Every year, millions of pregnant women turn to the internet to find out if a medication is safe. They type in questions like, "Is ibuprofen okay during pregnancy?" or "Can I take Zoloft while breastfeeding?" And what they find isn’t always true. In fact, a 2019 study of over 1,200 online posts showed that only 57% of the advice matched up with what experts know from clinical data. That means more than 4 in 10 times, you’re getting wrong or misleading information - and the stakes are high. Taking the wrong pill, or stopping a needed one because of fear, can hurt both you and your baby.
Why Online Advice Is So Often Wrong
The internet is full of opinions, not evidence. Social media groups like Reddit’s r/BabyBumps have over a million members, and people share stories - not studies. One woman says she stopped her antidepressant after reading a post claiming it caused autism. Another says she avoided antibiotics because a blog said they "damage the baby’s gut." These aren’t just harmless myths. In one documented case, 87 women on Reddit stopped taking essential meds after misleading posts. Twenty-nine of them ended up in emergency care for mental health crises. Even trusted-looking websites can be misleading. Drug company sites, health blogs, and "natural living" influencers often skip the science. They might say, "This is safe based on tradition," or "My cousin took it and her baby was fine." But pregnancy isn’t about anecdotes. It’s about data. A 2024 study found that 58% of women felt their doctors gave them unclear advice - so they went online. And what they found was worse than silence.The Gold Standard: Teratology Information Services (TIS)
Experts use a system called Teratology Information Services (TIS) to rate medication safety in pregnancy. It’s not a guess. It’s based on decades of research tracking thousands of pregnancies. TIS has four clear categories:- Safe - Proven no risk in human studies
- Contraindicated - Known harm, avoid completely
- On strict indication or second-line - Only if benefits clearly outweigh risks
- Insufficient knowledge - Not enough data yet
How to Check If a Source Is Real
You don’t need a medical degree to tell good advice from bad. You just need to know where to look. Here’s your 5-step checklist:- Check the website domain - Look for .gov (like NIH.gov), .edu (like university sites), or HONcode certification. These are held to higher standards. Avoid .com sites that sell supplements or push "natural alternatives" without citing studies.
- Find the author’s credentials - Is the writer a board-certified OB-GYN, pharmacist, or teratologist? Search their name on the American Board of Medical Specialties website. If it’s just "Mom of 3 who loves herbal tea," walk away.
- Look for real citations - Good sources link to actual studies: journal name, author, year, sample size. For example, accurate advice on paracetamol will reference the 2021 JAMA Internal Medicine study of 95,000 pregnancies. Bad advice says "studies show" without naming any.
- Check the date - Medical knowledge changes fast. If the article says "research shows" but doesn’t list a date, or if it’s older than 3 years, treat it as outdated. The FDA updated its pregnancy labeling rules in 2015. Anything using the old A, B, C, D, X categories is obsolete.
- Compare three trusted sources - Don’t trust one site. Cross-check with:
- LactMed (from the National Library of Medicine) - updated weekly, covers breastfeeding and pregnancy
- MotherToBaby (run by OTIS) - 92% accurate, free hotline: 1-866-626-6847
- ACOG Practice Bulletins - official guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
What to Watch Out For
There are traps everywhere. Here are the most common ones:- "Natural" doesn’t mean safe - Herbal supplements like black cohosh, dong quai, or chamomile tea are not regulated. Only 0.3% of them are tested for pregnancy safety. Yet 63% of women think they’re FDA-approved.
- Correlation isn’t causation - A post might say, "I took Zyrtec and my baby had a cleft palate." But if 1 in 700 babies have cleft palates anyway, and millions take Zyrtec, it’s likely coincidence. Good sources control for other factors like age, smoking, or genetics.
- Hidden ads - 42% of "educational" sites have undisclosed pharmaceutical sponsorships. A blog saying "This new prenatal vitamin is a game-changer" might be paid by the maker.
- Overconfidence - Women rate their ability to judge online advice at an average of 7.8 out of 10. But when tested, only 42% could correctly identify a credible source.
