How do I know what medications I can and can't take during pregnancy?

One area that has parents-to-be more perplexed than an algebra-challenged ninth-grader: Medication. Some pregnant and nursing women don't want to take any medication at all because they fear it will have adverse effects on their unborn or newborn child as it crosses the placenta or enters their breast milk. But the reality is that pregnant and nursing moms can follow rational drug therapy when it comes to treating their own illnesses.

If you need medication to make you healthier, the benefit most times outweighs the risk: healthy mom equals healthy child. Here are some general guidelines when thinking about medications and toxins: Do not self prescribe in pregnancy. Consult with your doctor about whether you should consider tapering off any medications you might be taking for chronic conditions (depression, asthma, diabetes, etc.).

Do not stop cold turkey. If a medication you are taking is contraindicated for pregnancy, talk with your prescribing doctor about switching to an equivalent one that is safe -- in most cases, you have options. In general, older drugs may have more information on their safety to the fetus than newer, stronger drugs.

This is because we have longer experience using them even though formal studies may not have been done. If you need a medication for a medical condition, take the appropriate dose. There are very few medications that are proven to be unsafe to the unborn baby.

There are very few drugs that are not compatible with breastfeeding. In late pregnancy you may need more of a medication, because your size is larger, and because your body metabolizes some medications faster. For most herbal products, there is no safety data for your baby during pregnancy, so that means you need to take extra precautions to read about and ask your doctor about herbal remedies.

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