Asthma and severe breathing difficulties - 35 weeks pregnant

[PatsyCollyer]

Hi there,

Hoping for some advice and reassureance..! I'm 35 weeks pregnant with a VERY big baby (measured 5.5 lbs at my 32-week scan, and has a head so big it's way off the scale!) This is my first pregnancy and very unexpected - I was told years ago I couldn't have children because I've got endometriosis and polycystic ovaries.

The main problems are: because the head is so big, in spite of the fact I'm 5'11" there's some concern it won't engage in my pelvis properly, even though it's been head down for quite a few weeks. Because of this and the fact it's such a big/long baby, it's been squashing my lungs quite severely and causing breathlessness that has subsequently caused very minor blackouts (I don't faint, I just lose my vision and hearing for a couple of seconds).

I have asthma that only rears its ugly head when I have a bad cough, which I've developed in the past couple of days... The asthma attacks I had yesterday were quite severe and I had another mildish one this morning. Luckily, I had one of my attacks at the hospital yesterday (the lifts weren't working and I had to trudge up steep stairs for my antenatal class). The midwife told me I'd need to go back in for assessment if I have another attack, but I don't want to be seen as a pain if I'm only having a mild one...

Has anyone else experienced this? Unfortunately, in all my pregnancy I haven't seen the same midwife twice, and I tend to spend most of my antenatal appointments going throught the same stuff to update the new midwife! I don't want to cause a fuss unnecessarily if it's only mild asthma and not causing the baby any problems...

Many thanks

Patsy

I'm sure others will be along who know more than me, but didn't want to leave this unanswered. I know how scary asthma can be. You absolutely mustn't feel that you are causing a fuss unnecessarily - especially not in your situation. As you haven't had much continuity of care with your midwife, do you have a sympathetic GP you can call for advice to get a second opinion about whether you need closer monitoring now? Even if it's 'just' mild asthma, it's more worrying and scary when you are pg, and you need to feel safe for you and the baby at this point. Certainly at our local labour ward we are encouraged to call them direct if we have concerns about anything.

Hope you're not at work!

Hi there

Thanks ever so much for your reply. I'm working, but luckily it's from home and only part-time, so that's not really putting any undue stress on me.

Unfortunately, it's the same situation with my Doctors' surgery as with the hospital - you see a different GP each time, depending on who is available - and again I've not seen the same GP twice! It seems gone are the days of being allocated a GP you can book to see in advance!

I had very severe asthma at the start of the pregnancy. In fact, the reason I got pregnant was because my doctor didn't warn me that that the antibiotics he was prescribing for my chest infection interfered with the pill I was taking to help with PCOS symptoms! Never thought I'd get pregnant, and certainly not at the age of 38! I've been very worried about this pregnancy because I didn't realise I was pregnant until I started getting morning sickness and I'd taken steroids and had a couple of chest x-rays. I'm still not convinced everything will be ok and it's stopping me from sleeping at night. Sorry to moan!

If I have another bad attack I'll ring one of the midwives for advice.

Many thanks again for your message.

Patsy

Patsy, I had a chest infection and an awful asthma attack when I was 20 weeks pregnant (I normally have very mild asthma)

I ended up in hospital for 5 days so you must take this seriously.

What treatment were you given yesterday - where you seen by a doctor?

Hi there

Thanks for your reply. I wasn't given any treatment yesterday, just told to sit for a minute until I felt better, and to go back for 'assessment' (whatever that entails!) if I had another attack.

Bye for now

Patsy

Just tried ringing a midwife for advice. No reply from the maternity department after spending 15 holding... Not very reasssuring!

Tbh I'd go to your GP.

Does your inhaler help control yoru breathing?

hi patsy

I would ring NHS direct and just take their advice.

I agree with mercy that you must take this seriously and if you can't get through to anyone who can give you advice, you should get that advice from someone else.

It is a terrifying time when you're pg for the first time and you have no idea of what's ok and what isn't, but if it reassures you at all, you will NOT be seen as being a pain!