[TRANSCRIPT OF ANSWER]

Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

“First thing that we would do as an examination is a speculum examination to be able to see what your symptoms are and that the exam shows is indicative of a yeast infection. We would do a speculum exam and see a thick white curdy discharge. We could take a sample of that and put it on a microscope slide and look at it under the microscope and be able to see things. You can see actual yeast buds forming and that’s probably the big one. You can do a laboratory test that usually is sent out, but we can tell right there in the office whether it’s a yeast infection.

Treatment Options

“Treatment can be anything from over-the-counter and you can treat them on your own. Some of them you have to get a prescription for. There are some folks that will elect to try to do a natural type of treatment. One of the, not treatments, but things to kind of keep a yeast infection at bay are probiotics. If you can choose a probiotic that has a lot of lactobacillus in it then that helps to keep a yeast infection away.”

“Our bodies need to have a healthy mix of the different types of bacteria. One bacteria overruns another they get to take over and that’s where you end up with a yeast infection. There are different options to treat a yeast infection. Just talk to your provider and they can help you choose the best treatment for you.”

Additional Resources

ASK: What kind of vaginal discharge is normal during pregnancy?

Questions About Pregnancy
RN, MS, CNM, Certified Nurse Midwife. BSN, 1988, Seton Hall University, South Orange N.J.; MS,CNM, 2001, University of Maryland at Baltimore; Lieutenant Colonel, Army (Retired) As a child, I always knew I wanted to be in the medical profession but it was the experience watching nurses take care... Read More