One question I’ve gotten quite a bit throughout this pregnancy is: Are you still taking creatine while pregnant?

Yes, I am.

I’ve been taking creatine consistently for years, and I decided to continue taking it during pregnancy. I actually wrote an entire post on Creatine for Women: Benefits, Brain Health, Safety & How to Take It if you want a deeper dive into creatine in general, but I wanted to dedicate a separate post specifically to creatine during pregnancy because I know supplements can feel like a bit of a gray area once you’re pregnant.

As a dietitian, I’m always looking at the research before deciding whether something makes sense for me—especially during pregnancy. Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements out there, but the pregnancy-specific research is still pretty new.

So, this isn’t me saying that every pregnant woman needs to start taking creatine. I just want to share why I personally decided to continue taking it, what we actually know so far, and exactly how I’m taking it.

First, what is creatine?

Creatine is a compound our bodies naturally make from amino acids, and we also get it through foods like red meat and fish.

Most of the creatine in our bodies is stored in muscle, where it helps our cells produce energy. That’s why you usually hear about creatine in the context of strength and exercise—it has decades of research behind it for supporting strength, performance, and lean muscle when paired with resistance training.

But creatine isn’t just for muscle. Our brains use it too, which is one of the reasons I’ve become even more interested in it over the years.

I’m not going to turn this into Creatine 101 because I’ve already done that lol. If you want the full breakdown on benefits for women, brain health, safety, myths, and how to take it, read my complete guide to creatine for women.

What does the research say about creatine during pregnancy?

This is where it gets interesting.

Pregnancy requires a lot of energy from the body. You’re growing an entire human, your blood volume is increasing, the placenta is doing its thing 24/7, and your own body is constantly adapting.

Researchers have found that creatine metabolism changes throughout pregnancy, and they’re looking more closely at the role creatine may play in supporting the energy needs of mom, placenta, and baby.

There has also been interest in whether creatine could help cells maintain energy during times of stress, including reduced oxygen availability. A lot of that research has come from animal studies, though, which is an important distinction.

Basically: the research is really interesting, but interesting doesn’t mean proven.

Until recently, we didn’t have much human supplementation data at all. Then, in 2025, a small study looked at creatine monohydrate supplementation in pregnant women in their third trimester. Researchers looked at how their bodies processed creatine and monitored them during short-term supplementation. They didn’t report major adverse events during the study.

I was genuinely happy to see this—not because one small study suddenly means every pregnant woman should take creatine, but because we finally have some human pregnancy data to add to the conversation.

It’s still a very small, short-term study, though. We need much more research before anyone can say that creatine improves specific pregnancy outcomes or that all pregnant women should be taking it.

So if you see claims that creatine will protect your baby or prevent pregnancy complications, we’re just not there yet.

Is creatine safe during pregnancy?

This is probably the biggest question: Can you safely take creatine while pregnant?

Creatine monohydrate has a really strong safety record in healthy, nonpregnant adults. It’s one of the most studied sports supplements available, and many of the things you may have heard over the years—like creatine automatically damaging healthy kidneys or dehydrating you—aren’t supported by the research in healthy adults.

But pregnancy is its own category.

We don’t have nearly the same amount of long-term safety data in pregnant women. The newer human study I mentioned above is encouraging, but a small number of women taking creatine for a short amount of time isn’t enough for me to say, “Creatine is proven safe for everyone during pregnancy.”

For me personally, I felt comfortable continuing something I was already taking consistently after looking at the research and discussing my supplement routine with my healthcare team.

If you weren’t taking creatine before pregnancy and are interested in starting, I’d bring it up with your OB, midwife, or another qualified healthcare provider who knows your individual health history.

Why I’m taking creatine while pregnant

For me, this wasn’t really a decision to start taking a new pregnancy supplement. It was more: Is there a reason I need to stop taking something that’s already been part of my routine for years?

And I didn’t feel that there was.

Maintaining muscle and strength during pregnancy is really important to me. I’ve strength trained for years, and I want to maintain as much of that strength as I reasonably can through pregnancy and into postpartum.

Obviously, I’m not over here trying to hit PRs right now. My workouts have changed, my intensity has changed, and I modify things depending on how my body feels. My goal is much more about maintaining strength, supporting my changing body, and staying active in a way that feels good.

And then there’s the brain side of creatine, which honestly might be what interests me most right now.

Research has looked at creatine for brain health and cognitive function, including during times when we’re not getting enough sleep. The research isn’t conclusive, but there have been some promising findings for things like memory, attention, and processing speed.

Considering I’m pregnant, working full-time, keeping up with a toddler, and not always getting the sleep I’d love… I’m listening lol.

I’m also thinking ahead to postpartum. Sleepless nights, recovery, breastfeeding, a newborn, a toddler, work—it is A LOT on the body and brain.

Do I think creatine is going to magically erase sleep deprivation or prevent “mom brain”? No. But it’s one more reason I’m personally interested in continuing something I already take anyway.

How much creatine am I taking during pregnancy?

I’m currently taking about 10 grams of creatine monohydrate per day, split into two servings:

5 grams in my coffee every morning
5 grams in a smoothie later in the day

This is the creatine I’m taking.

And I know some of you are going to see 10 grams and immediately ask why I’m taking more than the 3–5 grams per day you usually hear recommended.

For muscle benefits, 3–5 grams per day is plenty well-supported for most healthy adults.

The reason I’ve been doing an additional 5 grams is mostly because I’m interested in the newer research around creatine and the brain. Brain creatine seems to be harder to increase than muscle creatine, and some research suggests that a higher intake may be useful if increasing brain creatine is the goal.

So basically: I’m not taking 10 grams because I think twice the creatine = twice the benefits. Five grams already has plenty of research behind it for muscle. The extra 5 grams is something I’m personally doing because I’m interested in the brain research too.

