Ozempic patients surprised with positive pregnancy tests after years of infertility, birth control
In response to the large number of women who have reported becoming pregnant on the shots, Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, established the Wegovy Pregnancy Registry.
Ozempic pregnancies are reportedly on the rise.
According to People, women across social media — regardless of whether they take birth control, have experienced infertility or are older and believed to be beyond childbearing age — have been sharing their stories about getting pregnant while taking the popular medication that’s FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes.
“Since my last pregnancy required a lengthy fertility process, I assumed, at 40! It couldn’t be. Well, I’m pregnant!” a Redditor shared on the Ozempic subreddit. “It wasn’t what we were planning but a welcome surprise.”
“I was on birth control and this pregnancy was very much unplanned,” wrote another. “I have a long history of miscarriages and a stillbirth and had decided to stop trying to conceive two years ago, and during that time started Ozempic and lost 70 pounds.”
Several moms are also documenting their “Ozempic Baby” journeys on TikTok, with one user sharing that her doctor suggested she could be more fertile while taking the medication.
“I’ve actually seen a few patients of mine that have come in after a couple of months of usage of the medication for weight loss and have these surprise babies or surprise pregnancies,” said Dr. Iman Saleh, an obstetrician and gynecologist who is the director of obesity medicine at the Bariatrics Department at Northwell Health.
In response to the large number of women who have reported becoming pregnant on the shots, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer behind Ozempic — which is branded as Wegovy to treat obesity — established the Wegovy Pregnancy Registry for patients and health-care professionals to share details about their pregnancies.
“Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant were exclusion criteria in our trials with semaglutide in both obesity and type 2 diabetes,” Novo Nordisk officials told People in a statement, adding that there is, therefore, “limited clinical trial data with semaglutide use in pregnant women.”
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Semaglutide, which works in the brain to impact satiety, is the active ingredient in Ozempic. However, the medication’s usage for rapid weight loss has become more common, most notably among celebrities.
As for whether or not the drug increases fertility, Saleh asserted that it does so in an indirect manner.
“Even if it’s a 5, 10 lbs. weight loss, this can actually have patients resume ovulation and be able to get pregnant,” she said.
Saleh noted that estrogen, produced by fat cells, can negatively affect ovaries by causing decreased or dysfunction of ovulation. It may also negatively affect the endometrial lining.
The gynecologist also cited an interaction between how the weight-loss medication works and how the body processes birth control.
A study, expected to be completed in August 2027, is underway to evaluate the safety of Wegovy exposure during pregnancy. Meanwhile, the Wegovy website notes that the drug “may cause fetal harm” and should be discontinued once pregnancy is recognized, People reported.
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