Can I take atenolol while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about atenolol.
In short
Pregnancy: Let your doctor know if you're pregnant.
Breastfeeding: Let your doctor know if you're breastfeeding.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- You can take atenolol in pregnancy, but if you do, extra checks may be offered for you and your baby.
- If you need atenolol, your doctor will discuss with you the risks and benefits of using it during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
- Atenolol taken during breastfeeding may cause side effects in your baby.
- However, your doctor may recommend atenolol if the benefits to you are greater than the risks to your baby, or they may suggest trying another beta blocker while you breastfeed.
When to get help
- If you're breastfeeding while taking atenolol and anything about your baby worries you, talk to a healthcare professional or call NHS 111 (in the UK).
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
This page is educational, not advice for your own situation. Talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The details: what each source says
Atenolol in pregnancy
The NHS says
Let your doctor know if you're pregnant.
You can take atenolol in pregnancy, but if you do, extra checks may be offered for you and your baby.
If you need atenolol, your doctor will discuss with you the risks and benefits of using it during pregnancy.
In our words, from the NHS page Atenolol (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
More on atenolol in pregnancy: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet (external site).
Atenolol while breastfeeding
The NHS says
Let your doctor know if you're breastfeeding.
Atenolol taken during breastfeeding may cause side effects in your baby.
However, your doctor may recommend atenolol if the benefits to you are greater than the risks to your baby, or they may suggest trying another beta blocker while you breastfeed.
If you're breastfeeding while taking atenolol and anything about your baby worries you, talk to a healthcare professional or call NHS 111 (in the UK).
In our words, from the NHS page Atenolol (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
LactMed says
Because of atenolol's relatively extensive excretion into breastmilk in the newborn period and its extensive renal excretion, other agents are preferred while nursing a newborn or preterm infant or with high maternal dosages.[1,2] Infants older than 3 months of age appear to be at little risk of adverse effects from atenolol in breastmilk. Timing breastfeeding with respect to the time of the atenolol dose appears to be of little benefit in reducing infant atenolol exposure because it has a long half-life and the time of the peak level in milk is unpredictable.[3]
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Atenolol” (LM283), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Atenolol while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers Atenolol is excreted in human breast milk at a ratio of 1.5 to 6.8 when compared to the concentration in plasma. Caution should be exercised when atenolol is administered to a nursing woman. Clinically significant bradycardia has been reported in breastfed infants. Premature infants, or infants with impaired renal function, may be more likely to develop adverse effects. Neonates born to mothers who are receiving atenolol at parturition or breastfeeding may be at risk for hypoglycemia and bradycardia. Caution should be exercised when atenolol is administered during pregnancy or to a woman who is breastfeeding (See WARNINGS, Pregnancy and Fetal Injury ).
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: Atenolol (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Sources
- NHS, Atenolol (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 20 August 2026. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Atenolol (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC., human prescription drug, label effective 27 August 2026, set ID cdca0ef8-2ac3-4430-a662-f88522f68d8e. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Atenolol” (LM283), bulk release of 22 September 2026. LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. Public domain; quoted verbatim. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy), UK Teratology Information Service: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet. Linked, not reproduced.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.