Advice - short of breath/nerves

[Flowerpot1278]

Hi all
First post - be gentle with me!
I am 29 weeks pregnant and for a while I have been short of breath, which i know is normal (especially as I have mild asthma). But I have to do a fair bit of public speaking at work and I find that then, made worse my nerves, it's almost debilitating and almost stops me being able to talk. Anyone had similar or got any tips? Have tried deep breaths before I start, which only works occasionally

[Cinnamon2013]

I wonder if the shortness of breath + nerves could be triggering mild (or not) panic attacks. That's what it sounds like to me, and I had these at your stage of pregnancy. So, calming measures to halt the cycle of 'I can't breathe - panic - if I panic it'll make it worse - more stress - I can't breathe'.

[Cinnamon2013]

Helpfully the calming measures I use mostly involve deep breathing...(!) But talking to someone sympathetic/taking time out to stand outside etc all help

[April2013]

Definitely get checked out by an asthma nurse and keep a diary of your symptoms, asthma is v unpredictable in pregnancy. It could be you need to increase or change your asthma medication - eliminate this before you think about anything else. My asthma makes me like this sometimes - for me it is a combination of asthma and anxiety about my breathing. Call asthma UK today and speak to an asthma nurse, they are brilliant.

[Flowerpot1278]

Thanks ladies, I think you're right that I should speak to someone properly - thank you!

[April2013]

...also, if you are short of breath and have asthma this is a sign it is not well managed asthma which you need to get on top of asap in pregnancy. Lots of advice about pregnancy and asthma on asthma UK website, but I would get seen today if you can so you can get to the point of your asthma definitely being well managed soon. I've always had mild asthma but in this pregnancy it has been all over the place. If your asthma is well managed then you reduce your risk of an asthma attack which would be v bad news whilst pregnant - so it is important to get seen quickly. As soon as you say pregnant and concerned asthma not managed they will fall over themselves to see you. The good thing about asthma is there are loads of options for treatment - you should definitely be able to get to well managed. Congratulations :)

[April2013]

...I'd say see a GP\asthma nurse today and ring asthma UK too - I have found they are great at helping you get the most out of your appointment.

[Missingcaffeine]

I am not an anxious person, but in the 3rd trimester of my first pregnancy, I had really scary episodes where I could feel my heart pounding and felt like I couldn't get my breath. I swear they weren't panic attacks but I was terrified when they happened. I had all sorts of investigations which came back normal. Apparently a small percentage of pregnant women feel this way and it is nothing to worry about. I think all the hormones and physiological changes to your body just make you more likely to feel anxious in pregnancy than when you're not pregnant.
However I totally echo what others say in that if you're asthmatic and you think it might be asthma related, or you're not sure, you should definitely get your asthma reviewed.