The Risk of Untreated Yeast Infections During Pregnancy
While pregnancy is an exciting time in life, it’s also a time when you’re more likely to get a yeast infection. In addition to changes in your immune system and hormone changes that can disrupt the pH balance of your vagina, your vaginal secretions may contain more sugar during pregnancy on which the yeast can feed. This can cause more yeast to grow, resulting in a yeast infection.
The questions we address here are: Do you need to worry and what are the risks of not treating a yeast infection while pregnant?
Risks of Not Treating Yeast Infections While Pregnant
In general, the risks of not treating a yeast infection are that you could end up with more severe symptoms that could lead to increasing discomfort and a skin infection if the skin breaks open or you scratch tiny tears in the skin. There are some instances of women ending up with more fatigue, digestive problems, or oral thrush as a result of an untreated vaginal yeast infection, but these are rare cases.
If you’re pregnant, you can feel assured that yeast infections typically do not affect a developing baby. However, there is a slight chance of passing the Candida yeast to a newborn during vaginal delivery. This can result in the baby having thrush, which is essentially a yeast infection affecting the mouth, fingernails, eyes, skin folds of the neck and armpits, or genital area.
If you have yeast infection symptoms—such as vaginal redness, itching, and discharge—one important reason to call your doctor and get treated right away is it may not be a yeast infection. You might have a urinary tract infection, bacterial vaginosis, a sexually transmitted infection, or another type of infection that potentially could harm your baby or result in early delivery. Even if you’ve had a yeast infection before, when you’re pregnant and have symptoms, it’s smart to talk to your doctor first.
Is It Safe to Treat Yeast Infections While Pregnant?
Visiting your doctor can also help determine the right treatment for you. Many over-the-counter topical yeast infection treatments, vaginal inserts, and vaginal suppositories, like the ones from Monistat, are safe for use if you are pregnant. But, some are not, and certain oral medications such as those containing fluconazole are not recommended for pregnant people.
The Mayo Clinic says that vaginally applied products containing miconazole (like Monistat), terconazole, and clotrimazole “can be used at any point during pregnancy and don't pose a risk of birth defects or other pregnancy complications.” It’s recommended to use the seven-day yeast infection treatment, which gives you a lower dose each day rather than bigger doses over one or three days.
Don’t worry about not being able to take oral meds for a yeast infection while pregnant, even if they’ve worked for you before. Monistat has been proven to relieve symptoms four times faster than fluconazole.*
Monistat FAQ
Get answers to questions from women just like you.
How to Prevent Yeast Infections During Pregnancy
Since yeast infections in pregnancy are often due to changes in your body that you cannot control, you might not be able to prevent a yeast infection from occurring. However, there are some steps you can take to lower your overall risk—whether pregnant or not. These steps include:
- Wearing loose-fitting clothing and clothing that’s made of cotton or other breathable materials.
- If your clothes get wet from sweat, exercise, or sitting on something wet accidentally, change into clean, dry clothing as quickly as possible.
- After swimming or bathing, dry off completely before getting dressed.
- Include yogurt (pasteurized) with live cultures or a probiotic supplement your doctor recommends in your diet. A balance of “good” bacteria helps keep yeast growth in check.
- Use a gentle fragrance free feminine cleanser to wash the area around your vagina.
With these steps, we hope you don’t have to add “yeast infection” to the list of body changes during your pregnancy. But, if one does occur, know that Monistat has you covered. Use our “Where to Buy” tool to find Monistat in a store near you.
* Based on a clinical study comparing Monistat 1 Combination Pack to oral fluconazole
https://hcp.monistat.com/efficacy/accelerate