Is it safe to take pristiq (desvenlafaxine) while pregnant or breastfeeding?

No: Not really a straight forward yes/no answer. This class of antidepressants can cause primary pulmonary hypertension in the baby as well as increased jitteriness and increased rates of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. However, they can be used if necessary.

Probably?: There is no data of yet on pristiq (desvenlafaxine). However Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) is a metabolite of effexor, prospective data on 150 women exposed to venlafaxine (effexor) during the first trimester of pregnancy suggest no increase risk of major malformation compared to non-exposed controls. Remember there are risks of being depressed during pregnancy. Go to http://www.Womensmentalhealth.Org/specialty-clinics/.

Meds while pregnant : Several antidepressant have been studied in pregnancy and were thought to be generally safe. However they can still can effect the baby. But there is growing evidence that untreated depression has risks of its own. Non medication based treatment should be considered but please speak to your doc to weigh out the risks vs benefits for you and the baby. Good luck.