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Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

Yeast infections are fairly common during pregnancy because of the high level of estrogen which causes your vagina to produce more glycogen, which only makes it much easier for the yeast to grow.

It's not actually all that uncommon for you to have a certain amount of yeast which grows in the intestinal tract and in your vagina – but it's when the levels of yeast get to high and it overwhelms the other micro-organisms.

What are the symptoms of a yeast infection?

The common signs that you may have a yeast infection include:

Itchiness, irritation, soreness, burning and redness in your vagina and labia (and sometimes swelling)
An odorless vaginal discharge that's often white, creamy, or similar to cottage-cheese
Discomfort or pain during sex
Burning when you urinate (when the urine hits your already irritated genitals)

Treating a yeast infection

The first thing you need to do if you think you may have a yeast infection is to contact your healthcare provider. He/She will then take a sample and run some tests in order to rule out other possible reasons for the symptoms or to confirm that it is actually a yeast infection.

If you suspect that you have a yeast infection, it is never a good idea to self diagnose your “symptoms” and try to treat your infection with over the counter antifungal medication. You may not actually have a yeast infection or you may have a yeast infection accompanied by another complication.

Once your healthcare provider has confirmed that you do in fact have a yeast infection, he/she will issue you with a prescription for antifungal vaginal cream, or even a suppository that is safe to use during pregnancy. In most cases, the cream or suppository that contains clotrimazole are more effective than those containing nystatin.

Note: Oral antifungal drugs should NOT be taken during pregnancy!

Your doctor will give you instructions for using the cream, which will in most cases require you to insert the cream or suppository into your vagina seven days in a row in the evenings before bed time.
If at any time you discover that the medication is not working, or that it is causing more irritation, contact your healthcare provider again as soon as possible and let them know the issues.

Will a yeast infection affect my baby?

Having a yeast infection will not harm your developing baby in anyway, unless you have a yeast infection when you go into labor. In that case, there is a chance that your baby may pick up the infection as he/she passes through the birth canal, which may end up causing them to develope thrush.

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