Prescription medicine can be life-saving and help people improve their health. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, herbal products, and vitamin and mineral supplements can also help people maintain and improve their health. However, some of these products may not be safe to take during pregnancy. If you are planning a pregnancy, keep your health care provider (including your pharmacist) informed.
Some prescription medicine can affect your ability to become pregnant. If your health care provider knows you are hoping to conceive, they can plan to adjust or change medicine that may pose problems before you start trying. Always speak with your health care provider (including your pharmacist) before you start or stop taking any prescription medicine.
Some prescription medicine can make it harder to become pregnant. The following types of prescription medicine may affect your chance of becoming pregnant:
Treatments such as chemotherapy for cancer can have lasting effects on your reproductive organs.
Some prescription medicine that can reduce your chances of conceiving a baby by affecting sperm quantity or quality. The prescription medicine below may affect sperm:
Testosterone also plays a role in sex drive, so ketoconazole may also lower sex drive.
It’s important to talk with your health care provider (including your pharmacist) about the prescription medicine that you take.
Some prescription medicine can cause birth defects. It’s important that your health care provider knows if it’s possible that you’re pregnant to decrease the risk.
Some prescription medicines that cause birth defects are:
For more information about medicine safety talk with your health care provider (including your pharmacist).
Talk with your health care provider (including your pharmacist) before you stop or change your prescription medicine. Sometimes the benefits of taking a prescription medicine outweigh the risks to the developing baby. For example, it’s important to keep taking prescription medicine for high blood pressure, epilepsy, depression or some mental health conditions before and during pregnancy. While it’s good to be cautious about prescription medication, talk with your health care provider before stopping it.
Often a different medicine can be prescribed—one that’s safe to take while you’re trying to get pregnant. Your health care provider can speak with you about the medicine that’s right for you.
It’s helpful to bring a list of the all the medicine you take when you visit your health care provider. This includes over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, supplements, and herbal products that you take.
Creating a Medlist and carrying it with you ensures you have it, if and when you need it.
Several over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can affect your pregnancy, even some that don’t seem too serious- like antacids or painkillers. Your health care provider (including your pharmacist) can tell you whether a medicine is safe to take. They may also have suggestions for alternatives if the medicine isn’t safe to take.
Once you’re pregnant, check with your health care provider before taking any OTC medicine. Read the label to find out if the product is safe during pregnancy.
Some OTC products have alcohol in them. Alcohol has serious effects on a developing baby.
Some OTC medicine affects blood flow to the uterus, which means the developing baby may not get the oxygen and nutrients needed for normal development.
Learn more about the harmful use of prescription and OTC medicine.
Although people may think of herbal products as being ‘natural’, natural does not always mean safe. Many of our strongest poisons and medicines come from natural sources (e.g., cyanide, cocaine). For this reason, some herbal products are not safe during pregnancy.
Herbal products come in a variety of forms, including powders, pills and herbal teas. Many herbal products have not been tested for safety, or for effectiveness.
Herbal products may interact with
Herbal products can also affect blood tests or other laboratory results.
Talk with your health care provider (including your pharmacist) about any herbal products that you are taking. You can also call Health Link at 811 if you have questions.
There are many herbal products that claim to increase the chance of pregnancy.
These products may not have been tested for safety and may not do what they claim to do. Talk with your health care provider (including your pharmacist) about the use of herbal products before you start trying to become pregnant or conceive a baby.
You can meet most of your vitamin and mineral needs by following Canada’s food guide. See the information on recommended vitamin and mineral supplements below.
A person who could become pregnant should take a multivitamin that contains 0.4mg (400 mcg) of folic acid and 400 IU of vitamin D every day.
Learn more about folic acid before pregnancy.
If you are taking a daily multivitamin with vitamin A in it, do not take any additional vitamin A supplements. Too much vitamin A from supplements can cause birth defects.
For information about multivitamins and pregnancy, visit Healthy Parents Healthy Children.
It’s recommended that all adults take a supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D every day.
Read and follow the instructions on the label. Take the dose recommended on the label.
Check the expiry date. Don’t use the product if it’s past the expiry date.
Talk with your health care provider (including your pharmacist) about any supplements that you are taking or call Health Link at 811 and ask to speak with a dietitian.
Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine can be harmful if not used as directed. This can include:
Using medicine this way can lead to serious health issues and may impact the developing baby.
Some medicine can lower testosterone levels which affects sperm and sex drive. Conceiving a baby can be more difficult because of a low sperm count or because of the way that sperm move.
Talk with your health care provider (including your pharmacist) about any medicine, herbal products (including powders, pills and herbal teas) and supplements that you take.
If you have any questions, talk with your health care provider or call Health Link at 811. They can give you information on possible side-effects, interactions or risks of the products and medicine you take, such as:
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