Diet pills while conceiving and in pregnancy: Not a good idea

Many experts agree that you should treat your time of conception and pregnancy as you would treat your pregnancy. Not only will you increase your chances of becoming pregnant by maintaining a healthy diet and limiting your consumption of unhealthy things such as alcohol, but you’ll also prevent any birth defects that might happen in the weeks before you even realize you are pregnant. For example, if you’re drinking a lot of alcohol while trying to conceive, you might continue to drink when the pregnancy commences because you haven’t taken a pregnancy test yet. The risk of fetal alcohol syndrome, in that case, is too great, and avoiding alcohol altogether during conception is best. Another thing you should avoid during your conception is taking diet pills.

Diet pills come in many different forms, shapes, and mixtures

There is no single;e "diet pill". Each diet pill brand is different, contains different chemicals with different effects. Always read the label before you take a pill. Any pill. Any label.

Though studies show that there have been no negative fetal side effects for babies born to mothers that took diet pills during conception, experts agree that you should avoid doing so. As a general rule, you should avoid anything during conception that is not approved for pregnancy so that you don’t accidentally affect the pregnancy when it begins. Many studies do show that diet pills can harm pregnancy because of the high levels of caffeine that they contain. In addition to the unsafe chemicals contained in diet pills, they are also unsafe because rapid weight loss during pregnancy is unsafe no matter how it’s achieved. Unless you are obese during pregnancy, you should be gaining weight as your baby grows, and you should be eating enough food to satisfy yourself and your baby’s needs. Diet pills will counteract the natural weight gain and nutrition that you need to help your growing baby develop fully before delivery.

If you are taking diet pills and you’re thinking of becoming pregnant, it’s time to stop taking them and talk to your doctor about a diet plan that will help you lose weight just as easily. In case you become pregnant and don’t realize it before you stop taking your pills, it’s best to move on and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Should you become pregnant while taking diet pills, your baby might experience seriously negative birth defects that could affect him or her for the rest of his life. With a good plan of diet and exercise, you can lose weight the healthy way and build habits that will help your baby grow fully and naturally.

Diet pills and pregnancy

During pregnancy, healthy weight gain is normally 15 to 35 pounds depending on the expecting woman’s starting weight. Healthy weight gain is attributed to the weight of the extra fluid, blood, the placenta, and the fetus. When a healthy pregnancy diet is adopted during gestation, weight gain will be gradual and extra weight will shed naturally after birth. 

Dieting and weight loss are not healthy for the growing fetus or the pregnant woman. Diet pills typically contain stimulants that increase the heart rate to achieve higher calorie burns throughout the day. The most common stimulant used in diet pills is caffeine or Guarana, a caffeine-based herb. Diet pills are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and can include any combination of natural herbal stimulants to achieve weight loss. Diet pills are not safe for use during pregnancy. 

When a pregnant woman does not gain weight naturally throughout pregnancy, she can inhibit the healthy growth of the fetus. Caffeine is also associated with a higher risk of miscarriage, which means diet pills could cause the fetus to spontaneously abort during the first few months of pregnancy. 

To maintain a healthy weight gain, pregnant women can choose to increase caloric intake with whole grains, fiber-rich foods, fruits, and vegetables. Lean meats are a great source of protein that can also be used for the extra 300 calories per day needed during pregnancy.

In certain situations, a healthy pregnancy diet will cause weight loss. This generally occurs when a pregnant woman is overweight or obese when she becomes pregnant. Weight loss during pregnancy is considered safe in overweight and obesity cases as long as the expecting woman is consuming enough calories to maintain healthy fetal growth.