Does it worry you about taking paracetamol in pregnancy?

[CheshireMum1212]

I have a large gap between pregnancies and I don't even remember a do not take ibuprofen ever being a thing, or maybe I just didn't read enough back then.
Are you concerned about taking paracetamol at all in your pregnancy for a headache, toothache etc?

Ive had 3 losses and dont like taking things if possible.
However ive got PGP and ive been goven a very low dose of cocodamol to take. Which apparently only causes issues at the very end of pregnancy. So im pretty much refusing to take them🤣 i have 1 a week at night and cry in pain for the rest of it!
I think other people will say 'not at all' but circumstances are very different! My partners even wary of me taking rennies! We have that much anxiety that id rather stay in pain and aggro to make sure my babies safe!

Well I haven’t been pregnant for over 15 years but I remember reading that having a high temperature could be bad for the baby so I’d have definitely taken paracetamol in that case.

I genuinely don't ever remember any warnings previously. The only time I ever came across the ibuprofen one was linked to stomach ulcers if taken without food and not to give to children with chicken pox.
That's what sort of made me think well it cant be good in pregnancy then either and seems to be uk advice now too.

I agree with you about that dr saying only an issue at the end as that's ridiculous, if it crosses the placenta at the end, it always crosses it.
Dr's infuriate me with their poor advice.

It's definitely a tricky one, especially if you're in pain and need something. I hope you have a happy, healthy pregnancy and birth.

Paracetamol is safe in pregnancy.

The reason cocodamol causes issues at the end of pregnancies is not that it crosses the placenta. It is that if the baby is born whilst used to the cocodamol from mum through the placenta, they can get withdrawal symptoms and become irritable. They would then need additional monitoring and observation in hospital.

Every medication crosses the placenta. I totally understand the withdrawl effect too, unfortunately my friends adopted son was born with foetal alcohol syndrome.
Its so hard to make decisions with limited information available from medics

Recent research suggests paracetamol isn’t necessarily as safe as previously thought during pregnancy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36941046/

I have taken paracetamol but cautiously. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was in a bad car accident and had neck pain, bruised ribs, possibly a broken rib and a bruised sternum. For 6 weeks I took the max dose of paracetamol as I got relief from it and I was in a lot of pain.

In another pregnancy I fell and sprained my ankle. I took two doses of paracetamol which did naff all and the pain was tolerable so I made the decision to not take any more as I wasn't getting benefit from the painkillers and could manage without I'd rather not take them just in case.

I'm somebody who doesn't take medication if at all possible.
However, I had to take paracetamol in dc2 pregnancy for 2 days solid as my temp wasn't coming down and it was safer for them to have paracetamol in our system than boil them alive inside of me
With dc3 I have taken it so I could function for a day with a cold because mum's don't get days off. However 1 500g tablet does me for well over 6 hours so it wasn't as much of a concern.
It comes down to whatever you feel comfortable doing.
A day or two of paracetamol can't be any worse than a day or two of labouring with meds in your system surely?

Found this https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2025/mount-sinai-study-supports-evidence-that-prenatal-acetaminophen-use-may-be-linked-to-increased-risk-of-autism-and-adhd

While the study does not show that acetaminophen directly causes neurodevelopmental disorders, the research team’s findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices.

I was told 13 years ago and even before that with my eldest not to take ibuprofen. Instructions were only take paracetamol if needed at the lowest dose

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) depletes glutathione, the liver’s main antioxidant and detoxifying molecule. So any use of this drug carries a risk because harmful substances will be present in your body for longer or at higher levels than if it was completed avoided.

Avoiding it completely in pregnancy is probably a good idea. Along with avoiding many chemicals, dyes, and other pharmaceutical products as much as you can.

I avoided many things in pregnancy that might have been harmful, or even have the possibility of being harmful if I could. I didn't take a paracetamol, and wouldn't have, unless I had a high fever, in which case it might have been the lesser of two evils. Definitely not for colds or headaches though.