Yeast Infection During Pregnancy
Yeast infection can affect the mouth and vagina causing oral thrush and vaginal thrush respectively. The infection is caused by the fungus Candida, which naturally occurs in skin, mouth and digestive tracts of the human body. However, certain health conditions can lead to rapid multiplication of the fungus, hence resulting in oral or vaginal thrush. One of these health conditions is pregnancy. Pregnancy triggers many hormonal changes in the body which leads to the overgrowth of the Candida fungus. This is why pregnant women are extremely vulnerable to yeast infections.
A pregnant woman should be doubly cautious, so as to ensure that she is not overlooking signs and symptoms of yeast infections. In mild cases the infection may go unnoticed, but there may be severe repercussions later, for both the mother and newborn baby.
However, in most cases, there are visible signs which indicate the presence of the infection. Some of these symptoms include itchiness in the vulva and/or labia, irritation in the vagina and a burning sensation while urinating. You may also experience abdominal pain during intercourse and in a few women there is an odorless white vaginal discharge (that resembles the color of 'cottage cheese').
It is imperative that you treat your yeast infection, lest your infection is passed on to your newborn child. Even though symptoms of yeast infections may resemble those of other bacterial infections, the cure for yeast infection is different. Thus it is advisable that you consult your doctor, for a proper diagnosis prior to treatment.
There are many antifungal creams that can alleviate pain, itching and burning sensations. In mild to moderate infections, these creams are extremely beneficial. But if your yeast infection is insidious, you should ideally resort to an antifungal medicine, which would last for a few weeks and cure the infection completely. Though there is little chance that your infection is transmitted to the baby, you should ensure that the thrushes are cured days ahead of your delivery.
However, if your child does end up receiving the infection from you, it could seriously affect the health of your baby. You will find your baby afflicted with white patches on the tongue that cannot be scraped easily. As with adults, yeast infection is equally painful for babies as well. Another possibility which arises with your baby's infected mouth is your vulnerability to contract the same infection from your baby during breastfeeding.
Thus it is always advisable to nip the infection in the bud or better still, prevent the same from affecting you in the first place. You can prevent yeast infection if you follow these steps:
- Avoid skin-tight clothing during pregnancy.
- Avoid using harsh soaps on your vagina.
- Do not wear swimsuits for extended period of time.
- Consume foods such as yogurt which are high in acidophilus.
Yeast infection during pregnancy is very painful and possibly harmful for your unborn child. So, take all the preventive measures to ensure that you and your baby do not have to endure the trauma.
