Living With Asthma During Your Pregnancy
Monitoring Asthma While You Are Pregnant
Asthma Action Plan for Your Pregnancy
Asthma Management During Labor and Delivery
Breastfeeding When You Have Asthma
Monitoring Asthma While You Are Pregnant
Early awareness of asthma symptoms and peak flow monitoring can help you and your doctor respond quickly to worsening of your asthma during pregnancy. It is important to identify and treat asthma symptoms before they become worse.
Asthma symptoms can range from mild to severe. It is important to identify and treat your asthma when the symptoms are still mild, so as to reduce the risk of a more serious episode. Common asthma symptoms may vary from person to person and include:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the chest
- Wheeze
Shortness of breath is common during pregnancy and it may sometimes be difficult to tell if the cause is the increasing size of your baby, or your asthma. A peak flow meter may enable you to tell the difference . A peak flow meter measures the airflow out of your lungs and can sometimes can show a decrease hours, or even a day, before other asthma symptoms appear. Ask your doctor about using a peak flow meter to help monitor your asthma.
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Asthma Action Plan for Your Pregnancy
When asthma symptoms and low peak flow numbers indicate your asthma is worsening, it is important to take action to ensure you and your baby receive enough oxygen. An asthma action plan is a written plan based on changes in asthma symptoms and peak flow numbers, customized to your needs by your doctor to help you manage asthma worsening. It will give you information about when and how to use long-term control medicine and quick-relief medicine. It is a reminder of what to watch for and what steps to take so you will be able to make timely and appropriate decisions about managing your asthma during your pregnancy.
A severe asthma attack is a true medical emergency and you should seek medical assistance immediately.
A small number of women with asthma may have an asthma episode severe enough to be hospitalized so that you and your baby can be closely monitored . A severe asthma attack is a true medical emergency and you should seek medical assistance immediately. Your treatment may include oxygen, frequent inhaled medications, and IV steroids, all of which can be given without risk to your baby.
Print a copy of our Asthma Symptom Action Plan for you and your doctor.
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Asthma Management During Labor and Delivery
It is important to continue long-term control medicines and have quick-relief medicines available throughout labor delivery. Bring your own medicine to the hospital, so everyone will understand what have been taking. The hospital will then provide whatever medication is needed.
Talk with your healthcare provider about pain control before your delivery date.
If anesthesia is required, spinal anesthesia is preferred to general ("gas") anesthesia. If you receive anesthesia of this form, you may be able to use your inhaled medicine as directed by your doctor.
If a Cesarean-section is required you may need I.V. steroids.
Your breathing will be closely monitored as will your baby's heat-rate with a fetal monitor to make sure that he or she is not showing signs of distress.
Plan ahead and discuss these decisions and potential problems with your healthcare providers. This will help decrease fears and problems that may arise once labor begins.
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Breastfeeding When You Have Asthma
Research shows that breastfeeding for the first 6-12 months of life may help prevent or delay the development of certain allergies. The decision to breastfeed should be based on what you desire and your baby's needs.
In general, when breastfeeding the use of most asthma medicines does not affect your baby or interfere with your milk production. It is important to discuss your use of any medicines with your baby's doctor. The medicines listed earlier for use during pregnancy are generally used while breastfeeding without problems. Remember, your blood stream absorbs less medicine with inhaled medicine; therefore, less medicine passes into your breast milk.
The following list of medicines offers some additional information that can be discussed with your doctor:
- Leukotriene Modifiers - The leukotriene modifiers are excreted in breast milk. Because the safty of these drugs have not been confirmed, they should not be taken while you are breast-feeding.
- Oral Steroids - Oral steroids pass through breast milk in trace amounts. Even at high dosages, these drugs have not been associated with problems.
- Theophylline - This medicine passes through breast milk in trace amounts. This has been associated with irritability and insomnia in some infants.
Read more about medicine therapy to control asthma during your pregnancy.
By all means, do not resume cigarette smoking after your baby is born. The toxic substances of cigarettes can be transmitted through breastfeeding, as well as by the inhalation of second hand smoke.
We hope this information is reassuring and helpful for you during this special time. Remember, good asthma management is important for you and your baby. Talk with your doctor and other healthcare providers about any questions or concerns you have.
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This information has been approved by Phil Corsello, MD (March 2006).
