To think my GP should offer me something? Pregnant & upset

[ABabyPanda]

I’m 21 weeks pregnant and for about a week and a half suffering from breathing difficulties. One day it was so bad my chest was hurting, I struggle to get a ‘big’ breath so I’m yawning all the time to try to get one but even then it’s usually a half-yawn. I’m huffing and puffing (with no exertion - I could be in bed or on the sofa and it’s still bad).

I saw my midwife last week who took bloods for low iron as I’d mentioned I’d read that this could be a factor. My iron is fine. She told me to get a GP appointment and go to A&E if it’s really bad.

Last week I phoned for an appointment and had a telephone appointment this evening. They have basically said there’s no such thing as pregnancy related asthma and they can’t do the asthma test due to coronavirus, he doesn’t feel it’s right to prescribe asthma medication as it could cause other issues (diabetes?!) which right is fair enough. He said he suggests breathing exercises. It’s probably the water round the baby and in worse case scenario they will need to deliver the baby early but he doesn’t think this will happen 🤨

I cannot fucking breathe! I’m only 21 weeks, what if this gets worse? Has anyone else experienced this? I’ve started having my humidifier on during the night but it’s not helping me during the day & it’s such a struggle. I’m seeing my midwife on Friday so I will ask again then but I really feel like something is more wrong that just baby fluid & if I get COVID I’m screwed. I’m really worried 😟

A medical professional can recommend you do (or do not) get a COVID test. I think there is an option on the form for this when you request it.
We had a positive case in our household. Both me and DH had a feeling of chest pain and breathlessness. We didn’t get a test as we were both otherwise well but are pretty confident we both had it.

Dvt? P.e?

The GP didn’t offer advice as to what breathing techniques I should use to help this. Said my midwife might offer classes but he doesn’t know about this. This is my third baby and I’ve never heard of breathing classes so I highly doubt this is a thing!

I’m not going to go to A&E as it’s not an emergency situation (until I get coronavirus that is) I’ll just speak to my midwife on Friday and will ask re a couple of the suggestions up thread. Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m not ruling out anxiety because I’m possibly losing my job in March but I’ve suffered with anxiety for months / years and never had this. I’m hoping this gets better!

I will try to get a COVID test but unless I lie (as I don’t have the ‘symptoms’) I’m not eligible. I really don’t feel unwell though.

@ImMoana oh I didn’t know that! I could fill in the online form and ask the GP again (took me nearly a week to get an appointment but they tend to get back quite quickly on the form)

Dh had breathing problems & A+E don’t mind seeing people who can’t breathe because it’s pretty essential to life that you can breathe 🤨 properly & with no effort or thought put into it.

I suggest a&e aswell op. Without meaning to scare you we do take those symptoms in pregnant women seriously due to the risk of a PE. This is because the uterus can obstruct bloodflow around the body. It isn't extremely common however, and I do not mean to alarm you at all. But it is best to get checked out.

I think you need to be seen.

A PE needs to be ruled out.

I'll be spelling this wrong but tachocardia. I got it in pregnancy. My heart rate was stupidly high. I still get pains and out of breath now.

Poor you! I had this during pregnancy www.healthline.com/health/intercostal-muscle-strain#_noHeaderPrefixedContent

And the onset of asthma. I had a reliever (blue inhaler) and decided against the steroid (brown)
Get a second opinion it’s agony but will go away

A&E is the best thing to do. They will be able to pop a thing on your finger to make sure your oxygen saturation levels are normal and if not they can X-ray you and at least give you a bit of reassurance.

But why would the trained medical professional (GP) not tell me to go to A&E when I’m telling him how much I’m struggling & it’s every day & my chest can hurt from trying to take breaths in?
It’s definitely noticeable if you’re around me.
Gah I don’t know what to do ... A&E in my part of the country isn’t a good idea at the moment 🙁

Not all medical professionals are like this, but women's pain is often dismissed.

What was your haemoglobin and ferritin level?

I had this with twins. In the end GP did prescribe me an inhaler. I got an upper respiratory infection in the mean time so I was v. Wheezy before that happened but it helped overall.

