Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking clopidogrel

Clopidogrel is not often recommended in pregnancy, but can be taken if needed.

Although there is not much information about its use in pregnancy, it is not thought to be harmful to your baby.

Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking clopidogrel. For some women, continuing to take clopidogrel is essential during pregnancy, and for others a different treatment may be more suitable. It will depend on why you're taking it.

Do not stop taking it unless you have been advised to do so by your doctor.

If your baby is healthy, you may be able to take clopidogrel if you need to while you're breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist first, and they'll help you to decide.

It's not known how much clopidogrel gets into breast milk, but it's likely to be low levels, and your baby will not be able to absorb a lot into their body from the breast milk. It has not been known to cause any side effects in breastfed babies.

It's very rare for breastfed babies to have side effects from medicines you're taking. But it's important to keep monitoring your baby if you're taking any medicine while breastfeeding.

Contact your healthcare professional or call 111 as soon as possible if your baby:

• is not feeding as well as usual
• is bruising or bleeding easily
• has diarrhoea
• is being irritable

If your baby has any symptoms that are not listed, or if you're worried about them, you can also call 111 or contact any healthcare professional.

Carry on taking the medicine, and keep breastfeeding as usual until you've got advice about your baby's symptoms.