Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while using budesonide rectal foam and enemas

Budesonide rectal foam and enemas can be used in pregnancy. Your doctor is likely to recommend that you continue to use them if you need to.

Active inflammatory bowel disease can affect your baby's growth and if it's not controlled well, it may lead to premature birth. It's recommended that you continue to use budesonide rectal foam and enemas to keep you and your baby well.

You may be offered extra scans to check the baby's growth later on in your pregnancy.

If your doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, it's generally OK to use budesonide rectal foam and enemas while breastfeeding. However, always check with your doctor first.

It's not known how much budesonide gets into breast milk, but it's likely to be a small amount that is unlikely to cause side effects in your baby. However, your baby may need extra monitoring if you use higher doses or if you're using it for a long time.

If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, or if you have any other concerns about your baby, talk to your health visitor, midwife or doctor as soon as possible.

There's no evidence to suggest that using budesonide reduces fertility in either men or women.

Speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant.

Tell your doctor if you're:

• trying to get pregnant
• pregnant
• breastfeeding