How Lupus Affects Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Disclaimer: This page houses important information and resources pertaining to lupus during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, including links to our evidence-based Fact Sheets. However, the resources here should not replace the care and advice of a medical professional.

Lupus (also known as systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE), is a chronic (long-term) autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation in many parts of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart (pericardium), and brain. Many people with lupus experience pain, extreme fatigue, weight loss, and low fevers, among other symptoms. It is most often diagnosed during the childbearing years (ages 15-44), and 90% of adults living with lupus are women.

Reference: Pons-Estel et al., 2010.

People with lupus have a higher chance for complications during pregnancy, including miscarriage, preterm delivery, preeclampsia (a pregnancy-related condition characterized by a dangerous rise in blood pressure and problems with kidney function), and poor growth of the developing baby. Increased lupus activity, particularly during conception and early in pregnancy, increases the chance for these complications. 

The best time to be pregnant is when you are doing well with your health. People whose lupus is in remission have much less trouble with pregnancy than those whose disease is active. It is strongly recommended that you meet with your doctor three to six months in advance of when you plan to try to become pregnant.

— Lupus Foundation

Healthcare providers believe that pregnancy outcomes for people with lupus are better if the disease is well controlled for at least 6 months before becoming pregnant. In addition, because lupus increases the risk of pregnancy complications, it is important to keep the disease as inactive as possible during pregnancy. Some medications used to treat lupus are not thought to increase pregnancy or breastfeeding risks, while others might be a concern. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all of your pregnancy and breastfeeding questions.

Join Our Lupus Study

If you’re pregnant and have lupus, please consider enrolling into our observational study to give people better answers about how lupus and its management can affect a pregnancy and a developing baby. You will not be asked to take or change any medications, and you can participate from the comfort of your home.

Please see our library of resources below on lupus during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Talking openly about STDs, pregnancy, and breastfeeding

Disclaimer: This page houses important information and resources pertaining to sexually transmitted infections during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, including links to our evidence-based Fact Sheets. However, the resources here should not replace the care and advice of a medical professional.

Nearly 1 out of every 2 women will experience a sexually transmitted infection (STI) at some point in their life. For those impacted by an STI while they are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding, there are some special considerations. STIs (also called sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs) can be harmful for both mom and baby. STIs can also be tricky – many have no symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms, so it’s possible to have an infection and not even know it. If left untreated, STIs can cause or lead to significant health issues, such as infertility, pregnancy complications, organ damage, and certain types of cancer. Getting tested and treated for any STIs is thus critical for both your health and the health of your baby.

“Pregnancy does not provide women or their babies protection against STIs. Therefore, pregnant people should ask their doctors to test for STIs, as part of their routine care. This is important to prevent serious health complications.

— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

During pregnancy, certain types of STIs (including HIV and syphilis) cross the placenta and infect the baby in the womb. Other STIs (like chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B) can infect the baby during delivery, as the baby passes through the birth canal. How an STI affects the baby during and after pregnancy varies based on the infection. For example, syphilis infection during pregnancy can result in premature birth, low birth weight, or even stillbirth; after delivery, a newborn infected with syphilis (called congenital syphilis) could have an enlarged liver and/or spleen, problems with their bones or teeth, or brain and nerve problems like blindness or deafness. Similarly, gonorrhea infection can cause miscarriage and premature birth during pregnancy, and after delivery it can cause eye problems that lead to blindness in the infant. 

Reference: CDC Sexually Transmitted Infection

For breastfeeding women, the story is a little different. HIV is the only STI that is detectable in human milk. However, there are medications available that can keep people with HIV healthy if they are taken as prescribed. These medications suppress (or lower) the amount of virus in the body, which significantly reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to a breastfed infant. People with HIV who want to breastfeed should talk with their healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding relative to their health. Aside from HIV, women with an STI that causes open sores on the body (such as syphilis) can breastfeed as long as the baby or the breast pump equipment do not touch a sore.

We know STIs can be an uncomfortable topic, but for you health and the health of your baby it’s worth pushing through any discomfort and talking with your healthcare provider. Our experts are also available to answer any questions you may have about STIs and how they — or the medications used to treat them — could affect your pregnancy or your breastfed baby. You can also visit our library of resources below.

How Mental Illness & its Treatment Affect Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Disclaimer: This page houses important information and resources pertaining to mental health during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, including links to our evidence-based Fact Sheets. However, the resources here should not replace the care and advice of a medical professional.

Reference: Vesga-Lopez et al., 2008

Mental illness can be a serious medical condition and includes disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, attention deficit and/or hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD), post-traumatic stress (PTSD), schizophrenia, substance use and addiction, and eating disorders. The chance for a person to develop a mental illness during her lifetime is about 10-25%, and the highest risk occurs during the childbearing years. Taking care of your mental health during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is important for you as well as your developing baby.

Changing hormones during pregnancy can cause mental health conditions that have been treated in the past to come back (this is called a relapse). [People] with mental health conditions are also at higher risk of problems during pregnancy.

— U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Women’s Health

Many people are diagnosed with and treated for mental health issues before they become pregnant. Others may develop mental health issues during or after pregnancy due to changes in hormone levels and/or the stress that comes with this major life event (e.g., postpartum depression; depression, anxiety, or PTSD due to pregnancy loss). Regardless of when or how it develops, it is critically important to talk with your healthcare provider about how you are feeling and any problems or symptoms you may be having. Untreated mental illnesses often have their own risks for people who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding and their infants; for example, untreated depression and anxiety has been linked to an increased risk of preterm birth, lower birth weight, and lower Apgar scores.

Please see our library of resources below on mental health during pregnancy and breastfeeding.