Yeast Infections During Pregnancy

Severe itching or burning and a curdlike or cottage cheese-like discharge from the vagina are classic symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection. Other symptoms include painful urination (due to irritation to the urethra); painful intercourse; and swelling, redness and irritation of the outer and inner lips of the vagina.

Yeast infections are usually caused by candida albicans, a type of fungus that tends to run rampant during pregnancy for three key reasons: hormonal changes make your vaginal environment less acidic; increased amounts of sugar are stored in the cell walls of the vagina; and your immune system is less effective during pregnancy, making you more susceptible to infection.

Yeast infections tend to be a particular problem for women who require antibiotics to treat UTIs or other bacterial infections during their pregnancies. Although there are numerous over-the-counter medical and herbal remedies for yeast infections, you should not use any of these products until your healthcare provider both confirms that you do, in fact, have a yeast infection and recommends an appropriate treatment.

This is definitely one of those situations in which an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You can help prevent yeast infections by:

Avoiding tight clothing around your vaginal area.

Choosing clothing made from natural rather than synthetic fibers.

Wiping from front to back when you go to the bathroom.

Making sure that your vagina is well-lubricated before intercourse.

Reducing the amount of time you spend sitting on vinyl seats in your home, car or office.

Note: While there is a popular belief that eating yogurt with acidophilus (live cultures) is an effective method of preventing yeast infections, this particular claim has yet to be proven. However, when more purified forms of the same bacteria have been taken orally or administered vaginally, some promising results have been seen.