Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while using inhaled fluticasone

It's important to manage your asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) while you're pregnant. Having difficulty with breathing during pregnancy can be dangerous for you and your baby.

You can use a fluticasone inhaler in pregnancy. Because it goes straight into your lungs, very little gets into your bloodstream and to your baby. Even if a small amount reaches your baby, there is no evidence that it will cause harm.

Do not stop using your inhaler if you become pregnant while using fluticasone. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns or problems with your asthma or COPD and your medicine.

It's OK to use your fluticasone inhaler as normal while you're breastfeeding.

It is not known how much fluticasone gets into breast milk, but it's likely to be a tiny amount. Your baby will not absorb a lot of fluticasone into their body from the breast milk. It's very unlikely to cause any side effects in your baby.

If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, or if you have any other concerns about your baby, talk to your health visitor, midwife, pharmacist or doctor as soon as possible.

There's no evidence that using a fluticasone inhaler will affect fertility in either men or women.