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Is metoclopramide safe during pregnancy?

Answered by MotherToBaby’s teratology specialists, quoted in full — including the questions most pages skip, like whether a father’s exposure matters.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the MotherToBaby fact sheet for metoclopramide (OTIS, published via the NIH) sourcesUpdated Jul 21, 2026How we research

The questions people actually ask about metoclopramide in pregnancy

Answered by MotherToBaby, the fact sheets written by the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists and published through the NIH. Quoted in full — we do not condense them.

I take metoclopramide. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?

It is not known if metoclopramide can affect fertility (ability to get pregnant). There have been some reports of menstrual problems and galactorrhea (milk production that is not related to breastfeeding) with metoclopramide use. These issues might make it harder to get pregnant.

Does taking metoclopramide increase the chance of miscarriage?

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. A small number of studies did not find an increased chance of miscarriage with metoclopramide use in pregnancy.

Does taking metoclopramide increase the chance of birth defects?

Birth defects can happen in any pregnancy for different reasons. Out of all babies born each year, about 3 out of 100 (3%) will have a birth defect. We look at research studies to try to understand if an exposure, like metoclopramide, might increase the chance of birth defects in a pregnancy. Taking metoclopramide during pregnancy has not been shown to increase the chance of birth defects.

Does taking metoclopramide in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?

Taking metoclopramide has not been shown to increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems, such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth).

Does taking metoclopramide in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?

It is not known if metoclopramide can increase the chance of behavior or learning issues for the child. One study has reported an increased chance of attention deficit hyperactive disorder or other neurodevelopmental delays, but it had important limitations. Also, 1 study alone is not enough to make firm conclusions.

If a man takes metoclopramide, could it affect his fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?

Studies have not been done to see if metoclopramide could affect male fertility (ability to make healthy sperm) or increase the chance of birth defects. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/ .

Quoted from MotherToBaby Fact Sheets — Metoclopramide, published March 1, 2026. MotherToBaby states its fact sheets should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare providers.

Breastfeeding is a separate question — what LactMed says about metoclopramide

This is general reference information, not medical advice. Whether to take any medication in pregnancy is a decision for you and your prescriber; do not start or stop a drug on your own, because an untreated condition can also carry risk.