Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking nitrofurantoin - Brand name: Macrobid

Nitrofurantoin and pregnancy

You can take nitrofurantoin during pregnancy. It's generally recommended to avoid it towards the end of pregnancy. There's a small chance it could cause problems with your baby's red blood cells.

Most babies will not have this problem, but your doctor may recommend a different antibiotic if you are more than 28 weeks pregnant.

Find out more about taking nitrofurantoin during pregnancy on the Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) website

Nitrofurantoin and breastfeeding

If your baby is healthy, you can usually take nitrofurantoin while breastfeeding, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist first.

Nitrofurantoin passes into breast milk in small amounts and is unlikely to cause side effects in your baby. But it's best to take nitrofurantoin only for a short time. If you need to take it for longer than a few weeks, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. If you have an infection, or are at risk of infections coming back, it's important that this is treated.

Do not take nitrofurantoin while breastfeeding if your baby has:

• jaundice – signs include yellowing of the whites of the eyes and the skin (this may be less obvious on brown or black skin), dark pee and pale poo
• very high levels of a substance called bilirubin in their blood
• glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, a rare condition that affects red blood cells

It's very rare for breastfed babies to have side effects from medicines you're taking. But it's important to keep monitoring your baby if you're taking any medicine while breastfeeding.

Contact your healthcare professional or call 111 as soon as possible if you notice that your baby:

• is not feeding as well as usual or putting on weight as you would expect
• is being sick (vomiting) or has diarrhoea
• has oral thrush (a fungal infection in their mouth)

If your baby has any symptoms that are not listed, or if you're worried about them, you can also call 111 or contact any healthcare professional.

Nitrofurantoin and fertility

There's no evidence to suggest that taking nitrofurantoin reduces fertility in either men or women.