Ep. 385: Tylenol in Pregnancy: Risks, Benefits & Alternatives with Michaela Wachal, PharmD, CSP

Ep. 385: Tylenol in Pregnancy: Risks, Benefits & Alternatives with Michaela Wachal, PharmD, CSP

In this episode of The Birth Lounge Podcast, HeHe sits down with clinical pharmacist Dr. Michaela Wachal to unpack the controversy surrounding Tylenol (acetaminophen) use in pregnancy and its potential links to autism and other neurodevelopmental concerns.

Together, they dive into what the research actually says (and doesn’t say), why transparency and informed consent are so important, and how to navigate decisions around medications in pregnancy with confidence. Dr. Wachal also highlights the bigger picture, like how genetics, environmental toxins, and even maternal stress can play a role in outcomes, and why caring for yourself is just as critical as any prescription.

This conversation is packed with nuance, evidence, and practical takeaways to help you feel informed, empowered, and ready to advocate for yourself as you make decisions about your pregnancy care.

00:00 Introduction and Media Misrepresentation

01:05 Personal Story and Birth Lounge App

02:16 Empowering Prenatal Conversations

05:26 Emergency Use Authorization Episode

07:34 Interview with Dr. Michaela Wachal

09:14 Medication Safety in Pregnancy

12:37 Pharmaceutical Industry Failures

15:20 Personal Journey and Advocacy

18:55 Questioning Medical Norms

21:15 Tylenol and Toxins

23:34 Aluminum in Vaccines

27:32 The Importance of Transparency

37:05 Advocating for Education and Understanding

37:51 The Power of Asking Questions

40:21 Nesting and Preparing for Baby

43:17 Managing Fevers During Pregnancy

52:01 Environmental Toxins and Health

01:00:41 Therapies and Support for Children on the Spectrum

01:09:27 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Guest Bio:

Michaela Wachal, PharmD, CSP, is a clinical pharmacist, Certified Specialty Pharmacist, and Clinical Accreditation Manager with nearly a decade of experience in specialty pharmacy. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Doane University. Throughout her career, she’s specialized in complex conditions including oncology, fertility, endocrinology, immunology, mental health, and inflammatory diseases—always with a passion for improving patient care, optimizing healthcare systems, and empowering women in medicine.

Michaela is also a mom of three, including one child with autism, ADHD, and anxiety, which ignited her deep interest in neurodiversity, integrative health, and individualized medicine. After navigating her own family’s challenges, she began researching functional and evidence-based approaches to support children and families living with complex needs. Online, Michaela shares insights from scientific studies on autism, ADHD, vaccines, autoimmune conditions, toxins, and more, always with a focus on helping parents make informed, evidence-based choices.

Her work blends professional expertise with personal passion, making her a trusted voice in both the pharmacy world and the parenting community.

INSTAGRAM:

Connect with HeHe on IG

Connect with Dr. Wachal on IG

BIRTH EDUCATION:

Join The Birth Lounge here for judgment-free childbirth education that prepares you for an informed birth and how to confidently navigate hospital policy to have a trauma-free labor experience!

Download The Birth Lounge App for birth & postpartum prep delivered straight to your phone!

RESEARCH MENTIONED:
  • 2021 there's a call for action published supported by 91 scientists, clinicians and public health professionals across the globe recommended that pregnant women should be cautioned at the beginning of pregnancy to forego APAP unless it is medically indicated and to minimize the exposure by using the lowest effective dose for shortest possible time https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34556849/

  • Boston Birth cohort published in 2020 looked at acetaminophen metabolites in cord blood samples collected at birth and unchanged acetaminophen levels were detected in all cord plasma samples and acetaminophen burden was associated with higher odds of ADHD and ASD daignosis there was a 2.3 to 3.5 increased risk for ADHD and 1.6 to 4.1 increased risk for ASD https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31664451/

  • Recently in August Harvard did an analysis using the Navigation Guide methodology that supports evidence consistent with an association between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence of Neurodevelopmental disorders. This included 46 studies with 27 reporting positive associations with the higher quality studies more likely to show positive correlations
  • https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0

  • In 2018 there was a review that showed that 9 prospective cohort studies that all suggested an association between prenatal APAP exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes - ADHD, ASD or lower IQ and longer duration was associated with increased risk https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29341895/

  • 2022 a prospective cohort study in Pennsylvania looked at 2,423 moms using data and children who were exposed to APAP during pregnancy scored higher for child behaviors, sleep problems and attention problems https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36170224/

Keywords: Tylenol pregnancy, acetaminophen pregnancy, Tylenol autism risk, pregnancy medication safety, prenatal care, evidence-based pregnancy, maternal health, neurodevelopment, pregnancy decision making, informed consent pregnancy, pregnancy medications, Dr. Michaela Wachal, Birth Lounge podcast, pregnancy self-care, pregnancy toxins

Avsnitt(386)

Ep: 204: Are Cervical Checks Important?

