Giving birth while suffering from thrush?

[mildred37]

Any experiences on this at all? Had a check at the mat unit on Friday as I was concerned about goings on. Turned out I have thrush internally, which has now gone external (treated with pessary that night and cream ever since) but it is definitely getting worse before it gets better - lots of yucky discharge and soreness. I'm 41 weeks today and really worried about going into labour while I've still got it. They couldn't do a proper internal exam on Friday as the speculum wouldn't open and it was just too sore (felt like I was being pulled inside out ) and now I'm terrified about labour hurting more than I'm expecting.

I had thrush days before DD2 was born and it wasn't 100% when my labour started - I didn't notice it making anything worse, but ask your midwife. My midwife was not concerned about it at all. I think if you pass it on to baby during delivery they will just treat it. I couldn't find any info suggesting it would make labour and delivery any more painful - I had the same concerns as you.

Do you normally suffer pain from the speculum? I do. I also found my sweep quite painful but labour/birth absolutely fine.

Yes sometimes I do - I once had the nurse use a smaller speculum as she couldn't use the "normal" one. But I've also had exams with them and had no pain whatsoever - very bizarre.

Thank you for your reply; it's helped to put my mind at rest a bit. Have been using the cream twice a day which seems to be helping now.

I had a smear test last week and the nurse could hardly open the speculum - she asked (I had DD2 with me) if I'd had a normal delivery and was when I said I'd had a home birth!

Is it your first baby? Hopefully the cream will kick in and it will clear before your labour begins anyway.

I had thrush pretty much throughout my whole pregnancy. Kept treating it with pessaries but was back a couple of weeks later.

Anyway, spoke to my GP about it who said it wouldn't harm the baby if I had it during labour, that sometimes it can give them thrush on their face from the birth canal but wouldn't be anything to worry about.

DS is now 10 days old and no problems from the thrush

Hope that helps!

Thanks, yes it does. The soreness seems to have gone but I'm still getting a lot of discharge in the mornings. Seeing my
Midwife today so hopefully she can help. Just fed up with being huge, and this makes me feel totally disgusting. Meant to be having a sweep today but not sure if she will do it. 41+2 and just want this baby out now!!