Creatine and pregnancy: is it safe while pregnant or nursing?

There are no human trials on the safety of creatine supplements during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Researchers have studied the creatine your body makes during pregnancy, and animal studies have tested supplements, but that does not show they are safe for you or your baby. The safe default is simple: do not start creatine while pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding unless your midwife or doctor advises it.

By Creatine Today · Editorial policy

Is it safe to take creatine while pregnant?

No one knows yet. No clinical trial has given creatine supplements to pregnant women to test their safety. Without that research, there is no evidence that it is safe for the baby, and no amount that has been shown to be safe in pregnancy.

Creatine has a good safety record in healthy adults who are not pregnant. That evidence does not carry over to pregnancy. Pregnancy changes how the body handles many nutrients, and the baby is also exposed to what you take.

The safe default is to not start creatine during pregnancy unless your midwife or doctor advises it. Pregnancy is not the time to begin a new supplement on your own.

What does research on creatine in pregnancy show?

Most human research in pregnancy looks at the creatine your body makes itself and gets from food. It does not test supplements.

• A 2024 study followed 282 women with low-risk pregnancies. Creatine levels in the mother's blood stayed stable throughout pregnancy, while the way the body made creatine shifted over time. Eating more animal protein was linked to higher blood creatine for most of the pregnancy. The study found no link between creatine levels and the baby's growth.
• A 2016 study measured creatine in blood and urine samples from 287 pregnant women. Higher creatine in the mother's urine was linked to a slightly higher birth weight and length. This shows an association. It does not show that creatine caused the difference.
• A 2021 review found that the uterus, placenta, and the growing baby all use creatine to manage energy. It also noted that there is still no agreement on whether creatine is essential for a successful pregnancy.

None of these studies tells you whether taking a creatine supplement during pregnancy is safe or useful.

Why do some researchers study creatine for pregnancy?

A research group in Australia has spent many years on one idea. During a difficult birth, a baby may not get enough oxygen. This is called birth asphyxia, and it can damage the brain and other organs. Creatine helps cells keep their energy supply when oxygen is low.

In a 2014 review, Dickinson and colleagues summarized animal studies, where mothers were given creatine during pregnancy. These studies suggested that the newborns were better protected from the effects of a lack of oxygen at birth. The authors proposed that creatine might one day help in high-risk human pregnancies. They also said that its use in human pregnancy had yet to be fully evaluated.

This is a hypothesis being studied by researchers. It is not advice for pregnant women. Results in animals often do not hold up in people, and safety in pregnancy needs its own trials. Reviews from 2021 and 2025 list pregnancy as an area where research is still needed.

What if I took creatine before I knew I was pregnant?

This is common, because many pregnancies are not confirmed for several weeks. No study has looked at this situation in people, so no one can give you an exact risk.

Tell your midwife or doctor that you were taking creatine, and ask whether to stop. A reasonable step is to pause it until you have spoken to them. Bring the product or a photo of the label, so they can see if it contains anything else. Some pre-workout and blended products also contain caffeine or herbal ingredients.

Should you take creatine when trying to conceive?

There are no human trials of creatine supplements for fertility or for people trying to get pregnant. A 2021 review found that creatine is used by the ovaries, uterus, and placenta, and that some studies have linked changes in creatine use in the body to lower fertility. That is early lab and observational research. It does not show that a supplement improves your chances of getting pregnant.

Because you may be pregnant for some weeks before you know, the advice for pregnancy applies once you start trying. Talk with your doctor or midwife about all the supplements you take when you plan a pregnancy.

Is creatine safe while breastfeeding?

This has not been studied either. Creatine is a normal part of breast milk. A 2013 study found that breast milk supplies about 9% of the creatine a baby needs. The baby makes the rest itself.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine's LactMed database notes that no one has measured creatine levels in breast milk after a mother takes a supplement. It also notes that creatine can raise a baby's blood creatinine, which may affect tests of the baby's kidney function. Until more data are available, LactMed says it is probably best to avoid creatine supplements while breastfeeding unless a healthcare professional advises them.

If you are not breastfeeding, ask your doctor when it is fine to restart creatine after birth. This matters more if you had high blood pressure, kidney problems, or a complicated birth.

Creatine from food, blood tests, and what to tell your midwife

Creatine is found naturally in meat and fish. The creatine in a normal diet is a different question from a supplement. Follow your usual pregnancy diet advice. Our guide to foods high in creatine shows where it comes from.

Creatine supplements can raise creatinine in blood tests. Doctors use creatinine to estimate kidney function, and your care team may check it during pregnancy. If you take creatine, tell your midwife or doctor so they can read your results correctly. Our guide to the creatinine blood test explains why.

For creatine in women at other stages of life, see creatine for women and creatine and menopause.