Can I take bisoprolol while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about bisoprolol.
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 bisoprolol in pregnancy, but if you do, extra checks may be offered for you and your baby.
- If you need bisoprolol, its benefits are usually greater than any risks to your baby.
Breastfeeding
- Bisoprolol taken during breastfeeding may cause side effects in your baby.
- However, your doctor may recommend bisoprolol 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 bisoprolol 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
Bisoprolol in pregnancy
The NHS says
Let your doctor know if you're pregnant.
You can take bisoprolol in pregnancy, but if you do, extra checks may be offered for you and your baby.
If you need bisoprolol, its benefits are usually greater than any risks to your baby.
In our words, from the NHS page Bisoprolol (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
The US drug label says
PREGNANCY In rats, bisoprolol fumarate was not teratogenic at doses up to 150 mg/kg/day which is 375 and 77 times the MRHD on the basis of body weight and body surface area, respectively. Bisoprolol fumarate was fetotoxic (increased late resorptions) at 50 mg/kg/day and maternotoxic (decreased food intake and body weight gain) at 150 mg/kg/day. The fetotoxicity in rats occurred at 125 times the MRHD on a body weight basis and 26 times the MRHD on the basis of body surface area. The maternotoxicity occurred at 375 times the MRHD on a body weight basis and 77 times the MRHD on the basis of body surface area. In rabbits, bisoprolol fumarate was not teratogenic at doses up to 12.5 mg/kg/day, which is 31 and 12 times the MRHD based on body weight and body surface area, respectively, but was embryolethal (increased early resorptions) at 12.5 mg/kg/day. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. BISOPROLOL FUMARATE should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Prescribing label, section “Pregnancy”: Bisoprolol Fumarate (oral), Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
More on bisoprolol in pregnancy: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet (external site).
Bisoprolol while breastfeeding
The NHS says
Let your doctor know if you're breastfeeding.
Bisoprolol taken during breastfeeding may cause side effects in your baby.
However, your doctor may recommend bisoprolol 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 bisoprolol 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 Bisoprolol (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
Limited information indicates that a maternal dose of 5 mg daily produces low levels in milk, and some follow-up date indicate no adverse long-term effects on the breastfed infant. If bisoprolol is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. Other beta-blockers with more safety data may be preferred.
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Bisoprolol” (LM285), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Bisoprolol while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
NURSING MOTHERS Small amounts of bisoprolol fumarate (< 2% of the dose) have been detected in the milk of lactating rats. It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk caution should be exercised when bisoprolol fumarate is administered to nursing women.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: Bisoprolol Fumarate (oral), Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Sources
- NHS, Bisoprolol (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 8 January 2026. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Bisoprolol Fumarate (oral), Golden State Medical Supply, Inc., human prescription drug, label effective 21 April 2026, set ID df37d337-9978-0c31-e053-2a95a90a3258. 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 “Bisoprolol” (LM285), 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.