When you have an asthma attack, breathing for one is a challenge. So if you’re
a pregnant woman with asthma, it’s important to remember that every breath
you take is for two. I developed asthma when I became pregnant with my first daughter.
By working with my doctors to follow a personal asthma management plan, I was able
to successfully deliver two daughters 21-months apart, at term and without complications.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), asthma is one of the most
common illnesses that complicates pregnancy. A chronic, persistent disease of the
airways, asthma is characterized by coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty
breathing. It is usually reversible, but can be fatal. Add a growing baby to the
equation and the need for oxygen increases exponentially.
For reasons not yet determined, women with asthma are slightly more likely to have
high blood pressure or preeclampsia, deliver prematurely or by Caesarean section,
or give birth to an underweight baby. None of this has to happen. Following an asthma
control plan, which usually includes daily doses of medications used for long-term
treatment combined with the occasional emergency inhaler, can help a woman with
asthma enjoy a healthy and safe pregnancy.
For some women like me, asthma may occur for the first time during pregnancy. Asthma
has no one cause, but there is evidence that heredity may play a role. According
to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, some women may also develop asthma
after pregnancy, perhaps due to hormonal fluctuations.
The NIH also asserts that, “the known risks of uncontrolled asthma are far
greater than the known risks to the mother or fetus from asthma medications.”
The bottom line? Breathe easy. Asthma medication helps both you and your growing
baby get the oxygen necessary for a successful, full-term pregnancy.
Women who have asthma before they get pregnant should continue to follow their schedule
of inhaled medications and always keep an inhaler within reach for emergencies.
When properly controlled, a pregnant woman with asthma can maintain a normal pregnancy
with little or no increased risk to herself or her baby. After delivery, breastfeeding
is recommended because it reduces the risk of her infant developing asthma later,
among the many other benefits it provides.
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network, about one-third of women with asthma who
get pregnant will see little or no change in their symptoms. Another third will
worsen and the last third will actually improve. But because there is no way to
determine where a woman falls in this spectrum, the NIH recommends that a pregnant
woman’s ob-gyn be included in her asthma management team to help ensure that
medications are adjusted as needed to lower the risk of complications to both mother