By Lisa Rosenthal, MSEd, with clinical and research contributions from Molly Montano, APRN
Why Are GLP-1 Medications Part of the Fertility Conversation?
Not long ago, GLP-1 receptor agonists were discussed primarily as medications for type 2 diabetes. More recently, they have become widely recognized for their role in treating obesity and improving metabolic health. Today, they’re also becoming part of conversations in reproductive medicine—not because they are fertility medications, but because of the important relationship between metabolic health and reproductive health.
Over the past decade, research has expanded our understanding of how obesity, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) can influence reproductive function. These conditions may affect ovulation, menstrual regularity, egg quality, and, in some cases, response to fertility treatment.
For carefully selected patients, improving metabolic health before pregnancy may increase the likelihood of ovulation, make fertility treatment more effective, and support a healthier pregnancy. The goal isn’t simply weight loss. Rather, it’s improving the overall metabolic environment that supports reproductive health.
This distinction is important because misinformation about GLP-1 medications has become increasingly common.
These medications are not fertility drugs, and they are not appropriate for everyone who is trying to conceive. Likewise, infertility is not caused by body weight alone. Many people living with obesity conceive without difficulty, while many individuals with a normal body weight experience infertility. Fertility is influenced by numerous factors, including age, ovarian reserve, sperm health, genetics, reproductive anatomy, hormonal function, and underlying medical conditions.
Body weight is only one piece of a much larger clinical picture.
Emerging research suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists may help some individuals living with obesity or PMOS improve weight, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and other metabolic markers that may positively influence reproductive health. Researchers continue to study how these medications affect ovulation, implantation, pregnancy rates, and long-term maternal and fetal outcomes, and many important questions remain.
For that reason, decisions about using a GLP-1 medication should not be based solely on a number on a scale. Reproductive endocrinologists evaluate each person’s medical history, fertility diagnosis, reproductive goals, and overall health before determining whether these medications may play a role in treatment.
This individualized approach reflects one of the most important principles in reproductive medicine: the best treatment plan is the one designed for the person sitting in front of you—not an average patient described in a research study.
As our understanding continues to evolve, GLP-1 medications are becoming another tool that may help selected patients optimize their health before pregnancy. Like every aspect of fertility care, their use should be individualized, evidence-based, and carefully coordinated with your healthcare team.
Can I Take a GLP-1 Medication While Trying to Conceive?
Timing is one of the most important considerations when a GLP-1 medication becomes part of a fertility treatment plan.
While these medications may help improve metabolic health before pregnancy, they are not recommended during pregnancy. Current prescribing information and clinical guidance recommend discontinuing GLP-1 receptor agonists before conception because there is limited safety data regarding their use during pregnancy.
This is why planning ahead is so important.
If you’re considering pregnancy—whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or preparing for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF)—it’s important to talk with both the healthcare provider managing your GLP-1 medication and your fertility specialist. Together, they can determine the safest time to discontinue treatment while continuing to support the healthy habits you’ve worked hard to establish.
It’s also important to understand that these medications don’t leave the body immediately. Depending on the specific medication you’re taking, your physician may recommend stopping treatment one to two months before attempting pregnancy.
For many people, this recommendation raises understandable questions.
“What if I regain weight?”
“Will stopping the medication undo all the progress I’ve made?”
These concerns are common, and they’re an important part of the conversation.
For many individuals, a GLP-1 medication represents more than weight loss. It may have helped improve blood sugar control, reduced inflammation, increased energy, or made healthy lifestyle changes feel more achievable. Understandably, the thought of stopping treatment can feel discouraging or even frightening.
It’s important to remember that the goal of treatment isn’t simply to lose weight before pregnancy. The goal is to improve your overall health before conception while establishing sustainable habits that continue long after the medication has been discontinued.
Healthy eating, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, and ongoing medical care remain essential components of fertility treatment, regardless of whether medication is part of your care plan. These healthy habits continue to support reproductive health during the transition off medication and throughout pregnancy.
Equally important, discontinuing a GLP-1 medication doesn’t mean you’re losing the progress you’ve made. The improvements in nutrition, physical activity, metabolic health, and overall well-being you’ve developed remain valuable assets as you move toward pregnancy.
Your healthcare team can also help you navigate this transition, offering guidance and support if concerns about weight regain or metabolic health arise after stopping the medication.
Key Takeaway
If a GLP-1 medication is part of your fertility treatment plan, work closely with your healthcare team to determine the appropriate time to discontinue it before pregnancy. Never stop or restart a prescription medication without guidance from your healthcare provider.
Once You’re Pregnant: What’s Next?
For many people, seeing a positive pregnancy test after months—or even years—of trying to conceive is both exciting and overwhelming. Reaching this milestone often brings a mix of emotions: relief, gratitude, excitement, and sometimes a new set of questions.
If you’ve used a GLP-1 medication as part of your preconception care, one of your first questions may be:
“What happens now?”
The answer is reassuring. While your treatment plan changes, the work you’ve done to prepare your body for pregnancy continues to matter.
Before pregnancy, your goals may have included improving metabolic health, supporting ovulation, optimizing your response to fertility treatment, or reducing pregnancy-related risks associated with obesity or insulin resistance.
