Is Metformin safe during Pregnancy?
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
Hi, I am 25 years old and I just found out on Jan 8th that I am pregnant. The thing about it is that they could not find the baby.
Three years ago I lost another child through miscarriage and I am scared about the light pink color when I wipe myself. Granted it is not there everytime but I am still worried and slight pain on my right side.
I also am a diabetic and I take 100mg of metformin twice a day. As of right now I have stopped because I have no idea if it will harm the baby.
I won't be able to pick a Dr. for another two weeks so can you please try to ease my troubled mind?
ANSWER
Please do not stop taking your medication without telling your doctor. Metformin is safe for pregnancy; uncontrolled diabetes is not. If you are concerned about miscarriage and it is too soon to see the baby on ultrasound, then they can do blood tests to verify that the baby seems to be developing ok. The tests are called "serial hCGs," and you might also request that they check your progesterone, since you miscarried before. Good luck!
--Cynthia, CNM. PhD.
Cynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
