Plan B and Preexisting Pregnancy: Will It Harm an Unborn Baby?

Plan B, which is usually referred to as the Morning After Pill, is a method of emergency contraception. Taking emergency contraception within 72 hours of having unprotected sexual intercourse can help reduce your chances of an unwanted pregnancy. What happens if you take the Morning After Pill without realizing that you're already pregnant, though? Will it harm your unborn baby? Here's what you should know about how Plan B affects preexisting pregnancy.

Will Emergency Contraception Harm an Unborn Baby?

According to the Plan B One-Step FAQ, no medical evidence suggests that the Morning After Pill will harm an unborn baby. Using emergency contraception after you have already conceived is not believed to cause miscarriage, birth defects, or other complications during pregnancy. This means that if you do find out that you were already pregnant before you took the Morning After Pill, you do not need to worry.

Keep in mind that there is also a chance that emergency contraception might not be effective among those who do use it. If you find out that you have still gotten pregnant after using Plan B, you might be worried. When the Morning After Pill is ineffective, it is not thought to affect your unborn baby or pregnancy, according to the Plan B One-Step FAQ.

Should You Use the Morning After Pill if You're Pregnant?

Women who are already pregnant are not advised to use Plan B, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although there are not thought to be risks associated with using emergency contraception around the time you conceive, it is not encouraged to use it after you are already pregnant.

Also note that the Morning After Pill does not work like an abortion pill. Emergency contraception prevents a pregnancy from occurring, but it does not terminate preexisting pregnancies. Therefore, it cannot work effectively after you have already conceived.

If you use emergency contraception and later find out that you conceived beforehand or still became pregnant after using it, you might feel panicked. The good news is that you are still just as likely to carry a healthy baby to term without any pregnancy complications. Keep in mind that some of the side effects of the Morning After Pill, such as nausea, fatigue, changes in menstrual periods, and breast tenderness, may resemble pregnancy symptoms. The only way to find out whether emergency contraception worked effectively is to take a pregnancy test. If you have any other questions about using Plan B, be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes only. If you're concerned about your health, consult with a licensed healthcare provider.

Sources:
Mayo Clinic
Plan B One-Step FAQ