One of the basic facts about being pregnant is that, when you’re pregnant, the food, drink and medications you take into your body can affect your baby. In many ways, these things can affect your baby negatively. While it’s perfectly safe for an adult to consume certain foods, drinks and medications, many of these things can have a negative and harmful effect on your baby. The fact of the matter is that your baby is growing and developing in an amazing way, and it takes some very specific nutrients to make that happen. In the same respect, introducing certain chemicals and things into your system can have a very dangerous effect on that growth process.
One of the concerns many people have about medications during pregnancy is in regard to sleeping pills. As of now, the FDA has not yet classified any medications as being completely safe to take while you are pregnant.
There are some medications that are believed to be safe, for example. The active ingredient in Benadryl, for example, which is often used in over the counter sleep medications, is a Class B medication. A Class B medication is presumed to be safe for pregnant women based on studies that have been done on animal subjects, but that no human studies have been done. Ambien is another medication that is considered to be a Class B medication.
There are others out there whose safety is uncertain. These are considered to be Class C medications. Sleeping pills that fall into this category include Rozerem, Lunesta and Sonata. For these drugs, the safety in pregnant women is uncertain. The studies that have been done on animals suggest that there could be a risk to the baby.
Currently, there are no Class A sleeping pills on the market. Class A medications are those in which the human studies have not demonstrated any risk to the unborn baby.
If you are having trouble with sleep during your pregnancy, you should talk with your health care provider about ways to address the issue that are safe for both you and your baby.