Once pregnancy begins, the focus shifts to supporting the health of both you and your developing baby.
Current clinical recommendations advise discontinuing GLP-1 receptor agonists during pregnancy because there is insufficient evidence to establish their safety for fetal development. If you become pregnant while taking one of these medications, contact your healthcare provider promptly. Your reproductive endocrinologist and obstetric provider can review your individual circumstances, answer your questions, and recommend the next steps in your care.
Although the medication is discontinued, the healthy foundation you’ve built before pregnancy continues to provide lasting benefits.
The balanced nutrition you’ve practiced, the physical activity you’ve incorporated into your routine, improvements in blood sugar regulation, better sleep habits, and attention to your overall well-being all contribute to supporting a healthy pregnancy. These lifestyle changes remain valuable regardless of whether medication continues to be part of your care.
For many patients, it’s helpful to remember that a GLP-1 medication was only one component of a much larger treatment plan. The medication may have helped create momentum, but the long-term goal has always been improving overall health—not simply achieving a particular number on the scale.
Many patients also ask whether they’ll restart treatment after pregnancy.
The answer depends on several individual factors, including your overall health, your long-term metabolic goals, whether you’re breastfeeding, and recommendations from your healthcare providers. Those discussions are best had after delivery, when your medical team can help develop a plan that supports both your health and your family’s needs.
Just as fertility treatment is individualized, postpartum care should be individualized as well.
Looking Ahead
If there’s one message we’d like you to take away from this article, it’s this:
Fertility is complex.
Weight is complex.
Metabolic health is complex.
No single diagnosis, laboratory value, or number on a scale tells the whole story.
For some individuals, improving metabolic health—including, when appropriate, the use of a GLP-1 medication—may improve ovulation, increase access to fertility treatment, and support a healthier pregnancy. For others, body weight plays only a small role in their fertility journey.
That’s why fertility care is never one-size-fits-all.
One of the most significant advances in reproductive medicine over the past decade has been a growing appreciation for the relationship between metabolic health and fertility. Research continues to expand our understanding of how obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation, and conditions such as PMOS influence reproductive function and pregnancy outcomes.
The work presented by Molly Kornfield, PA-C, at the 2026 Clinical Applications in Reproductive Science (CARS) Meeting reflects this rapidly evolving field. The presentation highlighted emerging evidence suggesting that GLP-1 receptor agonists may benefit carefully selected individuals living with obesity and PMOS as part of a comprehensive fertility treatment strategy.
At the same time, many important questions remain. Researchers continue to investigate how these medications influence ovulation, embryo development, implantation, pregnancy outcomes, and long-term maternal and fetal health. As additional evidence becomes available, clinical recommendations will continue to evolve.
That’s how good medicine works.
Clinical care is guided by the best available evidence at a given point in time, while remaining open to new discoveries that improve patient care. As our understanding grows, so do the opportunities to provide more individualized, effective treatment.
For reproductive endocrinologists, these advances are encouraging because they expand the tools available to help patients prepare for pregnancy. They also reinforce something fertility specialists have always known: successful treatment begins with understanding the whole person—not simply treating a diagnosis.
Every fertility journey is influenced by a unique combination of factors, including:
- Age
- Medical history
- Reproductive diagnosis
- Hormonal health
- Metabolic health
- Lifestyle
- Family-building goals
These factors work together to guide clinical decision-making and are far more meaningful than any single measurement considered in isolation.
If you’ve spent years feeling judged because of your weight, blamed for your infertility, or overwhelmed by conflicting information online, know that you’re not alone. Fertility care should never be based on assumptions or oversimplified messages. It should be grounded in evidence, guided by experienced specialists, and individualized to your unique medical history and reproductive goals.
If you’re wondering whether your weight, metabolic health, or PMOS could be affecting your fertility, start by having an open conversation with your reproductive endocrinologist. Together, you can review your health, discuss the latest evidence, and determine whether improving metabolic health—including, in some cases, the use of a GLP-1 medication—may be an appropriate part of your treatment plan.
There is no single path to building a family.
The most effective fertility care recognizes that every patient brings a different medical history, different challenges, different priorities, and different goals.
Your treatment plan should reflect those differences.
Because personalized care isn’t simply good medicine.
It’s the foundation of reproductive medicine.
About This Article
This article was inspired by the presentation “GLP-1 Receptor Agonists” by Molly Kornfield, PA-C, presented at the 2026 Clinical Applications in Reproductive Science (CARS) Meeting.
It incorporates the concepts presented during that session—including the evolving role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in obesity, PCOS, metabolic health, and fertility—and expands upon them using current clinical guidance and established principles of reproductive endocrinology to provide an educational resource for individuals and couples trying to conceive.
The presentation also highlighted emerging research published in Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey, the Journal of Reproductive Immunology, and the New England Journal of Medicine, reflecting the rapidly evolving understanding of GLP-1 receptor agonists in reproductive medicine.
Contributor Information
Molly Montano, APRN, provided clinical and research contributions to this article and is a member of the clinical team at The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services (CARS), a First Fertility practice.
Disclosure: Lisa Rosenthal is Director of Strategy and Content at First Fertility and President of the Board of Directors of AllPaths Family Building. The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services is a First Fertility practice. This article was developed for patient education.