The Best Resources You Can Trust
These are the only sites you should rely on:- MotherToBaby - Operated by the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. Free phone, chat, and email service. Staffed by specialists who answer questions using the latest research. Their website has plain-language summaries backed by peer-reviewed data.
- LactMed - Run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Covers over 500 drugs and their effects on breast milk. Updated every week. No ads. No fluff.
- ACOG Guidelines - Published every few years. The 2020 bulletin on medication use in pregnancy is still current. You can search their site for "medication safety."
- FDA Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR) - This replaced the old A-B-C-D-X system. Now, drug labels include detailed summaries of risks, benefits, and real-world data. Look for this section on the drug’s official page.
What’s Changing in 2025 and Beyond
The problem isn’t going away - but tools are getting better. In early 2025, the NIH launched PRISM, a $4.7 million project to build browser extensions that automatically check medication claims against MotherToBaby’s database. If you search for "is metformin safe in pregnancy?" the extension will pop up a green check if it’s accurate, or a red warning if it’s not. The FDA also launched a pilot AI tool in September 2024 that scans websites and flags inaccurate claims with 83% accuracy. It’s not perfect - it gives false alarms 12% of the time - but it’s a start. By 2026, the FDA’s Digital Health Software Precertification Program may require all pregnancy-related apps to prove their advice is evidence-based before being sold. Meanwhile, doctors are starting to talk about this. The American Academy of Family Physicians now recommends spending 5 minutes in every prenatal visit reviewing where the patient got their info. In one trial, this simple step cut medication non-adherence by over 20%.Final Rule: If It Feels Too Simple, It’s Probably Wrong
Real science doesn’t give easy answers. If a website says, "Take this pill - 100% safe," it’s lying. Experts say: "Current evidence suggests no increased risk," or "The data is limited, but no major red flags have appeared." That uncertainty? That’s the sign of honesty. Don’t let fear stop you from taking what you need. If you’re on a medication for depression, epilepsy, asthma, or high blood pressure - don’t quit because of a Reddit post. Talk to your doctor. Call MotherToBaby. Check LactMed. Use the five-step check. You don’t have to be an expert to protect yourself. You just have to know where to look.Can I trust advice from my OB-GYN about pregnancy medications?
Most OB-GYNs give accurate advice, but not all. A 2022 study found that 58% of pregnant women felt their doctors gave unclear or inconsistent information. Always ask: "Where did you get this information?" and request the source. If they can’t name a guideline like ACOG or cite LactMed, it’s worth double-checking yourself.
Are herbal supplements safe during pregnancy?
No, not unless proven otherwise. Unlike prescription drugs, herbal supplements don’t need FDA approval before sale. Only 0.3% have been tested for safety in pregnancy. Many - like black cohosh, goldenseal, or high-dose ginger - can trigger contractions or affect fetal development. Always check LactMed or MotherToBaby before taking any herb, even if it’s sold as "natural" or "for pregnancy."
What should I do if I took a medication before knowing I was pregnant?
Don’t panic. Most medications don’t cause harm in early pregnancy. The critical window for major birth defects is between weeks 3 and 8. Call MotherToBaby (1-866-626-6847) or your doctor. They’ll check the specific drug, dose, and timing using TIS data. In most cases, the risk is low or nonexistent. Stopping a needed medication now can be more dangerous than the exposure.
Why do some websites say paracetamol is dangerous during pregnancy?
Some sites confuse early animal studies with human data. A few small studies suggested a possible link between heavy, long-term paracetamol use and behavioral issues - but the largest study, with 95,000 pregnancies published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2021, found no such link when controlling for underlying conditions like infection or fever. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists still considers paracetamol the safest pain reliever for pregnancy.
Is it safe to use medications while breastfeeding?
Yes, most are. The amount of medication that passes into breast milk is usually tiny - often less than 1% of the mother’s dose. LactMed, run by the National Library of Medicine, has detailed data on over 500 drugs. For example, sertraline, ibuprofen, and amoxicillin are all considered safe. Avoid drugs like codeine, lithium, or chemotherapy agents unless under strict supervision. Always check before starting anything new.
