The short answer: No. The FDA label tells women to stop Ozempic (semaglutide) at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy, because the drug takes weeks to leave the body. Animal studies showed harm to the fetus, and human data are still limited. If you get pregnant while taking it, stop and call your prescriber and obstetrician right away.

What does the Ozempic label say about pregnancy?

The FDA-approved Ozempic label on DailyMed (revised May 2026) covers pregnancy in section 8.1. Its risk summary makes three points:

  • "There are limited data with semaglutide use in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk for adverse developmental outcomes."
  • "Based on animal reproduction studies, there may be potential risks to the fetus from exposure to semaglutide during pregnancy."
  • "OZEMPIC should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus."

Section 8.3 gives the planning rule: "Discontinue OZEMPIC in women at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy due to the long washout period for semaglutide." The patient Medication Guide says the same thing in plain words. It also tells you to ask your provider about "the best way to control your blood sugar" if you plan to become pregnant.

The label also puts diabetes itself on the risk list. In the general U.S. population, the background risk of major birth defects is 2 to 4%. In women with pre-existing diabetes and an A1C above 7 around conception, it is 6 to 10%. With an A1C above 10, it has been reported as high as 20 to 25%. Stopping Ozempic without a replacement plan can raise that risk.

Why stop 2 months before trying to conceive?

Semaglutide is built to last. The label's pharmacology section gives an elimination half-life of about 1 week. It states that "semaglutide will be present in the circulation for about 5 weeks after the last dose." That is why Ozempic works as a once-weekly shot.

The 2-month window covers those 5 weeks and adds a buffer. The goal is for the drug to be gone before the embryo's organs start to form in early pregnancy. Some clinical reviews describe shorter washout periods in practice. The label figure is at least 2 months, and that is the figure to plan around.

If you are wondering what the weeks after your last dose feel like, including appetite and blood sugar changes, see what happens when you stop Ozempic.

What did the animal studies find?

Novo Nordisk tested semaglutide in pregnant rats, rabbits, and cynomolgus monkeys. The label reports these findings:

  • Rats: embryofetal death, structural abnormalities, and altered growth at maternal exposures similar to human doses. Offspring had heart blood vessel and skeletal changes (cranial bones, vertebrae, ribs).
  • Rabbits: early pregnancy losses and minor kidney, liver, and sternum abnormalities at clinically relevant exposures.
  • Monkeys: sporadic vertebra, sternum, and rib abnormalities at 3 or more times human exposure. A second monkey study found more early pregnancy losses and slightly smaller offspring at 2 or more times human exposure.

There is an important caveat. The label says these findings "coincided with a marked maternal body weight loss" in rabbits and monkeys. The mothers ate less and lost weight, which can harm a pregnancy on its own. It is not clear how much came from the drug and how much came from maternal undernutrition. That uncertainty is why the label warns rather than forbids.

What do human studies show so far?

No one runs randomized trials of Ozempic in pregnant women. The human evidence comes from people who were taking a GLP-1 medicine when they conceived. So far, the large studies are reassuring on birth defects, but none proves safety.

  • A 2024 JAMA Internal Medicine cohort used data from 4 Nordic countries, the U.S., and Israel. It compared 938 infants exposed to GLP-1 receptor agonists around conception with infants exposed to insulin. The adjusted relative risk for major malformations was 0.95 (95% CI 0.72 to 1.26).
  • A 2026 Annals of Internal Medicine study of 3,572 U.S. pregnancies compared continuing a GLP-1 medicine into the first trimester with stopping. Risks were "not definitively higher," but the authors said malformation estimates were imprecise. They fit both no added risk and a meaningful one.
  • A Danish nationwide cohort of 529 exposed pregnancies found higher preterm birth risk only in women using the drugs for diabetes. The authors suggest the diabetes itself, not the medicine, may explain it.
  • A 2026 meta-analysis pooled 6 studies with 43,577 exposed women. It found no significant rise in major malformations (relative risk 1.02). The authors warn the results "should not be interpreted as proof of safety."

What if you find out you are pregnant on Ozempic?

This happens often. Better blood sugar and weight loss can restore ovulation, sometimes before people expect it. Here is a reasonable order of steps:

  1. Do not take your next weekly dose until you have talked with your prescriber.
  2. Call your prescriber and an obstetrician soon. Tell them the date of your last dose and your dose strength.
  3. If you have diabetes, do not go without a plan. High blood sugar in early pregnancy carries its own birth defect risk. Your team will likely move you to a pregnancy-compatible treatment, most often insulin.
  4. Start prenatal care. This includes folic acid and the usual first-trimester visits and scans.
  5. Ask about reporting the exposure. Novo Nordisk runs a Wegovy pregnancy registry study that follows semaglutide 2.4 mg exposures through pregnancy and the baby's first year. The current Ozempic label does not list a separate registry.

An exposure in early pregnancy is a reason for careful follow-up. The human data above do not support treating it as a known cause of birth defects.

If you are taking Ozempic and not planning a pregnancy, contraception matters. Our guide on whether Ozempic affects birth control covers pill absorption and backup methods.

What do ACOG and the ADA recommend?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states it directly: "GLP-1 medications are not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding." ACOG says some people may consider them after pregnancy, once breastfeeding has ended.

The American Diabetes Association's 2026 Standards of Care, section 15, covers diabetes in pregnancy. It says GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists should be discontinued before pregnancy, with contraception used while taking them. The dual agonist class includes tirzepatide, covered on mounjaro.md. The 2026 update also stresses reaching preconception blood sugar goals after you stop the GLP-1 medicine and before you try to conceive.

In practice, that means a planning visit several months ahead. Your clinician can switch your treatment, confirm your A1C is on target, and time the last Ozempic dose.

The bottom line

Ozempic is not a pregnancy medicine. The FDA label says to stop it at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy, since semaglutide stays in the blood for about 5 weeks. Animal studies raised concerns, partly tangled with maternal weight loss. Human studies so far do not show a clear rise in birth defects, but they are not proof of safety. If you get pregnant while on it, stop and call your care team. Do not leave diabetes untreated.

Last updated: September 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Talk with your prescriber and obstetrician before stopping, starting, or changing any medicine around pregnancy.