Can I take semaglutide while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about semaglutide.
In short
Pregnancy: Let your doctor know if you're pregnant, or if you become pregnant while using semaglutide.
Breastfeeding: Let your doctor know if you're breastfeeding.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- It is not used in pregnancy, because there isn't enough information to say semaglutide is safe for your baby.
- If you'd like to become pregnant, you should come off semaglutide at least 2 months before you begin trying.
- While you're pregnant, your doctor will recommend other medicines for type 2 diabetes.
Breastfeeding
- Semaglutide is not used during breastfeeding, because it gets into breast milk and its effect on your baby is not known.
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
Semaglutide in pregnancy
The NHS says
Let your doctor know if you're pregnant, or if you become pregnant while using semaglutide. It is not used in pregnancy, because there isn't enough information to say semaglutide is safe for your baby.
If you'd like to become pregnant, you should come off semaglutide at least 2 months before you begin trying.
While you're pregnant, your doctor will recommend other medicines for type 2 diabetes.
In our words, from the NHS page Semaglutide (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
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Available data with semaglutide use in pregnant women are insufficient to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. There are clinical considerations regarding the risks of poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy (see Clinical Considerations ). Based on animal reproduction studies, there may be potential risks to the fetus from exposure to semaglutide during pregnancy. RYBELSUS or OZEMPIC tablets should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Prescribing label, section “8.1 Pregnancy” (opening excerpt): RYBELSUS (oral), Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries, LP. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
More on semaglutide in pregnancy: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet (external site).
Semaglutide while breastfeeding
The NHS says
Let your doctor know if you're breastfeeding. Semaglutide is not used during breastfeeding, because it gets into breast milk and its effect on your baby is not known.
In our words, from the NHS page Semaglutide (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
Semaglutide was not detectable in the milk of mothers taking the drug subcutaneously. Their breastfed infants experienced no adverse effects. Some brands of oral semaglutide, such as Rybelsus, contain the absorption enhancer salcaprozate sodium, which may enter milk and accumulate in infants. Only injectable forms of semaglutide should be used during breastfeeding. Some experts recommend closely monitoring of infant growth and developmental milestones and the nutritional status of the lactating woman.[1]
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Semaglutide” (LM1383), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Semaglutide while breastfeeding.
What these words mean
- metabolite
- a substance made when the body breaks down a medicine
Definitions adapted from the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute).
The US prescribing label says
8.2 Lactation Risk Summary A clinical lactation study reported semaglutide concentrations below the lower limit of quantification in human breast milk. However, SNAC and/or its metabolites are present in human milk. Since the activity of enzymes involved in SNAC clearance may be lower in infants compared to adults, higher SNAC plasma levels may occur in neonates and infants. Because of the unknown potential for serious adverse reactions in the breastfed infant due to the possible accumulation of SNAC, and because there are alternative semaglutide products that do not contain SNAC that can be used during lactation, advise patients that breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with RYBELSUS or OZEMPIC tablets.
Prescribing label, section “8.2 Lactation”: RYBELSUS (oral), Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries, LP. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus.
Sources
- NHS, Semaglutide (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 15 May 2026. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: RYBELSUS (oral), Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries, LP, human prescription drug, label effective 30 January 2026, set ID 27f15fac-7d98-4114-a2ec-92494a91da98. 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 “Semaglutide” (LM1383), 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.