Why “Just Stop Your Meds” Can Be Dangerous Advice During Pregnancy

By: Vibha Gutta

The moment a person learns they’re pregnant, advice floods in from every direction: friends, social media, and sometimes even doctors insist, “Stop your meds!”

It sounds logical; pregnancy is a time to protect a developing baby, so avoiding any possible medication risk seems safest. But that assumption can be dangerous.

Dr. Stephanie Waggel, a perinatal psychiatrist, explains in her women’s mental health videos that blanket advice to stop medications can put both mother and baby at risk. Instead of automatically stopping medications, decisions should be carefully evaluated.

In other words, the question isn’t just “Is the medication risky?”, it’s “Which option is actually safer overall?”

Why Pregnant Patients Are Often Called “Therapeutic Orphans”

One reason medication decisions during pregnancy are so complicated is that there simply isn’t as much research as people might expect.

In her “Pregnant Women the Therapeutic Orphans” video, Dr. Waggel explains that pregnant patients are often called “therapeutic orphans” because they’re excluded from clinical drug trials. Ethical concerns make it impossible to randomly assign some pregnant patients to medication and others to a placebo.

Since pregnant patients are excluded from most trials, data come mainly from retrospective studies. These studies offer insight but have limitations, since factors like lifestyle or genetics can influence outcomes.

This uncertainty often makes providers overly cautious, sometimes leading to the simplified advice: “Just stop the medication.”

But avoiding treatment doesn’t eliminate risk; it often transfers the risk to the untreated illness itself.

When Avoiding Medication Creates New Risks

In her “Is NOTHING Safe During Pregnancy?” video, Dr. Waggel gives a clear example of how this problem unfolds.

A pregnant woman with asthma went to refill her steroid inhaler. When the pharmacist saw she was pregnant, they refused to fill it. The pharmacist thought avoiding medication was safest. But without her inhaler, the woman couldn’t breathe properly.

Asthma medications keep airways open and oxygen flowing. Without them, the fetus may receive less oxygen, increasing risks like growth restriction or preterm birth. Withholding treatment actually worsens the baseline risk.

This shows a key point as Dr. Waggel emphasizes refusing treatment doesn’t always mean “doing no harm.” Often, the danger comes from the untreated condition itself.

The Risks of Untreated Mental Health Conditions

Mental health medications are especially tricky. Many patients are told to stop antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or anxiety meds immediately, but sometimes dose adjustments or safer alternatives allow treatment to continue with minimal fetal exposure.

In her “Why Continuing Mental Health Treatment During Pregnancy is Important” video, Dr. Waggel warns that abruptly stopping psychiatric meds can have serious consequences. Returning symptoms may disrupt sleep, appetite, relationships, and even work.

Untreated mental illness can also affect prenatal care. Severe depression may make it hard for a patient to attend appointments or follow treatment plans.

Dr. Waggel also explains in her “Perinatal Pharmacology for Providers” presentation that chronic stress during pregnancy can influence fetal development through epigenetics. Epigenetics means changes in

gene expression without altering DNA itself. Prolonged maternal stress releases hormones like cortisol, which can switch genes on or off in the fetus.

These changes can shape a child’s stress-response system and increase susceptibility to mental health issues later. Research even suggests epigenetic effects may persist across generations, potentially affecting grandchildren.

In short, untreated mental health conditions can impact both maternal well-being and the child’s long-term development.

Media Messaging and Medication Fear

Media coverage often amplifies medication fears. Headlines focus on potential risks without explaining the dangers of leaving conditions untreated.

Avoiding medications like acetaminophen can leave fevers untreated, especially risky in the first trimester, when organs are forming. Using recommended doses safely reduces fever and protects the baby. When pregnant individuals avoid treating fever entirely due to fear of medications like acetaminophen, the untreated fever itself may pose a greater risk than the medication that could safely reduce it.

When discussions only emphasize avoiding medications, patients may feel pressured to stop treatment. Dr. Waggel stresses that medical decisions must

weigh both medication risks and untreated illness.

A Step-by-Step Approach to Medication Decisions

Instead of blanket advice, Dr. Waggel recommends a structured, step-by-step approach to evaluating medications during pregnancy. Several key factors should guide every decision.

Step one: understand baseline risk. Even healthy pregnancies carry natural risks; about 3–5% of U.S. babies are born with some birth defect, so not all outcomes are due to medication.

Next, consider what happens if the condition is untreated. For asthma, depression, severe anxiety, or infections, leaving the illness unmanaged can put both mother and baby at serious risk.

The trimester of pregnancy is another important factor. Early pregnancy is a particularly sensitive period because many organs are forming during this time.

Dose matters: a lower, carefully timed dose can be safer than a high daily dose. Switching medications or adding non-drug therapies can reduce risk while keeping the condition under control. Adjusting dosage balances safety and effectiveness for mother and baby.

Also, explore alternatives. Sometimes switching therapy or medication lowers risk without compromising treatment.

Finally, evaluate the evidence. Some medications have decades of observational data; others have limited research.

By considering all of these factors together, clinicians can make individualized decisions rather than relying on fear-based recommendations.

Protecting the Baby Means Protecting the Mother

A central message in Dr. Waggel’s videos: maternal health and fetal health are inseparable. If a mother struggles to breathe, manage mental health, or treat an illness, the baby suffers too.

Pregnancy requires careful risk assessment, but avoiding treatment entirely isn’t always the safest choice.

Dr. Waggel’s examples show that medication decisions should focus on evidence, context, and the well-being of both mother and baby.

Takeaway: Don’t stop meds blindly. Talk with your provider, weigh risks vs. benefits, and consider safer alternatives if needed.

References

-American Psychiatric Association. (2022, March 16). Caring for Pregnant Women: A Psychiatrist's Guide. Psychiatry.org. Retrieved March 11, 2026, from

-https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/caring-for-pregnant-women-a-psychiatrists-guide

-Cleveland Clinic. (2025, April 14). Are Antidepressants Safe During Pregnancy? Cleveland Clinics. Retrieved March 12, 2026, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-you-take-antidepressants-while pregnant

-Gruszczyńska-Sińczak, I., Wachowska, K., Bliźniewska-Kowalska, K., & Gałecki, P. (2023, July 18). Psychiatric Treatment in Pregnancy: A Narrative Review. PMC. Retrieved March 11, 2026, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10380824/

-Legacy For Women. (2024, June 20). The importance of prenatal care: Tips for a healthy pregnancy. Legacy For Women OB/GYN. Retrieved March 12, 2026, from https://legacyforwomenobgyn.com/tips-for-a-healthy-pregnancy/

-Ngo, H., & Frost, K. (2025, June 8). Is Dramamine Safe During Pregnancy? What to Know. BuzzRx. Retrieved March 12, 2026, from https://www.buzzrx.com/blog/can-you-take-dramamine-while-pregnant

-The Science of Health. (2025, October 3). Is Tylenol Safe During Pregnancy? Separating Fact from Fiction. University Hospitals. Retrieved March 11, 2026, from https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2025/10/is-tylenol-safe-during-pregnancy-separating-fact-from-fiction

-UT Southwestern Medical Center. (2015, Jan 27). How we diagnose birth defects. Retrieved March 11, 2026, from https://utswmed.org/medblog/birth-defects/#:~:text=January%2027%2C%202015,also%20plays%20a%20big%20role.