And I want to make this very clear: we don’t have evidence that 10 grams is better than 5 grams during pregnancy. There also isn’t an established “pregnancy dose” of creatine right now.

This is simply what I’m doing based on my own routine, the research I’m interested in, and conversations with my healthcare team—not a recommendation that you need to take 10 grams too.

I also specifically use creatine monohydrate, which is the form with the most research behind it.

Wait, doesn’t coffee cancel out creatine?

I get this question often in my DMs because I add my first 5 grams directly to my morning coffee.

Doesn’t caffeine cancel out creatine?

No—not in the way you may have heard online.

There has been research looking at whether caffeine might interfere with some of creatine’s exercise benefits, but the results have been mixed. What we don’t have good evidence for is the idea that stirring creatine into your coffee suddenly makes it useless.

For me, consistency matters more than creating the “perfect” supplement schedule. Creatine works by gradually increasing and maintaining creatine stores in the body, and coffee happens every morning over here, so it’s an incredibly easy habit to stack it onto.

My current morning coffee situation

Speaking of coffee, my morning coffee has had a little upgrade lately.

I’ve been making my shaken iced honey cinnamon vanilla latte, which you can watch me make here on Instagram.

Lately, I’ve also been adding:

5 grams creatine monohydrate (code RACHAEL15)
10 grams collagen peptides

And yes, most mornings I drink my coffee before I eat breakfast.

Is this where, as a dietitian, I tell you that I’d ideally love to have a protein-rich breakfast first thing in the morning? Absolutely lol.

Do I accomplish that every single morning? Absolutely not.

Sometimes I’m up, making coffee, getting a toddler fed, getting ready for the day, and breakfast happens a little later. It happens.

So adding collagen peptides to my coffee has been my little trick for at least getting some protein in before breakfast. Ten grams of collagen peptides gives me roughly 9–10 grams of protein depending on the brand. It’s not a replacement for a complete protein source or an actual meal, but it’s something.

Then I’ll make sure my actual breakfast includes a more substantial source of complete protein. I have a great handful of recipes in the breakfast chapter of The High-Protein Plate cookbook, by the way!

This is one of those areas where I think real life matters more than chasing the “perfect” morning routine. Would I love to sit down to a balanced, high-protein breakfast before my coffee every single morning? Sure. Is that always what happens with a toddler and a full day ahead? Nope.

Creatine isn’t replacing the basics

And because supplements get so much attention online, I have to say this.

Creatine isn’t replacing protein, strength training, good nutrition, hydration, sleep, or my prenatal routine 🙂 Those are the things I’m much more concerned about getting right most of the time.

Creatine is just one small tool within that bigger picture. So start with the foundational habits first, and then maybe look into supplementing with creatine.

So, should you take creatine during pregnancy?

If you’re reading this because you’re wondering, “Should I take creatine while pregnant?” I can’t answer that question for you—and I don’t think anyone on the internet should.

Creatine has a huge amount of research behind it in healthy adults, and we’re finally starting to get some human pregnancy data. I find the research around pregnancy, muscle, and brain health really interesting, which is why I personally felt comfortable continuing something I’d already been taking for years.

But the pregnancy research is still limited. We don’t have an established pregnancy dose, and we don’t have enough data to say that every pregnant woman should be taking it.

I’m sharing all of this because I know so many women are curious about creatine right now, and pregnancy makes the conversation a lot more nuanced.

You don’t have to be scared of every supplement the second you see a positive pregnancy test, but you also shouldn’t assume that something that’s well-studied outside of pregnancy automatically has the same body of research during pregnancy.

For me, continuing creatine made sense. For you, that’s a conversation to have with your healthcare provider.

And if you want to learn more about creatine outside of pregnancy—including benefits for women, brain health, common myths, safety, and how to start taking it—you can read my full guide here: Creatine for Women: Benefits, Brain Health, Safety & How to Take It.

Research + Resources

• Open-label, dose-escalation trial of creatine monohydrate in pregnancy — Naidu et al., Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2025. The first small human study examining creatine monohydrate dosing and how the body processes it during pregnancy.
• Creatine and pregnancy outcomes: a prospective cohort study of creatine metabolism in low-risk pregnant females — The Journal of Nutrition, 2024. Followed 282 pregnancies to look at how creatine metabolism changes throughout pregnancy.
• Creatine Metabolism in Female Reproduction, Pregnancy and Newborn Health — Nutrients, 2021. A comprehensive review of creatine in reproduction, pregnancy, the placenta, and newborn health.
• Creatine in Women’s Health: Bridging the Gap from Menstruation Through Pregnancy to Menopause — 2025. Review covering creatine across different stages of women’s health, including pregnancy and cognition.
• The Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — 2024. Reviews the research on creatine and measures including memory, attention, and processing speed.
• Creatine Supplementation and Acute Sleep Deprivation: A Systematic Review of Cognitive, Psychomotor, and Mood Outcomes — 2026. Recent systematic review looking specifically at creatine during sleep deprivation.
• Creatine Supplementation and the Brain: Have We Put the Cart Before the Horse? — 2026. An updated look at brain creatine, cognition, sleep, dosing, and where we still need more research.
• Interaction Between Caffeine and Creatine When Used as Concurrent Ergogenic Supplements: A Systematic Review — International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2022. Reviews the mixed evidence around taking caffeine and creatine together.
• Common Questions and Misconceptions About Creatine Supplementation: What Does the Scientific Evidence Really Show? — Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2021. A helpful review covering creatine dosing, safety, kidney health, water retention, loading, and common myths.
• A Short Review of the Most Common Safety Concerns Regarding Creatine Ingestion — 2025. A recent review of common creatine safety concerns and areas where more research is still needed.