Such a very unpleasant disease as thrush can occur at any age, but the manifestation of this ailment before childbirth gives a woman who is preparing to become a mother the most trouble and worry.
Therefore, it is necessary to know the causes, the conditions for early diagnosis and methods of controlling thrush in pregnant women.
Causes of occurrence
In what cases thrush may appear, not everyone knows. The main reason for the occurrence of this disease is hormonal changes in the woman’s body, to which he is exposed at the beginning of pregnancy or after childbirth during the first weeks of breastfeeding.
It should be noted that the occurrence of manifestations of thrush against the background of absent menstruation is one of the first signs of pregnancy.
A sharp jump in the body's production of the hormone progesterone, which is responsible for the second phase of the cycle during pregnancy or the bearing of a full-fledged fetus, contributes to the manifestation of thrush in the early stages.
A similar process takes place immediately before childbirth, when the level of produced progesterone begins to decline before the onset of labor.
One of the causes of candidiasis during pregnancy may be a weakening of the immune system.
Symptoms
To determine the presence of thrush, a visit to the doctor is not always required. In most cases, the disease can be detected independently. The manifestation of the disease is in the form of the occurrence of secretions from the vaginal area, which have a characteristic pale color.
Sometimes such discharge can go away without discomfort, but much more often they occur against a background of burning, severe itching and dry mucous membranes. In severe forms, these secretions may have a creamy or curdled form.
In some cases, thrush can go away on its own, but more often it requires specialist intervention. There are situations when candidiasis worries a woman throughout the entire period of pregnancy. In this case, the treatment procedures kill the fungus only for a while, then itching, burning and whitish discharge appear again.
In some cases, in the absence of anxiety from pathogens, specialists deliberately do not prescribe treatment, but resort to methods of dealing with the disease only before the planned birth. In a situation where the discharge of itching and burning is permanent, treatment is necessary.
Why is thrush dangerous?
The development of the inflammatory process can lead to leakage of amniotic fluid, which can also be mistaken as discharge in candidiasis.
Such leakage cannot be detected independently. To determine the presence of this deviation, even a doctor performs a series of special tests.
The danger of thrush immediately before childbirth is that the infection can be transmitted to the newborn. To exclude such a likelihood, a thorough examination and mandatory subsequent treatment are necessary.
If the mother notices in her newborn baby manifestations of candidiasis on the lips or in the oral cavity, expressed as white plaque or the presence of characteristic balls, treatment of the child should be immediately taken.
Prevention
Doctors unanimously say that the best treatment is prevention. If candidiasis manifests itself at the planning stage, first of all, you should first get rid of your own problems and only then engage in conceiving a child.
Preventive measures against the occurrence of thrush in a pregnant woman are no different from the usual methods that a woman who is not preparing to become a mother uses. Recommended actions include:
- Exclusion of the possibility of using synthetic underwear.
- The ban on the use of toilet soap during washing, replacing it with special products designed for intimate hygiene, with a neutral pH.
- Exclusion of ingestion of foreign substances and objects inside the vagina.
- The ban on the use of underwear such as thongs.
- It is forbidden to use any antibiotics without first consulting a specialist.
- Timely proceed to eliminate the problem and prevent the occurrence of chronic forms.
Women who had to give birth with candidiasis unanimously argue that it is much easier to treat the disease before giving birth than to do it after the birth of the baby.
How to treat thrush?
If there is a thrush before childbirth, not everyone knows how to treat the disease. Before therapy, a pregnant woman needs to perform a series of tests, as a result of which it is possible to identify a predisposition to medicinal products and only after that proceed with the prescription of medicines. It is this approach that will eliminate any harm to the health of the mother and her future baby.
As a rule, in order to treat candidiasis, pregnant women are prescribed the following drugs:
- "Clotrimazole";
- Polygynax;
- Terzhinan;
- Livarol
- Betadine
- Ginofort;
- Pimafucin;
- “Candinorm”;
- Hexicon.
These same drugs can be successfully used on the eve of childbirth.
After the first 12 weeks of pregnancy against the symptoms of thrush, the attending physician can prescribe suppositories for thrush before delivery "Nystatin". After 39 weeks, the use of stronger drugs, such as Cyclopirox, Clotrimazole, Miconazole, is acceptable.
For a period of 1 to 26 weeks, you should not use Livarol, Macmirror, Mikozhinaks, Zalain, Betadine and Clotrimazole. In the third trimester, the use of such drugs as Pimafucin, Zalain, Terzhinan, Ginofort is acceptable.
Most often, pregnant women are prescribed topical drugs. It does not depend on the duration of pregnancy. In no case should you try to recover from the disease yourself. Self-douching can lead to the further spread of infection to the uterus.
Immediately before the start of childbirth, it is necessary to carry out the vaginal sanitation procedure using special drugs that minimize the activity of microflora. This procedure is carried out in order to exclude the likelihood of infection of the unborn child.
Traditional medicine methods
For the treatment of thrush before childbirth, according to reviews, the use of alternative medicine methods is allowed. However, before proceeding to get rid of the ailment with the help of these techniques, it is necessary to consult with the attending physician who will choose the most effective method.
What is recommended?
Not everyone knows what to do with thrush before childbirth. It must be remembered that during pregnancy it is strictly forbidden to douche the vagina with solutions, but 1-2 washings per day are allowed using the following alternative methods:
- Chamomile flowers should be placed in an enameled pan, pour 1 liter of boiling water, cover, then put on fire and bring to a boil. Strain the broth cooled to room temperature.
- Chamomile and calendula in equal proportions should be placed in an enameled pan, add 1 liter of boiling water, bring to a boil over low heat, then cool and strain.
- Biokefirs with low fat content will allow lactobacilli to multiply freely, as a result of which the vagina will be reliably protected from pathogenic microorganisms.
The practical application of any of these methods is unacceptable without consulting a gynecologist. Otherwise, there is a high degree of risk to the health of the mother and the unborn child.
Diet
During the fight against thrush, a woman should not only take medications, but also arrange proper healthy nutrition. At this time, the presence of:
- Sweets and honey.
- Sahara.
- Flour as well as bakery products.
- Bananas.
Since all these products are rich in carbohydrates, they are an ideal breeding ground for the emergence and reproduction of the fungus.
During the treatment period, you need to take more protein foods. Regarding the use of vitamins, it is better to consult with your doctor.
Conclusion
The future mother should monitor both her and the health of the unborn child. You should not try to cure the disease yourself, as this is fraught with the emergence of a number of new problems and complications. It is better to seek the help of a qualified specialist who will find the most effective way to deal with an existing ailment.
It must be remembered that only the timely detection of thrush will provide the fastest way out of this ailment and completely eliminate the likelihood of a negative effect on the unborn child.