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Natural Remedies for Curing Yeast Infections During Your Pregnancy

Being pregnant is a wonderful experience but, unfortunately, it also has its drawbacks. You may endure morning sickness, backaches, puffy feet, and other discomforts along the way.

One common issue pregnant women often face is the pain and distress of vaginal yeast infections. Although yeast infections do not normally present any severe dangers to mother or baby, the condition is uncomfortable and galling. With all the other discomforts of pregnancy, who needs the added burden of a vaginal yeast infection?

The problem is the medications a pregnant woman can take safely are severely limited. Fortunately, yeast is naturally occurring and there are natural remedies that can eliminate yeast infections without any risks during your pregnancy.

SAFETY FIRST – CONFIRM IT IS A YEAST INFECTION

Every precaution should be taken to protect your unborn child so make sure it is a yeast infection that is causing the problem before you begin treatment. Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include intense itching, burning, and a thick, whitish colored discharge.

Painful urination and pain during sexual intercourse may occur and the area may become inflamed and swollen. Yeast infections are not the only disorder that cause these symptoms so check with your midwife or physician to confirm the diagnosis.

WHY PREGNANT WOMEN ARE PRONE TO VAGINAL YEAST INFECTIONS

As you know, the body goes through wildly shifting hormonal changes when a woman is pregnant. This hormonal roller coaster ride can upset the balance of the internal flora that lives inside each human, especially microbes in the vagina. It can change the vaginal PH balance, tilting it in favor of a normally harmless yeast-like fungus named candida albicans.

When that happens this microorganism begins to grow rapidly and soon grossly outnumbers protective bacteria. The result is a yeast infection.

Candida thrives in areas that are dark, warm, and moist, so the vaginal region is an ideal location for yeast to colonize. In order to relieve the yeast infection, the number of yeast cells living there must be reduced. So how do you accomplish that?

LIMIT THE FOODS CANDIDA THRIVES ON

Like all living organisms, fungi must have food in order to survive. Candida thrives on sugars, white flour, yeasts, processed foods, alcohol, many dairy products, caffeine, and soda pop.

By limiting your intake of these types of food and focusing your diet on lean meats and fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, you’ll take a big step towards starving the candida into submission.

The bonus is that this is also a healthy way to provide your growing baby with the best nutrition possible.

YOGURT PROVIDES TWO AVENUES OF TREATMENT

Yogurt is a great way to add probiotics to your diet. These live cultures encourage the growth of helpful bacteria that keep candida albicans in check. Consuming plain yogurt regularly will help your body combat the yeast.

You can use yogurt as a topical treatment as well. Use plain yogurt that contains live cultures and no sweeteners, and apply it directly to the irritated area. Not only will it help fight the yeast, it will cool and soothe the itching. Other women put the yogurt on a sanitary pad and apply it.

Some women like to take an empty tampon applicator, fill it with plain yogurt, and freeze it. The frozen yogurt can then be inserted directly into the vagina and go right to the source of the infection.

GARLIC

Naturopaths advise women with yeast infections to use a garlic suppository. This is done by peeling a clove of garlic and inserting it into the vagina before bedtime. Leave it there overnight. If you are afraid you won’t be able to get it out easily, wrap the clove in a square of gauze before inserting.

It’s also a good idea to increase the amount of garlic in your diet. Garlic contains both antibacterial and antiviral properties and may help kill the candida.

HYGIENE AND GROOMING

Keep the area clean and dry. Sleep without panties at night to promote air circulation and wear cotton panties during the day. Cotton wicks moisture away from the skin and yeasts thrive in dampness. Don’t wear tight clothing and use unscented toilet paper.

Yeast can be transferred between sex partners so either refrain from sex until you are cleared of the infection or use a condom. Your partner may need to be treated as well.

Try to treat yeast infections as early as possible. They are easier to cure before they become resilient and it’s best to clear the infection before the baby is born. It is possible the baby could contract oral thrush if you still have a vaginal yeast infection during deliver.

Because you are expecting, it’s especially important to use safe, natural methods to treat vaginal yeast infections. By following these simple steps you can stop the irritation of a yeast infection and experience the joy of pregnancy.

About the Author: Eric Bakker, ND is a naturopathic physician from New Zealand. He’s spent the past 20 years of his life studying the causes of and treatments for Candida. Please visit him at www.yeastinfection.org for more information.

