Pre-existing medical conditions
Always talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or midwife before using any medicine or treatments during pregnancy, like tablets, vitamins, supplements, creams and oils, even if you've been taking them for a long time or you think it's safe (with or without prescription)
When you’re pregnant, medicines or treatments can affect your body in different ways. This means that something that looks safe might not actually be safe for you or your baby
It's always better to be safe than sorry. Ask for advice from your pharmacist, midwife or doctor before taking or stopping any medicine or treatment when you're pregnant
If you have a health problem like epilepsy or diabetes (type 1 or type 2), it’s important to talk to your doctor as soon as you can, especially if you’re thinking about having a baby. If that’s not possible, make sure to speak with them as soon as you find out you’re pregnant
If you take medicine prescribed by your doctor, ask them if it’s safe to take while you’re pregnant. Also, check with the pharmacist, doctor or midwife before using medicines you can buy without a prescription (for example, painkillers)
Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) has information about specific medicines, but please don’t start, stop or change medicines till you’ve talked to a doctor or midwife.
Page last updated April 2025