Hello,

I had this at 31 weeks and it turned out to be pre eclampsia. The shortness of breath being caused by high blood pressure but I'd presume if you have seen your midwife they have checked for this?

I was also scanned for a blood clot just in case, particularly as risk of blood clot is higher during pregnancy due to increased estrogen and shortness of breath is a symptom of this. My gp sent me to A&E for this test as its not something they did at my dr surgery.

That said I do get this now post partum and believe it's down to anxiety. So if you are feeling worried it could be that too but always worth ruling out the more serious issues! Xx

You need to be seen by someone competent to rule out interesting stuff.

I had similar sounding issues with my second, I didn't have any pain and the Dr had a good listen to my chest so we were happy to work on the assumption that the problem was baby's bum/head/feet wedged against my diaphragm. This was on the proviso that any chest pain and the balance would swing back to getting more investigation (CT scan as D-Dimer (clot test) is inaccurate in pregnancy). Obviously CT has radiation so less than ideal in pregnancy unless strongly indicated and Dr was happy with thorough auscultation.

Breathing got better when bump dropped and baby was engaged, absolutely fine after the birth.

I was only borderline anaemic.

@MasterBruceBalloon I’m not sure they just said it was fine when I phoned up but my platelets are slightly low & need rechecking in 4 weeks. I have another blood test at 28 weeks for my GTT anyway, I am prone to low iron I’ve had it in my previous pregnancies but apparently fine for now!

@Katela18 thankyou for sharing, my blood pressure is fine. I do think now is it anxiety, I’m questioning myself. I honestly don’t know what it could be but I’m just terrified of getting coronavirus which probably is then exacerbating my anxiety!!

My daughter developed tachycardia in her pregnancy which was discovered because her main symptom was breathlessness - and my asthma first reared it's head in the second trimester of my first pregnancy. Took me completely by surprise.
If you don't want to go to a and e at the very least, I'd get an appointment with a different doctor. You shouldn't be simply dismissed when you can't breathe properly.

@randomsabreuse they won’t see me, I said I’ll see what my midwife says on Friday but the last midwife just said to speak to you ... said I can’t be left to suffer like this. He just said to phone for a telephone appointment again if needed & baby might need to be born early 🤷‍♀️

No mention of any tests or any helpful advise !

There’s a back massage that someone can do for you, it’s meant to aid the lungs and breathing. I’ll try to find a link. Two nurses were demonstrating it. It would make me panic if I couldn’t breathe properly. In the long term agree with other posters that you need to have some tests and see if anything can improve your breathing.

You obviously need to get checked out but I’ve had this on and off where I feel I can’t get a breath and have to almost make myself yawn. It’s called air hunger, it can be due to anxiety but I also find that the more you become aware of it the more difficult it is to stop.

Have you had a scan to determine whether you do have polyhydramnios (excessive fluid around baby)?

I had this very mildly (didn't cause any issues) and kind of retched and yawned all the time because my lungs just didn't feel right, like I was always getting too much or too little air.

Ask for a scan to look at your amniotic fluid - it could be that.

Also agree with a covid test!

@ABabyPanda I just looked for the link for you. Either the guidance has changed or I got it wrong. A medical professional can only get you a test without symptoms if you are going into hospital and need a negative one before admittance.

Here’s the cut and paste:

Who can get a free test
You can only get a free NHS test if at least one of the following applies:

you have a high temperature
you have a new, continuous cough
you’ve lost your sense of smell or taste or it’s changed
you’ve been asked to by a local council
you’re taking part in a government pilot project
You can also get a test for someone you live with if they have symptoms.

If you’re going into hospital
You may need to get tested if you’re due to have surgery or a procedure
The hospital will arrange this for you. Contact your hospital department if you have any questions

@ABabyPanda I understand, its scary enough being pregnant without a global pandemic impacting that.

Maybe if you want to avoid A&E call your Dr and explain you are still concerned and ask for an ECG. They can do these at Dr surgery, they did this for me and it was because this was slightly abnormal that they sent me to be scanned at the hospital. They might even be able to call the hospital ahead and get you booked in to your fetal health unit. So with mine I waited in fetal health until my time slot for the scan so I didn't have to sit in a&e. Appreciate this might not be the case every where though xx