Can pregnancy make asthma worse?

Asthma is classified into four general categories, from least to most severe. While pregnancy can cause asthma to worsen, improve or remain unchanged, research suggests that asthma severity during pregnancy is related to asthma severity before pregnancy. Symptoms are more likely to worsen in people with severe asthma.

If asthma gets better, the improvement is generally gradual as the pregnancy progresses. If asthma worsens, the increase in symptoms is most noticeable during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Some women might experience worse asthma signs and symptoms early in pregnancy because they stop taking their medications after becoming pregnant. Any changes you make to your medication routine might also influence the severity of your asthma.