Can you take Wegovy, Ozempic or Zepbound while breastfeeding? Here is what the labels say, what is unknown, and how to plan with your care team.
After a baby, many women are eager to get back on track. If you’re breastfeeding, here’s what to know first.
This is one place where “there’s no data” has stopped being the whole answer, and the three labels now say different things.
| Medicine | What its label says about human milk |
|---|---|
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | Measured. In 11 healthy breastfeeding women given a single 5 mg dose, tirzepatide was undetectable in 164 of 171 milk samples |
| Wegovy injection (semaglutide) | No data on whether the injected medicine reaches human milk |
| Wegovy tablets (semaglutide) | Semaglutide was below the level the test could measure in human milk. But SNAC, the ingredient that helps the tablet absorb, is present in milk |
All of them still say the same thing about what to do with that: weigh the benefits of breastfeeding, your own need for the medicine, and any possible effect on the baby. None of them says it is safe, and none says it is unsafe.
| Question | What we know |
|---|---|
| Does it pass into milk? | For tirzepatide, mostly no — it was undetectable in nearly every sample. For injected semaglutide, nobody has looked |
| Could it affect the baby? | Unknown. “Not much gets into milk” is not the same as “no effect” |
| Could it reduce milk supply? | Unknown. Eating much less could affect supply |
Rosa, 36, was on Zepbound before pregnancy and wanted to restart at 3 months postpartum while still nursing. Her prescriber and pediatrician walked through the unknowns. They agreed she’d wait until she weaned at 9 months, and focused on protein, sleep and walking in the meantime.
There isn’t enough data. Talk to your prescriber and pediatrician before deciding.
It hasn’t been well studied in humans. LactMed and your pharmacist can share the latest information.
Ask your prescriber. You may need to restart at a low dose.