Reports of the Ozempic baby boom are anecdotal, and it is unclear how widespread this phenomenon is. Experts say significant weight loss can affect fertility. Some speculate that GLP-1 drugs may interfere with the absorption of oral contraceptives, causing contraceptive failure.
“I got pregnant on GLP-1,” Deb Oliviara, 32, posted on her blog. @Dkalslive TikTok account with 36,000 followers.she pointed out in another article video She has had two miscarriages and one stillbirth.
Oliviala, who lives in Michigan, said in a direct message that she had been using Ozempic for three months before becoming pregnant. “When she found out, it had been three weeks,” Oliviala said. “She is currently three months pregnant, but the baby is doing very well.”
“My little Munjaro baby is almost 6 months old after battling PCOS for over 10 years,” another woman commented on the post, adding that she is suffering from hormonal imbalances, which are the main cause of infertility. He mentioned the health condition polycystic ovary syndrome.
Paige Burnham, 29, of Louisville, was on Ozempic, also known as semaglutide, a type 2 diabetes drug, when she started feeling nauseous during a trip to Disney World, weighing about 80 pounds. Reduced. She thought the symptoms were due to the medication. “My most typical Ozempic side effect was nausea,” she said.
However, she learned that the symptoms were actually pregnancy-related morning sickness. This came as a surprise as she and her partner had been trying to conceive for four years. She stopped taking Ozempic and gave birth to her healthy baby boy, Creed, in March 2023.
Lack of research on pregnancy and GLP-1 drugs
Little is known about the effects of Ozempic and similar drugs on women who want to become pregnant or who become pregnant while taking the drug because they were specifically excluded from early clinical trials of the drug.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Wigobee, said the company: Data collection To assess the safety of becoming pregnant while using Wegovy, the version of semaglutide approved for weight loss.
“Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant was an exclusion criterion in trials of semaglutide in both obesity and type 2 diabetes,” the company said in a statement.
Eli Lilly, the maker of the GLP-1 drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, did not respond to requests for comment.
The biggest concern for women who use GLP-1 to become pregnant is whether the drug poses a risk to the fetus. While women like Burnham and Oliviala have posted heartening stories of delivering healthy babies, doctors say it’s important to use back-up contraception and stop taking the drug as soon as you become pregnant. It has said.
A Novo Nordisk spokesperson said in a statement that there is not enough data to know whether the drug poses a risk of birth defects, miscarriage or other pregnancy-related adverse events. Based on Wegovy’s animal reproduction studies, the company said, “There may be a potential risk to the fetus from exposure to semaglutide during pregnancy.”
The company recommends discontinuing Wegovy at least two months before you plan to become pregnant.
According to Ozempic, Prescription information, pregnant rats treated with Ozempic exhibited fetal structural abnormalities, fetal growth defects, and fetal mortality. Rabbits and cynomolgus macaques showed early pregnancy loss or structural abnormalities as well as a marked reduction in maternal body weight.
Diabetes control is important for a healthy pregnancy, and experts say patients taking Ozempic for diabetes should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors.
Why drugs like Ozempic affect pregnancy risk
It is unclear whether women taking GLP-1 are at higher risk of unplanned pregnancy, but doctors say there are several explanations for why some women become pregnant while using GLP-1. says.
It is said that weight loss can affect ovulation and fertility Laura Chahinea reproductive endocrinologist with infertility practices in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington.
“I think as they lose weight, their hormones balance out, and their insulin resistance improves, hormonal access comes back and all of a sudden they start ovulating again. They may not have ovulated for years. No,” says Chahine. Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington.
Stephanie FainA Los Angeles internist who specializes in helping women lose weight for fertility says losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can make it easier to conceive. “No one knows exactly why,” she says. “Fat has hormonal activity. We know that it affects estrogen, which affects ovulation and possibly egg development.”
Doctors say the drug may interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in some patients. GLP-1 drugs can help you lose weight by slowing gastric emptying, suppressing hunger, and making you feel full sooner. He said GLP-1 drugs can also affect the absorption of oral contraceptives. William Dietz doctor and chairman STOP Obesity Alliance George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. “This may mean that the contraceptive pill is being metabolized or is no longer effective,” he says.
Dietz said most experts recommend discontinuing GLP-1 drugs once pregnancy is discovered. “I don’t think we yet know the effects of these drugs on fetal development,” he added.
Chahine recommends that women using oral contraceptives who are taking GLP-1 drugs use a second method of contraception. This drug is also not recommended for nursing mothers. Animal studies have shown that semaglutide is present in the milk of lactating rats treated with this drug.
After Burnham stopped breastfeeding, she started taking Ozempic again. She said she doesn’t want to use birth control because she has struggled with infertility in the past, but she’s worried she’ll get pregnant too soon. “I’m not ready yet,” she said.
Amy Klein is the author of The Trying Game: Get Through Infertility Treatment and Get Pregnant without Losing Your Mind.
