I hate thrush

[CaptainWarbeck]

Anyone else suffering with thrush through their pregnancy too? I seem to have had it on and off nearly all pregnancy and each time I use a pessary it clears up for a few days then is back again.

I've just tried washing all my knickers and towels at 60C to try and stop reinfection and I'm waiting for another pessary residue to clear out and hoping it stops again. Pharmacist and GP say it's just one of those things due to hormone changes. Never get it normally.

Does anyone have tips to try and prevent it or things they do to manage it? It's so miserable and sex is off the table (not that's it's on much anyway) because each time it flares up after.

It's awful isn't it. I think a low-sugar, low yeast diet is supposed to help.

I suffered really badly 10-20 weeks. I have switched to cotton underwear and try to wear loose bottoms and no knickers in the house, like baggy tracksuit bottoms etc. Worth mentioning to GP/midwife in case it's similar but not thrush.

I tried that sparkly but (tmi) without knickers on, nothing's there to catch that lovely increase in discharge you get in pregnancy and it just felt a bit gross.

God being pregnant is glamorous isn't it

I had thrush like this in my last two pregnancies turns out I had gestational diabetes. If your thrush isn't clearing up ask them to test to rule it out.

Just had a GTT on Friday happy (they do it routinely here) so we shall see! Not expecting it to show GD as I'm pretty low risk but worth finding out.

I had thrush throughout too, i didn't have gd but was definitely eating a lot of biscuits & cakes etc. I think less sugar helped. Csnesten cleared it up each time but the lady behind the counter wouldn't sell me the pessaries directly so I had to make sure I had it on prescription. I never had it outside of pregnancy.

Maybe try washing your underwear in non-bio washing liquid (I have a 1 year old and use persil non bio and fairy softener so I just chuck my underwear in with his stuff) not sure if it will help, but might prevent it a little as not so irritating to your sensitive parts!

Nooo I have a cheesecake in the fridge! Less sugar is not what I want to hear...

Non bio is a good idea.

Natural yoghurt!!!! I had thrush pretty much throughout my whole pregnancy first time round and literally nothing helped except natural yoghurt! It was amazing

I have tried all sorts of natural remedies as recommended on MN threads: garlic ( up the fanjo), vinegar-dipped tampons, natural yoghurt, but nothing helps like pessaries. My ob consultant even gave me a bit of a swab around to 'clear' it out - gross but worked.

I know it's gross but it does help. I just change tracksuit bottoms a lot, figure I'll be living in them post birth.

I had it in early pregnancy and it's bloody awful, you have my sympathy! I'd tried single dose pessary but what worked was the lower dose that you use for a few consecutive days, can't remember if it was 3-5 days. Yes, I felt a human Pez sweet dispenser by the end but it did the trick! The GP who prescribed it said the single dose like the over the counter ones are next to useless when it's a nasty bout, as don't clear it completely. Hope you get some relief soon.

Ah that's good to know Molly thanks. I've done the single dose one because I thought it was less faff but maybe I need to go back to the pharmacy and get the 6 day one. I can't tell if it's gone completely which probably means it hasn't.

Are we talking eating natural yogurt here or up the fanjo? I hope it's eating it!

I had it a million times in my last pregnancy and in this one up until about 30 weeks I think. It's hellish, one day I actually cried because it was so sore/uncomfortable.

The only thing that has kept it at bay for me is using the cream (just normal canesten or own brand version) every day, twice a day, morning and night. Since I've been doing that I haven't had another bout of thrush at all and believer me, I eat a LOT of sugar!

You poor thing magpie it's miserable isn't it.

I'm clinging on to the fact it cleared up for you at 30 weeks... I'm not far off that!

I had it all the way through my third pg. At 34 weeks MW gave me a three day course of cream to use. It did clear it up for good.

Now I have it constantly due to the coil instead....

I feel your pain and itching

I'd forgotten this particular delight of pregnancy!

I had this problem last week. Spoke to midwife who had been to a 2hr seminar on the subject. She said to wash knickers at 60 degrees and wash separate to everything else, iron the crotch of each pair and get the pessary and cream on prescription. She also said if you have been intimate with your partner for him to also use the cream [even if it was several weeks ago and he has no symptoms]. Obviously being careful to avoid perfumed/fragranced products and be careful when showering/bathing. Hope that helps :)

Tea that is so helpful, thank you!

Did she say how long the partner needs to use the cream for (might be hard to tell when it's gone if he has no symptoms)?

Seriously. .. diet. Heal it from the inside out. Your body flora is delicate and pregnancy affects it. No sugar, no dairy and probiotics. Your baby will thank you.

Sorry OP not sure about how long he should use cream for as she didn't say. Mainly because due to pregnancy being intimate has been last thing on my mind for last few months so it didn't really apply to us lol. You could ring your midwife though and ask her for advice as they obviously come across it a lot. Hope it clears up for you soon

Are you sure it isn't BV? My GP diagnosed me with thrush but when it didn't go I asked if it could be BV and turns out it was. All cleared now. Good luck! X

Could your partner not take the oral tablet? I think that works better as its more 'systemic' but obviously pregnant people can't have it.

I agree the changes to diet are important, but there are enough food aversions, restrictions and whatnot in pregnancy as it is that that solution doesn't always appeal.