# Tirzepatide, pregnancy and breastfeeding: what the label says Canonical page: https://bodienvi.com/blog/tirzepatide-pregnancy-breastfeeding Published October 28, 2026. Updated October 28, 2026. By Bodi Envi Clinical Content Team. What the Zepbound® label says about pregnancy, birth control pills, planning a pregnancy and breastfeeding, and what to ask your provider before you start. ## What this guide covers The site already has a guide to what the Wegovy® label says about semaglutide, pregnancy and fertility. This is the same reading of the Zepbound® label for tirzepatide. It covers pregnancy, birth control pills, planning a pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is general information taken from the prescribing information, not medical advice. Anyone who is pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding should talk to a licensed provider before starting or continuing treatment. ## What the label says about pregnancy The Zepbound® prescribing information says that weight loss offers no benefit to a pregnant patient and may cause fetal harm. It advises that weight loss is not recommended during pregnancy and that the medication be discontinued when a pregnancy is recognized. The label also says the available data in pregnant patients are not enough to evaluate a drug-related risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or other adverse outcomes. In animal studies, fetal growth reductions and fetal abnormalities occurred in rats, and fetal growth reductions in rabbits, at exposures comparable to clinical use. The label notes that these effects coincided with reduced maternal weight and food intake. The manufacturer runs a pregnancy exposure registry for anyone exposed to Zepbound® during pregnancy. The label lists its phone number as 1-844-524-0039. ## Birth control pills: the warning people miss This is the part of the label most often overlooked. Zepbound® may make oral hormonal contraceptives less effective, because it slows how quickly the stomach empties. The label says this delay is largest after the first dose and lessens over time. The instruction is specific. People who take birth control pills should switch to a non-oral method, or add a barrier method such as condoms, for 4 weeks after starting the medication and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. The label says hormonal contraceptives that are not taken by mouth should not be affected. The reason is measurable. In a study described in the label, a single 5 mg dose of tirzepatide lowered the peak blood levels of the hormones in a combined birth control pill by 55 to 66 percent, and their total exposure by 20 to 23 percent. The Wegovy® label carries no equivalent instruction for semaglutide. This pertains to the brand name only. You cannot compare the personalized compounded version to this study because it is a different product entirely. For personalized compounds, the medical provider should be consulted. ## Planning a pregnancy The Wegovy® label tells patients to stop semaglutide at least two months before a planned pregnancy. The Zepbound® label sets no equivalent interval for tirzepatide. What it does give is the half-life: about 5 to 6 days in people with overweight or obesity. When to stop before trying to conceive is a decision for the prescribing provider, made with the label and the person’s own history. The label’s fertility section reports animal studies only. In rats, tirzepatide had no effect on sperm, mating, fertility or conception. In female rats, longer cycles and fewer corpora lutea were seen, which the label attributes to the medication’s effects on food intake and body weight. This pertains to the brand name only. You cannot compare the personalized compounded version to this study because it is a different product entirely. For personalized compounds, the medical provider should be consulted. ## What the label says about breastfeeding The Zepbound® label describes a small study of 11 breastfeeding women who each received a single 5 mg dose. Tirzepatide was undetectable in 164 of 171 breast milk samples, and the total amount found in the rest was less than 0.02 percent of the dose. The label also says there are no data on the effects of tirzepatide on a breastfed infant or on milk production, and that the benefits of breastfeeding should be weighed with the mother’s clinical need for the medication and any potential effects on the infant. That is a conversation for your provider and your child’s clinician. This pertains to the brand name only. You cannot compare the personalized compounded version to this study because it is a different product entirely. For personalized compounds, the medical provider should be consulted. ## What this means for a compounded prescription Everything above comes from the Zepbound® label, which describes the FDA-approved product. Personalized compounded tirzepatide is prepared by a licensed pharmacy for an individual prescription, is not FDA-approved and was not studied in these trials. A provider applies the label’s cautions to a compounded prescription as the closest published statement of what the molecule does. Personalized compounded medications differ from commercially available brand-name products in formulation, concentration, excipients, preparation methods, and other characteristics. Accordingly, clinical data from studies involving brand-name products should not be assumed to apply to personalized compounded formulations. At this time, the studies referenced above have not evaluated the specific personalized compounded formulations being provided. Therefore, no claims of equivalence in safety, efficacy, quality, or clinical outcomes should be inferred from these studies. ## What to tell your provider - If you are pregnant, think you might be, or plan to become pregnant. - If you take birth control pills, so the plan for the first weeks and for each dose increase is clear. - If you are breastfeeding. - Every other medication and supplement you take. