Taking Control of Your Asthma During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wonderful time for most women. It is also a time that tends to be filled with concern and worry for that new life that you are wholly responsible for. If you suffer from asthma, your concern for your unborn baby might be even higher. You may be worried that if you experience an asthma attack where your oxygen intake is lowered the reduction of oxygen might affect your unborn child?

You are wise to consider this since asthma during pregnancy can provide additional risks for both you and your baby. The good news is that asthma can usually be effectively controlled during pregnancy, greatly increasing the probability that you will carry your baby for a healthy nine-month term.

Using Asthma Medication During Pregnancy

Most expectant mothers worry about medications that must be taken during pregnancy. If you have medicines that you take daily to control your asthma, you might be tempted to stop using them for fear of harming your baby. Most of the time your fear is unfounded. Many medications that are used to treat asthma are safe to use during pregnancy.

A much greater risk would be to stop taking your medication and, as a result, bring on a severe asthma attack during your pregnancy. For peace of mind you should talk to your doctor about the medication you are taking. The best time to do this is before you get pregnant but this is not always possible. The most important thing to remember is that you should not stop current prescriptions or begin new therapies until you have checked with your doctor as to the safety and effectiveness of each medication.

The Affects of Asthma on Women During Pregnancy

It is difficult to predict how asthma might affect your pregnancy. The odds are split fairly evenly three ways. For about a third of expectant moms asthma symptoms worsen during pregnancy. Another third find an improvement in their symptoms and the rest see no real difference. If your asthma was mild before your pregnancy began the odds are in your favor for having a healthy pregnancy with few asthma problems throughout.

If you do find that your asthma seems to be harder to control during your pregnancy you will probably experience the most severe symptoms during the last trimester. The good news is that asthma attacks during labor and delivery are rare and most asthma symptoms will return to normal within about three months of the birth of your baby.

Tags: Asthma, asthma-and-pregnancy, asthma-during-pregnancy, asthma-medication-during-pregnancy, Types of Asthma

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