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Is mifepristone 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 mifepristone (OTIS, published via the NIH) sourcesUpdated Jul 21, 2026How we research

The questions people actually ask about mifepristone 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 am taking mifepristone, but I would like to stop taking it before getting pregnant. How long does the drug stay in my body?

The time it takes the body to metabolize (to process) medication is not the same for everyone. In healthy non-pregnant adults, it takes between 5 and 20 days, on average, for most of the mifepristone to be gone from the body.

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

While the medication is in the body, mifepristone can make it harder to get pregnant.

Does taking mifepristone increase the chance of miscarriage?

Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Mifepristone can cause the uterus to contract (get tight and then relax), which can increase the chance of miscarriage. The increased chance of miscarriage can depend on how much mifepristone is taken (dose), when in pregnancy it is taken (timing), the use of other medications, and other factors.

Does taking mifepristone 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. There are case reports of birth defects following the use of mifepristone during pregnancy. However, most infants born after exposure to mifepristone do not have birth defects. In early pregnancy, mifepristone is sometimes used in combination with another medication called misoprostol, which can increase the chance of birth defects. This makes it hard to know if the birth defects in these case reports are due to one of the medications, the combination of medications, or other factors.

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

Studies have not been done to see if mifepristone increases the chance of 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 mifepristone in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?

Studies have not been done to see if mifepristone can increase the chance of behavior or learning issues for the child.

What screenings or tests are available to see if my pregnancy has birth defects or other issues?

Prenatal ultrasounds can be used to screen for some birth defects. Ultrasound can also be used to track the growth of the pregnancy. Talk with your healthcare provider about any prenatal screenings or testing that are available to you. There are no tests available during pregnancy that can tell how much effect there could be on future behavior or learning.

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

Studies have not been done to see if mifepristone could affect a man’s fertility (ability to get a woman pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk. In general, exposures that men have are unlikely to increase the 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 — Mifepristone, published August 2024. 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 mifepristone

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.