Always talk to your midwife or doctor before taking supplements in pregnancy. It sounds odd, but using live yoghurt as an ointment for your vagina may also help (NICE 2017).Īlthough the evidence is limited as to the effectiveness of live yoghurt or probiotics for treating thrush (van de Wijgert and Verwijs 2019 van Schalkwyk et al 2015), some women find them helpful. You may need to follow the treatment for a week or so, until the thrush clears up.Įating probiotic yoghurt or taking probiotics supplements may help to relieve your symptoms (NICE 2017). You’ll need to insert the pessaries into your vagina. She may prescribe you antifungal pessaries or creams. How can I treat thrush? If you haven’t already, see your GP. You may feel it’s worth a try, especially as yoghurt is high in calcium, which helps your baby’s developing bones and teeth. This boost of good bacteria may help to keep the candida in check, although there’s mixed evidence for this (NICE 2017). It may also help to eat more live natural yoghurt containing probiotic cultures or "good" bacteria. There isn’t much evidence to back this up, but you may feel it’s worth a try, particularly as high-sugar foods like fizzy drinks, cakes and sweets aren’t healthy anyway. Some women find that when they cut down on sugar and sweeteners in their diet, they reduce the frequency of their thrush infections. Always wipe from front to back after having a poo, to avoid contaminating your vagina with bacteria.And don't use a flannel or a sponge to wash your vaginal area, as it may harbour germs from when you last used it. Don't wash inside your vagina or use vaginal douches or deodorants (NHS 2017).These products can alter the delicate acidic balance in your vagina and make thrush more likely to develop. Don't use scented soaps, shower gels, bubble baths or panty-liners (NHS 2017).Wash your clothes with a mild, non-biological washing powder, to reduce the chances of your vagina becoming irritated (NHS 2017).Tight trousers, tights or pants made from synthetic material trap moisture and create the ideal growing conditions for the fungus (NHS 2017). Wear cotton pants and loose, breathable clothes.How can I prevent a thrush infection?Some women seem more prone to getting thrush, whether or not they’re pregnant, and it’s not certain if they can prevent it happening.
Your partner may need to have treatment if he shows symptoms of thrush, as it can be passed between you during sex. It’s easily treated and isn’t anything to worry about. However, if it’s left untreated, there’s a slight chance that it can be passed to your baby during vaginal birth. Thrush will not cause your baby any problems during pregnancy (NHS 2018). The other symptoms of thrush include itching and irritation, a burning sensation, and pain when you have sex or when you wee (NHS 2018). Vaginal discharge increases naturally during pregnancy anyway, but when you have thrush it looks thick, white and creamy, a bit like cottage cheese. You may also notice changes to your vaginal discharge. When you have thrush, you’ll probably notice your vagina feels uncomfortable. Taking antibiotics can also encourage thrush to develop. Doctors aren’t exactly sure why this is, but it may be to do with high sugar levels in your blood, which helps the candida grow. You’re more likely to get thrush in pregnancy if you were prone to it before you became pregnant, or if you have existing diabetes or gestational diabetes.
However, during pregnancy, the high levels of oestrogen in your body help the candida fungus to thrive, and the delicate balance of bacteria in the vagina can be disrupted. We all carry candida in, and on, our bodies, but it’s normally kept in check by our "good" bacteria. What causes thrush in pregnancy? Thrush is a yeast infection, usually caused by a fungus called candida albicans (NHS 2017).
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