Oral contraceptives

Date: November 2024, Version 3

Quick take

If you find out that you are pregnant whilst taking an oral contraceptive, stop taking it. You will not require any extra pregnancy monitoring.

What are oral contraceptives?

Oral contraceptives are used to prevent pregnancy.

The combined pill contains synthetic versions of two hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.

The progestogen-only pill or ‘mini pill’ contains synthetic progesterone only.

Individual brands of oral contraceptive contain hormones in different forms and strengths. Studies of babies born to women who were taking oral contraception usually include mixed groups of women on all types of the pill.

What if I get pregnant while taking an oral contraceptive?

There is no good evidence that taking an oral contraceptive in early pregnancy will harm your baby. If you find out you are pregnant while taking an oral contraceptive, stop taking it.

If you are planning to continue your pregnancy, you can book with a midwife as normal. If not, you should consult your doctor who will be able to advise you about how to proceed, and the best option for future contraception.

Will I or my baby need extra monitoring?

As part of routine antenatal care in the UK, women are invited for a very detailed scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy to check the baby’s development. No further scans to check for birth defects will be required due to use of an oral contraceptive.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet, please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system (MyBump Portal) allows women who are currently pregnant to create a secure record of their pregnancy, collected through a series of questionnaires. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, your pregnancy outcome and your child's development. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit the MyBump Portal to register.

General information
Sadly, miscarriage and birth defects can occur in any pregnancy.

Miscarriage occurs in about 1 in every 5 pregnancies, and 1 in every 40 babies are born with a birth defect. This is called the ‘background risk’ and happens whether medication is taken or not.

Most medicines cross the placenta and reach the baby. For many medications this is not a problem. However, some medicines can affect a baby’s growth and development.

If you take regular medication and are planning to conceive, you should discuss whether your medicine is safe to continue with your doctor/health care team before becoming pregnant. If you have an unplanned pregnancy while taking a medicine, you should tell your doctor as soon as possible.

If a new medicine is suggested for you during pregnancy, please make sure that the person prescribing it knows that you are pregnant. If you have any concerns about a medicine, you can check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.

Our Bumps information leaflets provide information about the effects of medicines in pregnancy so that you can decide, together with your healthcare provider, what is best for you and your baby.