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I take tirzepatide while pregnant? The Zepbound® label says weight loss is not recommended during pregnancy and that the medication should be discontinued when a pregnancy is recognized. If you become pregnant during treatment, tell your provider. Personalized compounded medications differ from commercially available brand-name products in formulation, concentration, excipients, preparation methods, and other characteristics. Accordingly, clinical data from studies involving brand-name products should not be assumed to apply to personalized compounded formulations. At this time, the studies referenced above have not evaluated the specific personalized compounded formulations being provided. Therefore, no claims of equivalence in safety, efficacy, quality, or clinical outcomes should be inferred from these studies. ### Does tirzepatide make birth control pills less effective? It can. The label says to switch to a non-oral method, or add a barrier method, for 4 weeks after starting and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. Hormonal methods that are not taken by mouth should not be affected. Personalized compounded medications differ from commercially available brand-name products in formulation, concentration, excipients, preparation methods, and other characteristics. Accordingly, clinical data from studies involving brand-name products should not be assumed to apply to personalized compounded formulations. At this time, the studies referenced above have not evaluated the specific personalized compounded formulations being provided. Therefore, no claims of equivalence in safety, efficacy, quality, or clinical outcomes should be inferred from these studies. ### How long before trying to conceive should I stop tirzepatide? The Zepbound® label does not give a number of weeks. Its half-life is about 5 to 6 days, and your provider decides the timing with you. This pertains to the brand name only. You cannot compare the personalized compounded version to this study because it is a different product entirely. For personalized compounds, the medical provider should be consulted. Personalized compounded medications differ from commercially available brand-name products in formulation, concentration, excipients, preparation methods, and other characteristics. Accordingly, clinical data from studies involving brand-name products should not be assumed to apply to personalized compounded formulations. At this time, the studies referenced above have not evaluated the specific personalized compounded formulations being provided. Therefore, no claims of equivalence in safety, efficacy, quality, or clinical outcomes should be inferred from these studies. ### Does tirzepatide pass into breast milk? In the label’s single dose study it was undetectable in almost every sample, and the rest held less than 0.02 percent of the dose. There are no data on effects on a breastfed infant, so the decision is made with your provider. This pertains to the brand name only. You cannot compare the personalized compounded version to this study because it is a different product entirely. For personalized compounds, the medical provider should be consulted. Personalized compounded medications differ from commercially available brand-name products in formulation, concentration, excipients, preparation methods, and other characteristics. Accordingly, clinical data from studies involving brand-name products should not be assumed to apply to personalized compounded formulations. At this time, the studies referenced above have not evaluated the specific personalized compounded formulations being provided. Therefore, no claims of equivalence in safety, efficacy, quality, or clinical outcomes should be inferred from these studies. ### Does this apply to personalized compounded tirzepatide? The label describes the FDA-approved product. Personalized compounded tirzepatide is not FDA-approved, was not studied, and is not equivalent to Zepbound®. Providers apply the label’s cautions to it. Personalized compounded medications differ from commercially available brand-name products in formulation, concentration, excipients, preparation methods, and other characteristics. Accordingly, clinical data from studies involving brand-name products should not be assumed to apply to personalized compounded formulations. At this time, the studies referenced above have not evaluated the specific personalized compounded formulations being provided. Therefore, no claims of equivalence in safety, efficacy, quality, or clinical outcomes should be inferred from these studies. ## Sources - Zepbound® (tirzepatide) injection prescribing information, DailyMed: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b (checked October 2026) - Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection prescribing information, DailyMed: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b (checked October 2026)