It can be hard for your spouse to plan exactly when she will get pregnant, in order to avoid taking any medicine. Most of the time, medicine a pregnant woman is taking does not enter the fetus. But according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, sometimes it can, causing damage or birth defects. The risk of damage being done to a fetus is the greatest in the first few weeks of pregnancy, when major organs are developing. But researchers also do not know if taking medicines during pregnancy also will have negative effects on the baby later.
Many drugs that can be bought over-the-counter (OTC) in drug and discount stores, and drugs your health care provider prescribes are thought to be safe to take during pregnancy, although there are no medicines that are proven to be absolutely safe when you are pregnant. Many of these products tell you and your spouse on the label if they are thought to be safe during pregnancy. If she is not sure she can take an OTC product, she can ask her health care provider. Some drugs are not safe to take during pregnancy. Even drugs prescribed to your spouse by the health care provider before she became pregnant might be harmful to both her and the growing fetus during pregnancy.
Make sure all of her health care providers know she is pregnant, and never allow her to take any drugs during pregnancy unless they tell her to. Also, keep in mind that other things like caffeine, vitamins, and herbal teas and remedies can affect the growing fetus.
Talk with your health care provider about getting your spouse to cut down on her caffeine and the type of vitamins she needs to take. Make sure she never uses any herbal product without talking to her health care provider first.