Despite NHS warnings against using GLP-1 drugs while breastfeeding due to risks for both mother and baby, the intense pressure to “snap back” and the easy availability of the medication are driving new mothers to make a difficult choice.
Lydia* first considered weight-loss drugs while she was still pregnant. “Everyone was talking about them and the advertisements were everywhere,” she says. “I remember thinking: ‘That’s how I’ll lose weight for my wedding next year.’”
For the 33-year-old from Wales, pregnancy had provided a rare moment of body acceptance after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. But as her due date neared, a familiar dread returned. Her antenatal WhatsApp group, once a supportive space, quickly shifted from sharing bump photos to discussing feeding, diets, and weight loss. Of the six new mothers, three either chose not to breastfeed or stopped early specifically to start crash diets or use weight-loss injections—both of which are strongly advised against while nursing.
Lydia was committed to breastfeeding, a resolve that only strengthened after her son was born critically ill and required a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. In the early days, the trauma of nearly losing him eclipsed any concerns about her weight. “He nearly died,” she says. “I just didn’t care about anything else.”
But months later, she noticed her weight was creeping up, not “falling off” as everyone had assured her it would. Now, seven months postpartum, her Instagram feed is saturated with ads for weight-loss jabs. “As much as I can appreciate my body for bringing this beautiful soul into the world… the thought of not being ‘thin’ for my wedding makes me want to die inside,” she says.
I am also a mother of young children and grew up in the 90s, under the toxic scrutiny of women’s bodies—I still recall Chris Evans asking Victoria Beckham to weigh herself on live TV just months after her first son was born. While the body positivity movement helped, the multi-billion-pound GLP-1 drug market has pushed that acceptance backward.
I had children in 2022 and 2024, and the pressure to “snap back” after my second was acute. The landscape had changed; weight loss now felt attainable, just one expensive injection away. A 2019 study found four in 10 women experience postnatal body dissatisfaction, so it’s no surprise private companies, like the provider Ro, use celebrities like Serena Williams to target new mothers.
Six months after giving birth, I made my own choice. After researching NHS guidance—which clearly states GLP-1s should not be taken during pregnancy or while breastfeeding—my desire to lose weight was a “huge factor” in my decision to stop nursing.
Dr. Jan Toledano, a women’s hormone specialist, sees this constantly. “It’s such a period of hormonal upheaval… you have all sorts of identity and body issues, and the pressure to go back to how you were before is immense.” She says it is “alarming, but not surprising” that women are so keen to lose weight they are prepared to stop breastfeeding.
Melanie*, a 31-year-old mother, is still breastfeeding her 18-month-old. She has been injecting Mounjaro, a popular GLP-1, since January and has lost five stone. She calls the weight loss “life-changing” but admits she went against official guidance. “I did a lot of research… and spoke to my husband about it,” she says. The private provider she used asked if she was breastfeeding; she ticked “no,” and her answer was never verified.
She rationalized the choice by reading Reddit experiences and comparing it to another medication she takes that is deemed safe. “Obviously, they haven’t been able to do large-scale studies… because it’s not ethical,” she explains, “but we decided that we would go ahead.”
This is precisely what worries health professionals. The Breastfeeding Network’s “Drugs in Breastmilk” service saw inquiries from nursing mothers about weight loss jump 145% from 2024 to 2025, with jabs being the top query. Amanda Da Costa, a clinical supervisor, confirms GLP-1s “are not recommended for use while breastfeeding” due to a lack of data.
Dr. Toledano is more direct. “There’s very little human data… but there are animal studies,” she says, which “show that there could be a possible effect on the growth of the baby.” She calls the risk “extremely serious,” noting potential long-term consequences for the child’s “development of normal appetite regulation and gut hormone pathways.”
The ease with which new mothers can bypass safety checks online is a primary concern. “Because it’s online and no one can get their eyes on you, how do you make an assessment of how well the patient is?” Toledano asks. She also warns of other postnatal risks from rapid weight loss, including depleted energy levels, a halt in milk production, and a predisposition to postnatal depression.
In cases where mothers have metabolic issues like gestational diabetes, Toledano says the drugs can be used, but only “with a specialist doctor who can oversee their care.” She worries mass marketing is interfering with this process.
I regret my decision. The side effects were intolerable, and I stopped the injections after two weeks—but you cannot easily reverse the decision to stop breastfeeding. I can see now how “exposed and insecure” I was, “primed to fall for the promise of easy weight loss.”
Since our interview, Melanie has also stopped taking Mounjaro. She is now concerned by how easily postnatal women can be “drawn in” or lie to get the drugs. “You are quite vulnerable… there should be warnings and stricter advertising,” she says.
For now, Lydia has decided to wait. “Ultimately, my child comes before this incessant need to be thin,” she says. But she resents having to choose between two things society demands of mothers: breastfeeding and bouncing back. “I just hate that I can’t do both.” I tell her I feel the same.
