Asthma is one of the most common pre-existing medical conditions that women suffer with throughout pregnancy.

Medications that are used to help control asthma can be very expensive even when women have insurance. Women who are not insured struggle, even more, paying for the medications they need to help control their asthma symptoms. Women also don't want to fill their prescription because they don't like taking medications during pregnancy. When women get pregnant they want to know how their asthma is going to affect their pregnancy, but only 40% of women who have asthma before they become pregnant will fill their medication during pregnancy. About 8% of adults have asthma and women are more likely to be diagnosed with asthma than men. Those women who have asthma before pregnancy will have asthma during pregnancy and many complain that their symptoms get worst during pregnancy.

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Some women do not fill their asthma medication, because they can't afford the prescription. Other women may refuse to use any medications during pregnancy because they are trying to protect their babies. Researchers have found that the benefits of asthma medications outweigh any possible risks that they might cause to the fetus. Women with serious asthmatic symptoms might even be causing more harm to their unborn babies by not using their medications. Suffering from asthma without taking the appropriate medications to control asthma can increase the woman's chance of having different pregnancy complications. Some of the complications include preeclampsia and even premature birth.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends continued use of prescribed asthma medications during pregnancy, and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program recommends using low-dose inhaled corticosteroids when symptoms can’t be controlled with inhaled short-acting beta-agonists. Therefore experts suggest that women should treat asthma the same way regardless of whether they are pregnant or not.

Experts say to always talk to your doctor about your medications before you become pregnant. Many pregnant women don't want to take their prescription medicine, because they think it might harm their children. The fact is, many medications are more beneficial to the mom than they are harmful to the baby. Talk to your doctor before you just quit taking medication.

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