Uncontrolled asthma in pregnancy

[HeresANewNameForToday]

I'm 21 weeks pregnant with my second child. I've had a cold for about three weeks which got worse on Saturday, so I went to OOH, who have diagnosed uncontrolled asthma with a strong wheeze all over my lungs. The GP who saw me recommended that I contact my midwife to check on baby, and prescribed me antibiotics and steriods.

I can't say that either have really helped. I saw my GP again last night to check, who said the wheeze is still really bad, and has now given me a steroid inhaler and stronger antibiotics, but it doesn't seem to be improving. I can settle into being okay if I stay very still, but the minute I have to be moving, I'm coughing uncontrollably. Going upstairs to bed last night prompted a two hour coughing fit where I couldn't lie down and almost threw up twice.

I've talked to the midwife unit, who said they can only offer monitoring but not scans, and the labour ward, who have said they could scan but would need a referral from my GP. My GP says they don't make scan referrals, and it'd need to come from my midwife.

I'm anxious about the impact on the baby - Google suggests asthma that's not well controlled can lead to low birth weights and preterm labour - but also that I haven't had asthma since I was 5, and didn't get it during my last pregnancy. I'm not quite sure how it'd now be so bad now, 30 years later?! It's never been this bad in my life.

I'm sitting in my house constantly coughing, unable to do anything, worrying about the baby. Thankfully the toddler is at nursery today 😵‍💫

Haven’t got any advice unfortunately but I’m in the same boat . Wasn’t even diagnosed prior to pregnancy (although had a couple incidents pre-pregnancy that in hindsight definitely were asthma ) but they can’t do further testing while I’m pregnant.

From my sisters experience asthma can get better and worse in different phase of life. Of you've been diagnosed with it at some point I don't think it ever really goes away just that it's better for periods of time. This can be years without any issues or needing medication.

I suspect the combination of being pregnant and the infection you have is what has triggered it now. As you where only given the stronger antibiotics last night they will take a few days to work so take it easy.

I had a chest infection for the first time this year and had periods where walking upstairs set-off terrible coughing fits. You need as much rest as possible, plenty of fluids and try steaming that seemed to help lossen the stuff on my chest.

Try not to worry to much about the baby, you need to just take care of yourself as that will help the most.

Did they give you a Ventolin inhaler as well as a steroid one? Although I don't know if you can use in pregnancy, they help with my sons coughing when he has a cold (he also has asthma).