This study aimed to analyze the medications used by pregnant women in public and private prenatal care in Aracaju, Sergipe. We conducted a cross-sectional study at three public health care services and two private services that offered prenatal appointments. This study was based on interview, drugs classification and statistical analysis. At the public service, 15.49% (33) of pregnant women declared self-medication; 52.58% (112) used just one class; 42.25% (90) used class B. At the private service, 19.38% (25) declared self-medication; 44.19% (57) used three classes; 36.43% (47) used class C. Among pregnant women at the public service, we noticed statistical significance between self-medication/gestational age during interview, self-medication/number of prenatal appointments, self-medication/professional performer, information about medications/number of pregnancies, number of used drugs/professional performer. At the private service, between self-medication/occupation, number of used drugs/gestational age during interview. Thus, self-medication was not prevalent in this study. Moreover, the highest drugs use occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy, and the predominant outcome was relief of symptoms. Pregnant women at the private service showed more self-medication than those at the public service.