Drugs During your Pregnancy

PRINCIPLES

Drugs with molecular mass of less than 1500 easily cross the placenta, while drugs with a molecular mass of more than 1500 cross the placenta with difficulty ,or not at all. Heparin is an example of the latter.
Since the majority of drugs cross the placenta, most of this cannot be considered to be safe in pregnancy. Drugs should therefore be avoided as far as possible, especially during the first trimester. The classic teratogenic period is form day 31 after LNP in a 28-day cycle, to71 days from the LNP. During this critical period the organs are being formed.
However, the use of certain drugs may be essential, despite possible detrimental effects.
Certain drugs are absolutely contra-indicated during pregnancy.

DRUGS WHICH ARE NORMALLY PRESCRIBED DURING PREGNANCY

Iron tablets (one to two per day) are normally prescribed to provide the additional iron requirements of pregnancy. It is however best avoided in the first trimester, as it may worsen nausea and vomiting, which occur commonly at this stage of pregnancy. Besides, iron requirements are negligible during the first trimester. The iron tablets should preferably be taken in the evening with a glass of water, as several nutrients may impede absorption (e g tea, cocoa, bran, wheat-germ, lentils, butterbeans, spinach) Nausea and Vomiting is also less likely to occur in the evening or at night.
Folate tablets (one per day) are sufficient to provide the additional folate requirements of pregnancy. These are especially indicated for patient with an insufficient diet.

DRUGS WHICH ARE SOMETIMES PRESCRIBED DURING PREGNANCY

Fluoride is sometimes given in solution to patients in area where the water has an inadequate fluoride content.
Vitamin preparations are sometimes prescribed for patients with an insufficient diet. With a balance diet it is unnecessary. An overdose of vitamin A or D can be teratogenic.

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DRUGS WHICH MAY BE NECESSARY, DESPITE POSSIBLE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS

These are drugs required for serious material diseases. Where stopping the drug will endanger the mother’s life or seriously impair her health. Examples of these are hypotensive drugs. Systemic corticosteroids, anti-convulsive drugs, anti-thyroid drugs and cytotoxic drugs. Specialist supervision is necessary if these drugs are used during pregnancy.

DRUGS WHICH ARE ABSOLUTELY CONTRA-INDICATED

These are drugs where the risk of teratogenicity is too great, or where safer alternatives are available. Examples of these are as follows:

Thalidomide (proven teratogenic effects).
Folic acid antagonists e g methotrexate (proven teratogenic effects).
Retinoids (proven teratogenic effects).
Lodides and radio-active iodine (can cause foetal hypothyroidism).
Live viral vaccines (cause foetal viraemia with possible teratogenic effects).
Diethylstilboestrol (danger vaginal adenosis and clear-cell carcinoma of the vagina when a female foetus reaches adolescence).
Androgens (virilisation of female feotuses).
Danazol (virilisation of female feotuses).
19-Nortestosterone progestogen derivatives (virilisation of female fetuses).
Estrogen/progestogen combinations (possibility of the VACTREL-syndrome, I e vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheal, renal, oesophageal and limb abnormalities).
Alcohol is best avoided, as the precise effects of social alcohol consumption on the foetus are known. A single episode of excessive alcohol consumption can cause the foetal brain damage. Prolonged, excessive alcohol consumption can cause the foetal alcohol syndrome, which is characterised by intra-uterine growth retardation, mental retardation, facial abnormalities e g micrognathia (abnormal congenital smallness of the lower jaw). A thin upper lip, hypoplasia of the maxilla, short palpebral fissures, epicanthic folds, ptosis, cardiac abnormalities, limb abnormalities and retarded neonatal development.
Tetracyclines (may impede foetal bone development; can precipitate maternal liver failure-safer alternatives are available).
Sulphonamides (displace bilirubin from albumin with increase in conjugated bilirubin and consequent danger of kernicterus-safer alternatives are available).
Reserpine (if administered within 48 hours before delivery it can cause nasal congestion, hampered breathing, foetal bradycardia and hampered temperature regulation-safer alternatives are available).

DRUGS AND BREAST FEEDING

Most drugs taken by the lactating mother are excreted in the breast milk. Drugs which may have detrimental effects on the baby, e g alcohol, should therefore be avoided. If a drug which may have detrimental effects on the baby, is considered to be essential, e g cytotoxic drugs, breast feeding should be stopped.

EXAMINATION GUIDELINES

Because of the large number of drugs available, you will usually not be expected to know the effects of all drugs in pregnancy. However, it is important to have a concept of principles of drug use during pregnancy. A knowledge of drugs which are absolutely contra-indicated, is also important. Before prescribing a drug in pregnancy, it is advisable to consult manuals like the MDR (Mims Desk Reference, ed D Botha. MIMS Subscription Department, Pretoria) and/or the South African Medicines Formulary (eds EA Conradie and JL Straghan, Publications Division, Medical Association of South Africa, Pinelands).
The Author: Johan Theron Nel

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