More women are now being prescribed GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Zepbound after giving birth.A new study finds GLP-1 use among new mothers jumped from less than one-tenth of 1 percent in 2018 to nearly 2% in early 2025—a 24-fold increase.Researchers looked at insurance claims covering more than one million births over a seven-year period.The fastest increase was among women diagnosed as overweight or obese. Their rate rose from 0.4% in 2021 to 3.9% in early 2025. They now account for about 40% of new postpartum prescriptions, according to the results.Overall, women with type 2 diabetes had the highest rate, with nearly 1 in 6 starting a GLP-1.Patients are advised to stop using GLP-1s during pregnancy. And after giving birth, most women didn’t start right away—nearly 62% waited three to six months.The lead author says postpartum is a critical window for addressing metabolic risk after pregnancy but “Because evidence on GLP-1 exposure during breastfeeding remains limited, rising postpartum initiation warrants further study.”This new research could not determine whether the women taking GLP-1s were breastfeeding.Source: JAMAAuthor Affiliations: USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, Indiana University.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter