We need to talk about weight loss drugs and pregnancy. Because according to social media, a lot of women who a) have fertility issues or b) are on contraception are suddenly getting pregnant. The force behind it? The weight loss drug called 'semaglutide'.
Scroll through TikTok or Reddit and you'll find hundreds of women sharing their surprise babies or surprise pregnancies.
In fact, the reports of women getting pregnant on the medication are so common, the manufacturer of the medications have now set up a registry for patients to share data on their pregnancy experience.
"Since my last pregnancy required a lengthy fertility process, I assumed, at 40! It couldn't be. Well, I'm pregnant! It wasn't what we were planning but a welcome surprise," shared one woman on Reddit's 'ozempic/r' subreddit.
Another woman wrote, "I've been infertile for 14 years and after two months of taking OZ [sic] I am now pregnant… so shocking to say the least."
Hear all about Ozempic babies, and the 53-year-old mum who is now pregnant with twins because of it on The Quicky. Post continues below.
"I've struggled with infertility issues because of PCOS/ insulin resistance/obesity and while I'm still overweight, I finally got a positive test!" shared someone else on Reddit.
As one TikToker by the name of @raven.rachelle shared, "Welcome to my pregnancy journal thanks to Ozempic. This went from a weight loss journey to a pregnancy journal."
Speaking on Mamamia's The Quicky podcast, Dr Kevin Gendreau, an obesity medicine physician based in Boston, told us, "It's thought that these injectable weight loss medications, Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, are effecting the efficacy and absorption of oral contraceptive medications, and they're also improving fertility in women with PCOS. So that's why I have a 53-year-old patient who is now pregnant with twins."
Of course, this is a bit of a problem when it comes to family planning.
"Some of these patients of mine who are in their 50s and pregnant, it's actually viewed as a blessing because they have struggled with fertility for so long, while others were kind of done having children," says Dr Gendreau. "They already have three kids of their own and were not expecting a fourth child ten-plus years later, so it's a very big surprise and a very difficult conversation that they have to have with their partner."
"I think it's so interesting and everyone has taken it very differently. I've lost track of the patients in their late 40s and early 50s who are now pregnant on these medications."
So, can the drug really increase the likelihood of falling pregnant? And what does it mean for those who are already on contraception?
Mamamia spoke with Australian GP and author of Fake Medicine, Dr Brad McKay, who told us there's more to it than you might think.
Can weight loss drugs impact fertility?
As Dr McKay pointed out, "Semaglutide and similar medications aren't known to directly impact fertility. However, it makes sense that fertility issues linked to being overweight would improve after significant weight loss."
Why? As Dr McKay goes on to explain, conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) are often associated with weight gain, irregular periods, and difficulty getting pregnant.
Meaning? Women who are on weight loss medications are not only on it to lose weight but are using it to control symptoms of PCOS.
"We already know that cycle regularity and fertility can be improved by losing weight, so it would be unsurprising to find these effects from using Semaglutide or similar medications," he added.
According to Dr McKay, however, he hasn't seen a lot of these cases in his own clinic. "Most people I've seen are trying to lose the weight they gained during pregnancy. They're not trying to lose weight to become pregnant."
How about birth control?
So, why are there so many women reporting 'surprise pregnancies' while on birth control? Is it possible that weight loss medication can have an impact on the effectiveness of contraception methods such as The Pill?
According to our expert, it's highly unlikely someone would fall pregnant if they're already on birth control.
"It's very unlikely that these medications would inactivate the pill or prevent absorption. It's more likely that people with fertility issues haven't been taking their contraceptive tablets regularly.
"When your fertility is low, taking the oral contraceptive pill irregularly doesn't matter much. But when you have lost so much weight that your fertility has been restored, missed pills matter very much."
Dr Gendreau told The Quicky that we still don't know how it impacts other types of contraception.
"It's kind of like an accidental finding [when it comes to fertility]...We're really not sure about the impact on things like IUDs like Mirena and we're also not sure about the impact or potential impact on injectables like Depo Provera."
Are weight loss drugs safe to use while pregnant?
Scroll through TikTok or Reddit and you'll see a lot of these experiences showcase women taking weight loss medications, unaware they're actually pregnant. So, just how dangerous is it to use weight loss drugs while pregnant?
Dr MacKay told us, "We really don’t know if these medications are safe to use during pregnancy. Animal studies suggest there could be issues including a higher risk of miscarriage, fetal abnormalities, or low birth weight."
"Further research is definitely needed, but at this stage, it would be wise to stop Semaglutide (and similar medications) at least two months before trying to conceive."
As always, if you're unsure if you should be taking a certain medication while pregnant, go see a professional and check out your options.
What do you think of the above? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
Feature Image: Canva.
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