Pregnant or Breastfeeding Women

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should talk with their doctor before using any medicine. Some can affect your baby. The following are some general guidelines.

Pregnancy

- Acetaminophen is generally considered safe for short-term pain relief during pregnancy.

- Avoid using during pregnancy. It can cause abnormalities in the baby or problems during delivery.

- Avoid using other NSAIDs, especially during the third trimester of pregnancy. They can cause heart abnormalities in the baby.

Breastfeeding

- Acetaminophen and NSAIDs such as ibuprofen provide safe relief for women who are breastfeeding.

- Avoid using aspirin because it is excreted in breast milk and can cause rashes and bleeding problems in nursing infants.

- Limit long-term use of antihistamines. Antihistamines are excreted in breast milk, and may cause side effects such as sedation, irritability, crying, and sleep disturbances in nursing infants.

Antihistamines may also interfere with the production of milk.

General Tips

These steps can help minimize the risk of side effects during pregnancy and breastfeeding:

- talk to your doctor about possible alternatives to medicine.

- Avoid the use of medications during the first trimester.

- take oral medications after nursing or before the infant’s longest sleep period.

- Avoid the use of extra-strength, maximum-strength, or long-acting medications.

- Avoid “combination” products.

- Watch your infant for possible side effects, such as a rash, difficulty breathing, headache or other symptoms that your child didn’t have before taking the medicine.