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The administration’s guidance to avoid Tylenol and “tough it out” prompted anxiety, especially for expectant women who face pain.
Sept. 24, 2025, 11:55 a.m. ET
When the burning nerve pain in her back and legs gets very bad, Lucy Martinez, who is 27 weeks pregnant, reaches for Tylenol. It helps.
Ms. Martinez, 28, of Pocatello, Idaho, shattered one of her vertebrae in a snowboarding accident in January. A few months later, she found out that she was pregnant. She stopped taking heavy painkillers and has been managing her pregnancy and her recovery, simultaneously, ever since.
On bad days, Ms. Martinez said, the pain is “unbearable.” So she was confused and upset on Monday when President Trump encouraged pregnant women to “tough it out” without Tylenol. He claimed that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, could be a cause of autism, even though doctors say it is safe in moderation.
Ms. Martinez immediately contacted her doctor, asking whether she should continue taking pain medication. After hearing that it was OK, she still called her mother in tears, overwhelmed by the fear of being blamed for whatever might go wrong.
Even when everything goes smoothly, pregnancy is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Spines shift. Calves cramp. Heads ache. Expectant mothers must weigh their own comfort against the needs of a growing fetus, staying vigilant about what they eat and drink. And they must take in advice from their doctors, their doulas and their partners.
And now, from their president.
“Don’t take it,” Mr. Trump said of Tylenol at a White House briefing. “Fight like hell not to take it.” He pointed to exceptions in rare instances, like dangerously high fevers.