Ep: 204: Are Cervical Checks Important?

Melissa Chappell, LDEM, CPM is a midwife and owner of two birth centers in Utah, as well as a doula trainer of over 20 years. She is passionate about women’s health from a holistic and nourishing perspective, and advocates for women’s wellness in all areas of their lives. She has worked with midwives and birthing women all over the world, including in Haiti, Ethiopia, and Kenya, and loves seeing how women’s lives improve with access to safe and effective midwifery care. She’s the owner of Fresh Melissa, a company dedicated to creating tasty treats that are also healthy. She is the mother of 4 children and 3 grandchildren that she adores. In between catching babies, Melissa loves to explore as much of the world as she can – from international travel to exploring the mountains in her backyard.

11 Okt 202236min

Ep. 203: The Know Your Rights Map (Obstetrical Violence)

Ep. 203: The Know Your Rights Map (Obstetrical Violence)

A former communications strategist at a top public affairs firm in Baltimore, Maryland, Cristen Pascucci is the founder of Birth Monopoly and Birth Monopoly's Doula Power group, co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project, and, from 2012 to 2016, vice president of national advocacy organization Improving Birth. She has run an emergency hotline for women facing threats to their legal rights in childbirth, created a viral consumer campaign to “Break the Silence” on trauma and abuse in childbirth, and helped put obstetric violence and the maternity care crisis in national media. Today, she is a leading voice for women giving birth, speaking around the country and consulting privately for consumers and professionals on issues related to birth rights and options. Cristen​ ​is also the host of Birth Allowed Radio as well as executive producer of a documentary film planned for release in 2020 to start a national conversation on obstetric violence, birth trauma, and women's rights in birth. facebook.com/birthmonopoly instagram.com/birthomonopoly

26 Sep 202240min

Ep: 202: Carseat Safety with Dahlia Rizk

Ep: 202: Carseat Safety with Dahlia Rizk

As fall and winter weather approaches and we all begin reaching for those coats we are re-sharing our episode about carseat safety with Dahlia Rizk of Buckle Me Baby Coats. About Dahlia: My 3 kids, 2 cats, dog and I live in New Hampshire where winter is long and cold and like you our lives are super busy. I want my kids to be safe and warm in the winter but I found myself too tired to wrestle their winter coats off in the car seat every single trip. One day, feeling overwhelmed with all the taking the coat off - put the coat on, I thought if the zipper wasn’t in the middle this wouldn't be a problem… and I realized I had a super simple and easy fix to the winter coat problem!! Excited, I spoke with every coat manufacturer imaginable. I thought they would jump on the idea and together we would quickly get the coat out to all parents but none of them believed that coats needed to be redesigned for the car seat. They weren’t in the trenches though – I was – and I knew other parents needed car seat coats too but this was pre-social media and I didn't have a way to talk to parents directly so I focused on my growing family and going back to school and getting a degree. A few years ago on a grey depressing March day I saw a mom in a parking lot. Her daughter was screeching while wrapped in a blanket that was dragging through the slush. I looked at the moms face and she looked as tired and defeated as I felt when I thought of the coats. I knew that look and felt her pain. I thought to myself who needs the big guys Ill tell parents myself, so I had a sample made, made a video with my nephew and posted to Facebook.  My post went viral - parents loved them! In a few short years Buckle Me Baby Coats has grown from shipping out of my kitchen to shipping all over the world. Outside of Buckle Me Baby Coats I'm also a mental health counselor – running a mental health private practice where I treat adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Follow along: www.bucklemecoats.com

