Can I take medroxyprogesterone tablets while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about medroxyprogesterone tablets.
In short
Pregnancy: Do not take medroxyprogesterone tablets if you're pregnant, as they can affect the hormone changes that happen naturally in pregnancy.
Breastfeeding: You can take medroxyprogesterone while breastfeeding.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- If you discover you're pregnant while on medroxyprogesterone, stop the tablets and speak to your doctor.
- 5mg, 5mg and 10mg) are unlikely to harm your baby if you took them in the early weeks of pregnancy, before you found out you were pregnant.
Breastfeeding
- Nobody knows exactly how much medroxyprogesterone reaches breast milk when it's taken as tablets, but the amount is likely to be low.
- Your baby will not be able to absorb much of it from the milk.
- If you need to take medroxyprogesterone tablets at a high dose for cancer, speak to your specialist, who can talk through your options with you.
When to get help
- If your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, or you're worried about your baby in any other way, contact your doctor, pharmacist, health visitor or midwife promptly.
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
Medroxyprogesterone tablets in pregnancy
The NHS says
Do not take medroxyprogesterone tablets if you're pregnant, as they can affect the hormone changes that happen naturally in pregnancy.
If you discover you're pregnant while on medroxyprogesterone, stop the tablets and speak to your doctor.
The lower-dose tablets (2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg) are unlikely to harm your baby if you took them in the early weeks of pregnancy, before you found out you were pregnant.
In our words, from the NHS page Medroxyprogesterone tablets (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
What these words mean
- contraindication
- a reason not to use a treatment, because it may be harmful
Definitions adapted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute).
The US drug label says
E. Pregnancy Medroxyprogesterone acetate should not be used during pregnancy (see CONTRAINDICATIONS . ) There may be increased risks for hypospadias, clitoral enlargement and labial fusion in children whose mothers are exposed to medroxyprogesterone acetate during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, a clear association between these conditions with use of medroxyprogesterone acetate has not been established.
Prescribing label, section “Pregnancy”: Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Medroxyprogesterone tablets while breastfeeding
The NHS says
You can take medroxyprogesterone while breastfeeding.
Nobody knows exactly how much medroxyprogesterone reaches breast milk when it's taken as tablets, but the amount is likely to be low. Your baby will not be able to absorb much of it from the milk.
If you need to take medroxyprogesterone tablets at a high dose for cancer, speak to your specialist, who can talk through your options with you.
If your baby is not feeding as well as they usually do, or you're worried about your baby in any other way, contact your doctor, pharmacist, health visitor or midwife promptly.
In our words, from the NHS page Medroxyprogesterone tablets (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
Although nonhormonal methods are preferred during breastfeeding, progestin-only contraceptives such as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) are considered the hormonal contraceptives of choice during all stages of lactation. Fair to moderate quality evidence indicates that DMPA does not adversely affect the composition of milk, the growth and development of the infant, or the milk supply.[1,2] Some evidence indicates that progestin-only contraceptives may offer protection against bone mineral density loss during lactation, or at least do not exacerbate it.[3-5]
The timing of initiation of DMPA is controversial.[6] The product labeling states that it should be started no sooner than 6 weeks postpartum, based on data submitted for product approval; and, starting too soon theoretically could affect the newborn infant adversely because of slower metabolism of the drug than older infants. Studies of fair quality seem to indicate that concerns about immediate adverse effects on the infants is unfounded. Of concern is that no data exist on the effects of progesterone on brain and liver development at this age. A systematic review of studies using early postpartum initiation of DMPA concluded that all of the studies were of low quality and inadequate to disprove the concern about DMPA's effects on milk production if given sooner than 6 weeks after delivery.[7] A subsequent study raised the possibility of a slight reduction in breastfeeding duration in women given DMPA before hospital discharge,[8] and another study found that breastfeeding was less like to be initiated if mothers received immediate postpartum DMPA.[9] Other recent studies of variable quality have found no effect on lactogenesis-II or duration of breastfeeding.
Expert opinion in the United States holds that the risks of progestin-only contraceptive products usually are acceptable for nursing mothers at any time postpartum.[1] The World Health Organization recommends that injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate should not be used before 6 weeks postpartum.[2]
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Medroxyprogesterone Acetate” (LM415), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Medroxyprogesterone Acetate while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
Nursing Mothers Medroxyprogesterone acetate should not be used during lactation. Detectable amounts of progestin have been identified in the breast milk of nursing mothers receiving progestins.
Prescribing label, section “Nursing Mothers”: Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Climanor, Provera.
US name: medroxyprogesterone.
The NHS has separate pages for other forms: medroxyprogesterone contraceptive injections.
Sources
- NHS, Medroxyprogesterone tablets (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 20 April 2023. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (oral), REMEDYREPACK INC., human prescription drug, label effective 20 July 2026, set ID e3dfd683-d44e-427b-af06-70b9b698e016. 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 “Medroxyprogesterone Acetate” (LM415), 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.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.