What treatment can you use for thrush when pregnant

The sample will be sent to a lab to be tested. This test doesn't usually hurt, but it's uncomfortable. It won't harm your baby. Treatment of thrush Talk to your GP about treatment for thrush. Do not buy treatments over the counter.

Always wash your hands before and after using anti-fungal creams. Tablets for thrush taken by the mouth are not recommended during pregnancy. You can prevent thrush and reduce the symptoms by: wearing loose clothes and cotton underwear avoiding perfumed soaps never using douches or deodorants on your vagina washing your genitals using an emollient soap - ask your pharmacist about emollient soaps patting your vagina and vulva dry after washing using condoms during sex to stop the thrush spreading to your partner using non-perfumed panty liners or sanitary pads changing out of damp swimwear or sweaty sports gear as soon as possible.

Please accept functional cookies to use live chat Read our cookies policy to find out more about our cookies and how we use them. It causes itching, irritation and swelling of the vagina and surrounding area, sometimes with a creamy white cottage cheese-like discharge. Vaginal thrush is fairly harmless, but it can be uncomfortable and it can keep coming back, which is known as recurrent thrush.

Many women have Candida in their vagina without it causing any symptoms. Hormones in vaginal secretions and 'friendly' vaginal bacteria keep the fungus under control. Problems arise when the natural balance in the vagina is upset and Candida multiplies.

Vaginal thrush can sometimes be passed on during sex but is not considered a sexually transmitted infection STI. You are more at risk of getting thrush while you're pregnant. Changes in the levels of female hormones, such as oestrogen, increase your chances of developing thrush and make it more likely to keep coming back. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding and you have thrush, you should avoid taking oral anti-thrush treatments.

Instead, use vaginal pessaries, plus an anti-thrush cream if necessary. If you have thrush and you're pregnant or breastfeeding, you should always visit your doctor rather than buying anti-thrush medication over the counter from a pharmacy.

An anti-thrush pessary, such as clotrimazole, nystatin or miconazole will probably be prescribed to be used for about 3 to 7 days. If you're pregnant, take care when inserting a pessary because there's a risk of injuring your cervix neck of the womb.

To reduce the risk, it may be better to insert the pessaries by hand instead of using the applicator. If you have symptoms around your vulva, such as itching and soreness, you may also be prescribed an anti-thrush cream. Not all of these products are safe to use at different stages of pregnancy, so it's important to talk to your doctor and pharmacist before using any products.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Thrush or Candidiasis is a common vaginal infection, caused by an overgrowth of yeasts and is not considered to be a sexually transmitted infection. Read more on SA Health website. Almost all women have more vaginal discharge in pregnancy as it helps prevent any infections travelling up from the vagina to the womb. A urinary tract infection UTI is the most common bacterial infection women get in pregnancy, but there are ways to lower the risk of developing one.

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It is different from having known diabetes before pregnancy and then getting pregnant. Read more on myDr website. The perineum — the skin between the vagina and anus - stretches during childbirth and can sometimes tear. If you have thrush when your baby is born, the baby may catch it during the delivery. This is nothing to worry about and can easily be treated.

Page last reviewed: 1 April Next review due: 1 April Home Pregnancy Pregnancy-related conditions Common symptoms in pregnancy Back to Common symptoms in pregnancy. What is thrush?