Can I take semaglutide for weight loss while breastfeeding?
This article was reviewed by Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA.
Can You Take Semaglutide While Breastfeeding?
Key takeaways:
- The current advice is to not take semaglutide while breastfeeding.
- More research is needed to know whether it’s safe. It’s unclear if the medication can pass into breast milk or how it could affect your baby if it does.
- Your healthcare provider can let you know if you need an alternative medication to manage blood sugar levels or lifestyle tweaks to help you manage your weight while breastfeeding.
Taking semaglutide while breastfeeding isn’t currently advised. More research is needed to know if it’s safe.
If you’re taking semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider can let you know if you should switch to an alternative medication to manage your blood sugar levels.
If you were taking semaglutide for weight loss before pregnancy, or you’re looking into it postpartum, your provider can suggest breastfeeding-safe weight loss strategies and tell you when it might be okay to start a weight loss drug.
Is Semaglutide Safe While Breastfeeding?
There isn’t enough research to say whether semaglutide is safe while breastfeeding. The current advice is to not take semaglutide while breastfeeding. It’s unclear if it can:
- Pass into breast milk
- Affect breastfed babies
- Affect milk production
That advice goes for injectable forms of semaglutide (sold under the brand names Ozempic® and Wegovy®) and oral semaglutide (Rybelsus®). It’s the same advice whether you’re taking semaglutide for type 2 diabetes or obesity.
It’s not just the medication itself, though. We also don’t know how rapid weight loss (which can happen when taking semaglutide) could affect milk production or the nutritional composition of breast milk.
Here’s what we do know.
Human Studies on Semaglutide and Breastfeeding
A 2024 study looked at eight breastfeeding mothers who took semaglutide injections. The women gave milk samples taken right after they took an injection, 12 hours after, and 24 hours after.
Here’s what the study found:
- Semaglutide wasn’t found in the women’s breast milk at any point.
- The mothers reported a normal growth rate for their babies.
- One mother noticed diarrhea and a reduced appetite in her baby, but the baby’s growth rate was normal.
While promising, more research is needed.
This study was extremely small, it didn’t last very long, and the mothers weren’t taking high doses of semaglutide. The average dose was just 0.56 milligrams. For comparison, Wegovy® comes in a maximum dose of 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide.
Plus, babies were mixed-fed (given both breast milk and formula) and weren’t studied from birth — they ranged from seven to 23 months of age at the time of the study.
So, we don’t know how semaglutide would affect babies breastfed from a younger age, those breastfed for longer, or exclusively breastfed infants. We also don’t know the effect of higher doses of semaglutide, like those you might be on if you take Wegovy®.
Oral Semaglutide
For oral forms of semaglutide, clinical trials on Rybelsus® found that salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) — which increases the absorption of oral drugs — can pass into human milk. It’s not clear how it may affect your baby, though.
Animal Studies on Semaglutide and Breastfeeding
Clinical trials on Ozempic® and Wegovy® show that semaglutide can pass into the milk of rats. However, beyond this finding, we don’t know if this affects the offspring or whether the same thing could happen in humans.
Speak to a Healthcare Provider
Reach out to a healthcare provider about breastfeeding while taking semaglutide. They can assess whether the benefits of taking semaglutide outweigh the potential risks to you and your baby.
A medical provider can also suggest alternative breastfeeding-friendly medication or interventions to help manage blood sugar or weight, if needed.
How to Manage Your Weight Postpartum Without Semaglutide
If you’re considering semaglutide as a weight loss drug, there are other ways to manage your weight while breastfeeding. This includes making tweaks to your food choices, breastfeeding your baby, and slowly adding more movement to your routine.
Here’s what to do.
Don’t Rush It
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends aiming to reach your pre-pregnancy weight within six to 12 months of childbirth. Everyone’s different, though, so go easy on yourself.
Just know that you don’t need to “bounce back” as soon as your baby arrives (or even that first year). Although reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight is a good long-term goal, you don’t have to weigh the same as you did before getting pregnant.
Breastfeed If You Can or Want To
For those who can and want to, breastfeeding can help encourage weight loss while giving your baby the nutrients they need. Studies show breastfeeding past the three-month mark might help with weight loss, too.
Prioritize Protein and Fiber
Go for lean proteins like:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Tofu
And fill up on fiber from:
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Legumes
- Whole grains
These nutrients can help keep you full and satisfied throughout the day. Make sure you’re eating enough, too — you need a higher calorie intake if breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can also be dehydrating, so drink plenty of water, too.
Slowly Increase How Much Movement You Do
Once you get the go-ahead to resume physical activity, slowly begin adding more movement into your routine.
Take it easy and start with low-impact activities, like walking and yoga, as well as core-strengthening exercises.
Semaglutide While Breastfeeding: Final Thoughts
Taking semaglutide while breastfeeding is still a bit of an unknown. We just don’t have the research yet to say whether or not it’s safe.
Here are the key points to remember:
- We don’t know if semaglutide affects breast milk. That goes for both your milk supply and milk composition. More research is needed on how semaglutide and the rapid weight loss it can cause could affect lactation.
- We don’t know if semaglutide affects your baby. Research shows semaglutide passes into milk in rats, but it’s unclear if this happens in humans. And if so, we don’t know if that could cause side effects for breastfed babies, like gastrointestinal distress or a suppressed appetite. So far, human studies have been small and not comprehensive.
- Get medical advice. Your best bet is to speak to a healthcare provider about your needs. They can assess whether the use of semaglutide would be beneficial and safe for you while breastfeeding or if alternative medications with more research behind them are better.
If you’re considering weight loss medication as you come to the end of your breastfeeding journey, see what’s available. A licensed healthcare provider can determine whether you’re eligible, taking into account all aspects of your health and lifestyle.
FAQs
Get answers to frequently asked questions about taking semaglutide while breastfeeding.
Can You Take Ozempic® While Breastfeeding?
Current guidelines say you shouldn’t take Ozempic® while breastfeeding. There isn’t enough research yet to know whether it’s safe for your baby. Your healthcare provider can give you personalized advice and tell you if you should take an alternative medication like metformin if you’re taking Ozempic® for type 2 diabetes.
Can You Take Wegovy® While Breastfeeding?
The current advice is not to take Wegovy® while breastfeeding. There isn’t enough research to know whether it can cause adverse effects for a baby or transfer into breast milk. Your healthcare provider can give you personalized advice and let you know breastfeeding-safe ways to manage your weight — and when it might be safe to start Wegovy®.
Can You Use Weight Loss Injections While Breastfeeding?
There isn’t enough research to say whether it’s safe to take weight loss injections while breastfeeding. That goes for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist injections like:
- Semaglutide (Ozempic® and Wegovy®)
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro® and Zepbound®)
- Liraglutide (Victoza® and Saxenda®)
Speak to your healthcare provider to get personalized advice. They may recommend not taking weight loss injections like GLP-1 agonists while breastfeeding and instead making lactation-friendly lifestyle changes to help with weight management.
- Related: Hair Loss During Pregnancy: Why It Happens and What to Do
- Related: Top 7 Ozempic Alternatives for Weight Loss
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This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.