-shaking child behavior is normal or if you should be concerned. We look into what causes a child's head shaking, and what to do about it. It all depends on your child's age, as well as other symptoms and factors, and we'll break it all down for you.

Read more