- Women on TikTok are reporting surprise pregnancies while using Ozempic.
- This occurs because GLP-1 drugs can interfere with how birth control pills are absorbed.
- Metabolic improvements due to weight loss may also play a role.
- The maker of Ozempic advises going off this medication before conceiving.
- Health experts say if you do become pregnant while using it, you should stop taking it immediately.
In a new trend that many have dubbed “Ozempic babies,” women are reporting on social media that they are becoming pregnant after using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide) for weight loss.
Some, like TikToker @fxshel1995, are reporting that they became pregnant after years of infertility.
In a response post, @dkalsolive, shared she was told she was infertile after her second c-section but also became pregnant four months after she began taking Ozempic.
Yet others, like @haleyfriend11, replied to the post saying that they became pregnant despite taking precautions.
“I also got pregnant on Ozempic & was on the pill! Baby boy is due in June,” she wrote.
And, although children conceived while using the drug are often called “Ozempic babies,” some expectant moms, like @Chelsea, were proclaiming success with other GLP-1 drugs as well.
“Struggled with infertility for 8 years. Started Mounjaro, and 10 months later pregnant with our miracle baby,” she commented.
So, what’s going on with the Ozempic baby boom? Are GLP-1 drugs somehow able to boost fertility? Or is something else going on?
How GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can interfere with oral birth control
Dr. Neha Lalani — a board certified endocrinologist with a private practice at Bluebonnet Diabetes & Endocrinology in West Lake Hills, Austin, Texas — confirmed that the phenomenon is definitely real.
“We have seen cases of failure of oral contraception as well as boosted fertility with drugs like GLP-1 agonists,” she stated.
Regarding the failure of birth control pills, Lalani said it has to do with how GLP-1 agonists, as well as GIP/GLP-1 agonists, work.
These medications slow down stomach emptying, so they affect how food and medications are absorbed.
“This causes oral birth control pills to not be absorbed consistently, especially each time the dose of GLP-1/ GIP+ GLP-1 agonists are stepped up,” she explained. “This is resulting in failure of oral birth control pills.”
Lalani advises that people should use alternative methods of birth control when they are using these medications.
How fertility may be affected by GLP-1 Drugs like Ozempic
Regarding any direct effects on fertility, Lalani noted that more research is needed before we can say how GLP-1 agonists affect reproductive function.
However, Lalani speculated that the effect could be due to the fact that these medications cause weight loss.
“[I]ncreased fertility and surprise pregnancy has been well-reported in previously infertile patients, even with modest weight loss (approximately 5%) with lifestyle modification as well as other weight loss medications,” she said.
Lalani added that the improvements in metabolic health created by weight loss could be capable of restoring ovarian function.
Dr. Jamie Grifo, Program Director at NYU Langone Fertility Center in New York City and Chief Executive Physician at Inception Fertility, agreed with this assessment, saying, “Many high BMI patients do not ovulate, some have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and many just don’t ovulate regularly.
“With the weight loss from these drugs, many women who are anovulatory start to have regular ovulation and menses, which takes them from a low fertility situation to a more normal fertile state,” he explained.
What to do if you become pregnant while taking Ozempic
“There are serious risks to pregnancy when on these drugs, and women need to be monitored very closely, especially if they are trying to get pregnant,” added Grifo, going on to explain that a medical endocrinologist who specializes in weight loss, diabetes, and endocrine issues would be the best choice for supervising your case.
Novo Nordisk, the maker of the Ozempic and Wegovy brands of semaglutide — which are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively — provided Healthline with a statement saying it is not currently known how safe these medications are for use in pregnant people.
Those people who were either pregnant or trying to become pregnant were excluded from semaglutide trials, so not enough human data is available to establish whether semaglutide is associated with major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse outcomes for either the mother or the baby.
However, animal studies done with Wegovy suggest that there may be risks to using it.
A study looking into the safety of Wegovy during human pregnancy is ongoing and not due to be completed until August 2027.
Currently, the prescribing information for Ozempic states that people should discontinue the drug for at least two months prior to becoming pregnant to allow sufficient time for the drug to be eliminated from their bodies.
Wegovy provides a similar warning while additionally stating that it may cause harm to the fetus and should be discontinued as soon as someone knows they are pregnant.
“Individual patient decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider, as part of a shared decision-making process,” the drugmaker advised.
Takeaway
Several people are taking to social media to report that they have become pregnant after using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic — sometimes after previous infertility or despite being on birth control pills.
Doctors say GLP-1 drugs interfere with the absorption of birth control pills, making them less reliable.
The fact that weight loss improves metabolic health, which might help restore ovulation in infertile women, may also play a role.
It is not currently known whether GLP-1 drugs are safe during pregnancy. However, animal studies indicate that they could be harmful to the developing fetus.
It is advised that people stop taking drugs like Ozempic two months prior to trying to become pregnant.
If they become pregnant while using one of these medications, they should immediately stop taking it and consult with a physician.
'Ozempic Babies': How Weight Loss Drugs Can Interfere with Birth Control and Boost Fertility
Source: Pinoy Lang Sakalam
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