Is it safe to take medications containing codeine while pregnant?

Yes: Codeine is addictive and taking it every day throughout the pregnancy may make the baby go through withdrawal after delivery. Intermittent or infrequent use is safe. Codeine is very constipating and increasing fluids and use of stool softeners may help.

Safe in pregnancy ?: This medication is considered relatively safe in pregnancy (category c). This level means some animal studies suggest fetal risk but no human studies have to date. Avoidance in late pregnancy is advised as the child born after exposure may have respiratory depression