20 Sep 202216min

Ep. 200: 5 Scripts to Help You Navigate Hospital Policy during Labor

Ep. 200: 5 Scripts to Help You Navigate Hospital Policy during Labor

THIS IS OUR 200TH EPISODE!! I can not believe that we have had 200 hang outs, 200 conversations about your rights and 200 times that you prioritized yourself and your birth so you can have a better birth! This is the way to a world that has no birth trauma and women are truly in control of their birth experiences again!   Exciting news in that The Birth Lounge doors are open! They are open September 5th-9th! You can join at https://www.thebirthlounge.com/join   In this episode, I will teach you how to can respectfully navigate the conversations around your birth goals and have your preferences honored! We are going to talk about declining routine cervical exams, declining an IV and continuous fetal monitoring as a low risk laborer, advocating for pushing in any other position than on your back and how to decline an unnecessary induction that does not feel aligned with you.    Links mentioned in the episode:  Evidence-Based Induction Guide: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/induction History of Lithotomy position: https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.77.5.636 Failure to Progress: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Failure-to-Progress-Handout.pdf Inducing for Due Dates in *NOT* evidence based: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-inducing-labor-for-going-past-your-due-date/

5 Sep 202245min

Ep. 199: Gestational Diabetes with Leslee Flannery

Ep. 199: Gestational Diabetes with Leslee Flannery

Leslee is a registered dietitian who specializes in gestational diabetes. She has been working with pregnant moms for eight years and is passionate about women advocating for their health. Lesley founded the better blood sugar Method coaching program for Gestational diabetic moms in January 2020. In the program Leslee teaches women how to enjoy the foods they love while managing blood sugars confidently! She also has a husband and two young boys that keep her very busy! Leslee enjoys to be outdoors in her free time either hiking, gardening, or watching her boys play sports!  She also has a husband and two young boys that keep her very busy! Leslee enjoys to be outdoors in her free time either hiking, gardening, or watching her boys play sports! Follow along: @gestational.diabetes.nutrition

14 Juni 202222min

Ep. 198: A Vaginal Breech Birth Story

Ep. 198: A Vaginal Breech Birth Story

HeHe sits down with Cassidy Piney to share Cassidy's breech birth story. Cassidy is a mother of two daughters, a 2 year old and a 1 year old. Her first baby was born at home with midwives. Her second baby was breech and was born vaginally in hospital with a team of midwives.  You don't want to miss this one!

7 Juni 202239min

Ep. 197: Carseat Safety with Dahlia Rizk

Ep. 197: Carseat Safety with Dahlia Rizk

HeHe is sharing carseat safety with Dahlia Rizk of Buckle Me Baby Coats. About Dahlia: My 3 kids, 2 cats, dog and I live in New Hampshire where winter is long and cold and like you our lives are super busy. I want my kids to be safe and warm in the winter but I found myself too tired to wrestle their winter coats off in the car seat every single trip. One day, feeling overwhelmed with all the taking the coat off - put the coat on, I thought if the zipper wasn’t in the middle this wouldn't be a problem… and I realized I had a super simple and easy fix to the winter coat problem!! Excited, I spoke with every coat manufacturer imaginable. I thought they would jump on the idea and together we would quickly get the coat out to all parents but none of them believed that coats needed to be redesigned for the car seat. They weren’t in the trenches though – I was – and I knew other parents needed car seat coats too but this was pre-social media and I didn't have a way to talk to parents directly so I focused on my growing family and going back to school and getting a degree. A few years ago on a grey depressing March day I saw a mom in a parking lot. Her daughter was screeching while wrapped in a blanket that was dragging through the slush. I looked at the moms face and she looked as tired and defeated as I felt when I thought of the coats. I knew that look and felt her pain. I thought to myself who needs the big guys Ill tell parents myself, so I had a sample made, made a video with my nephew and posted to Facebook.  My post went viral - parents loved them! In a few short years Buckle Me Baby Coats has grown from shipping out of my kitchen to shipping all over the world. Outside of Buckle Me Baby Coats I'm also a mental health counselor – running a mental health private practice where I treat adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Follow along: www.bucklemecoats.com

31 Maj 202216min

Ep. 196: Cannabis in Motherhood with Bianca Snyder

Ep. 196: Cannabis in Motherhood with Bianca Snyder

Bianca Snyder, Founder of High Society Mama and Society's Plant High Society Mama inspires CannaMoms to feel comfortable and confident in their choice to use plant medicine, while also laughing and having fun in the process.  Society's Plant is a seed to smoke artisanal hemp company that is grown with love by High Society Mama and High Society Papa. They have the mission to introduce society to the healing benefits of cannabis through smoking CBD flower. Follow Along: Www.societysplant.com Save with code: Tranquility30

24 Maj 202232min

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