Some common medications affect fertility or are contraindicated in pregnancy, so any medication in ongoing use needs a mandatory review with your doctor before you try. The rule that comes with it is just as important: don't stop anything on your own. Bring the complete list to your preconception visit.
The book names five groups to bring to your doctor's attention before trying:
Several common medications affect fertility or are incompatible with pregnancy, from some antidepressants to acne medications (especially isotretinoin). Never stop medication on your own. Bring the complete list to your preconception visit for review.
The review only works if your doctor sees everything. The book's preparation list for the preconception visit includes:
Some medications also change other parts of the plan. Women on anticonvulsants, for example, fall into the book's special cases for folic acid, with a dose of 4 to 5 mg a day instead of the standard 400 to 800 mcg. That is a decision to make with your doctor, and one more reason to bring the full list.
Everyday medications can matter too. The book notes that antihistamines (loratadine, cetirizine) dry out mucous membranes and can leave you with little fertile cervical mucus, and that clomiphene, a medication to induce ovulation, paradoxically thins the mucus. Put them on the list as well.
If you take an antidepressant, the answer is not to drop it on your own. There are antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications compatible with trying to conceive. There is no shame in needing medication to sustain a long journey: mental health is health, full stop. Talk it through with a psychiatrist who understands this context. The same holds after the positive: the book notes there are anxiety medications compatible with pregnancy, prescribed by a psychiatrist who understands this context.
Medications that deserve review close Chapter 10 of Map to the Positive, “The real detox”, in Station I (Foundation), after alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and recreational drugs. Station I also gives you a 20-minute self-assessment that flags ongoing medication use, the 11 preconception tests, smart supplementation, and the preconception visit with a printable question script, so this review happens before you start trying, not after.
Take 30 days. If it does not give you more clarity than everything you have read for free so far, ask for a refund and you get every cent back. We cannot promise you a pregnancy. We can promise you will not be guessing.