What is it?

What are Discharges/Thrush

All pregnant women have a white vaginal discharge. The amount of discharge varies from women to women.
Should this discharge become excessive, offensive smelling, greenish yellow in colour or begin to cause irritation, it is likely that there is some sort of infection present.
Try to be open with your LMC/MIdwife or Doctor as they can easily reassure you and suggest a treatment.

The most common vaginal infection contracted by pregnant women is thrush/monilla/candida albicans. Candida albicans is a yeast fungus that normally resides in the gut.  When you are balanced and  healthy, candida retains its yeast form. But when candida in the gut becomes too acidic it starts to grow and gets out of balance and cause problems.

Candida can get out of balance by

• Taking Antibiotics 
• Taking Steroids 
• Having been on the the Pill before pregnancy or in the postnatal period or having an IUCD inserted with the progesterone-release in it.
• Stress
• A diet high in refined carbohydrates like sugary foods e.g cereals, sweets, bakery foods, heaps of sugary drinks and fruits.
• Having an Iron deficiency can make you more prone to candida.
• Pregnancy due to hormonal levels combined with any of the above.

Other places to get thrush and fungal infections.

• Gut
• Vagina
• Around the anus
• Mouth
• Breast
• Nipples
• Babies mouth
• Babies bottom area
• Feet and toe nails