Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
What FDA labels say about pregnancy and breastfeeding for approved peptide medicines, and why promoted peptides without human data cannot be called safe in pregnancy.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Urgent first
If you are pregnant, may be pregnant or are breastfeeding and are using a peptide medicine or any product you bought online, contact your prescriber or midwife before changing anything on your own. For an emergency in the US call 911; for a possible overdose or wrong amount, US Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222 (see Poison Help by Country). Do not stop a prescribed medicine without advice.Why this must be answered compound by compound
"Peptides" are many different molecules with different actions, so there is no single pregnancy answer. This page reads the US prescribing information (FDA labels on DailyMed) for four approved peptide medicines and then states what is and is not known for promoted compounds. It does not recommend starting, stopping or changing any medicine. Evidence labels: approved medicine, preclinical (cells/animals only), insufficient evidence, Proper evidence not found.Promoted peptides with little or no human data
- BPC-157. A PubMed search on 2026-10-22 for BPC-157 combined with pregnancy, lactation or breastfeeding returned no records. [6] Proper evidence not found. A 2026 systematic review found only three small human studies (30 participants), none described as in pregnancy. [7] FDA says it lacks sufficient information to know whether BPC-157 would cause harm in humans. [8]
- Others on FDA's list (for example GHRP-2, GHRP-6, ipamorelin, kisspeptin-10, CJC-1295, thymosin alpha-1, MOTs-C, semax, selank, epitalon). FDA's page gives compound-specific reasons for concern or says safety information is limited or absent. We did not find pregnancy-specific safety data in the sources read. [8] For FDA's entry on LL-37, nonclinical findings suggest detrimental effects on male reproduction. [8] That is an animal or laboratory finding, not a human pregnancy outcome.
Absence of reports is not evidence of safety. Pregnancy studies are rarely done for experimental compounds.
Related reading
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding in natural remedy safety, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Children and Adolescents. This is education only, not medical advice, and the labels may be updated; check with your prescriber.Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to use peptides while pregnant?
No general statement is possible. For approved medicines the labels give compound-specific cautions; for promoted peptides we found no human pregnancy data. [1][8]
What do the labels say about weight-loss peptide medicines and pregnancy?
Wegovy, Zepbound and Saxenda labels each say weight loss offers no benefit in pregnancy and may cause fetal harm. [1][2][3]
Is tesamorelin allowed in pregnancy?
Its US label lists pregnancy as a contraindication. [4]
Can I breastfeed while taking a peptide medicine?
It depends on the product. Labels describe limited or no data; discuss your situation with your prescriber. [2][3]
Is BPC-157 safe in pregnancy?
Proper evidence not found. A PubMed search returned no pregnancy or lactation records. [6]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Approved peptide medicines: what the US labels say
| Medicine (active ingredient) | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy (semaglutide) | Pregnancy data insufficient to establish risk of major birth defects or miscarriage; animal studies suggest possible fetal risk; the label says weight loss offers no benefit in pregnancy and may cause fetal harm, and to discontinue for weight reduction when pregnancy is recognized [1] | Injection: no data on milk, infant effects or milk production; weigh benefits of breastfeeding and the mother's need. The tablet form: breastfeeding not recommended [1] |
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | Insufficient data to evaluate risk; animal studies show fetal growth reductions and abnormalities; discontinue when pregnancy is recognized [2] | In a single-dose study of 11 lactating women, tirzepatide was undetectable in most milk samples; no data on infant effects [2] |
| Saxenda (liraglutide) | Animal studies show possible risk; use only if potential benefit justifies risk; weight loss offers no benefit in pregnancy [3] | No data on human milk; present in rat milk [3] |
| Egrifta WR (tesamorelin) | Contraindicated in pregnancy; hydrocephaly in rat offspring at exposures about two to four times the clinical dose [4] | Mothers should not breastfeed if receiving it, partly because of HIV transmission risk and lack of data [4] |
Animal findings do not predict human outcomes; the labels report them as a reason for caution. The Wegovy label also says to discontinue it at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy because of semaglutide's long half-life. [1] The Wegovy and Zepbound labels each describe a pregnancy exposure registry. [1][2] Zepbound's label also says it may reduce the effect of oral hormonal contraceptives. [2]
Compounded and unapproved versions
FDA says compounded drugs are not reviewed for safety, effectiveness or quality before marketing. [5] FDA also describes semaglutide salt forms in some compounded products as different active ingredients from the approved drugs. [5] Pregnancy data for the approved labels therefore may not transfer to a product of unverified identity. See Mislabeling, Incorrect Strength and Degradation Products.
References
- DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), WEGOVY (semaglutide) prescribing information, Novo Nordisk, label revised 06/2026. Read 2026-10-22.
- DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) prescribing information, Eli Lilly. Read 2026-10-22.
- DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), SAXENDA (liraglutide) prescribing information, Novo Nordisk. Read 2026-10-22.
- DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) prescribing information, Theratechnologies. Read 2026-10-22.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss (content current as of 10/01/2026). Read 2026-10-22.
- PubMed search: BPC-157 AND (pregnancy OR lactation OR breastfeeding). Searched 2026-10-22 via NCBI E-utilities; 0 records returned. Read 2026-10-22.
- Human evidence for BPC-157 in orthopaedic and regenerative medicine: a systematic review of efficacy and safety, Acta Orthop Belg 2026. Read 2026-10-22 (abstract).
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of 04/22/2026). Read 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.