Treating Candida [Yeast] While Pregnant [or Nursing]

[Mrs. JDT]

Hello. I am 32 weeks pregnant and am struggling with a terrible yeast infection. I have taken two courses of antibiotics during this pregnancy and I'm sure this is the cause of it all. I also struggled with candida before I was pregnant. I have read in Shonda Parker's book Naturally Healthy Pregnancy  that Nutrition Now's Yeast Defense is okay to take, but it has Pau D Arco and Caprylic Acid in it, which I thought were unsafe during pregnancy. I am taking a probiotic and trying to stay away from sugar . I was also wondering if a full blown yeast free diet is safe to adhere to while pregnant. No fruit, no dairy (lactose factor), no cheese (mold factor), nothing fermented or with yeast in it, no white flour or white pasta (no big deal). I'm wondering if this diet will be too restrictive for my baby to grow. Any suggestions on how to knock this yeast out before I deliver would be appreciated.

[a_new_creation]

I am 20 weeks pg and have been taking a probiotic and a supplement called Candex.  It is just digestive enzymes so should be totally safe for baby.  It basically eats the yeast and they can't mutate to protect themselves.  It should not give a die-off reaction either.  I have had very good results w/ this product.  As for the dairy thing, I agree there is enough lactose in milk (we drink raw) to make a difference in your fight w/ the yeast.  I have to limit myself to 1 tall glass a day (w/ extra cream!) or I see a flare-up.  You should be able to drink kefir w/o problems as the kefir bacteria eat all the lactose themselves so you still get good calcium plus a double whammy of probiotics!  I would do homemade kefir if possible.  Seems like the stuff in the store has junk in it not to mention being expensive.

[SC]

I know it sounds crazy, but have you considered using kefir and/or yogurt as an application? I'm not talking about eating it.

I would take a 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon water solution and use a portion of that to cleanse the area gently. Just set the container of yogurt/kefir in a warm water bath so that it won't be so cold and apply to the affected area. It should prove beneficial and soothing. I would apply just before bed and upon waking.

Hope you feel better soon. I'm sorry you are so uncomfortable.

[yasmine]

Hi!
 I had a very bad time with yeast infection the last half of my 4th  pregnancy. I drank a cup of raw goat milk 4-5 times a week, also goat yogurt almost every day..Bad Idea. The key for me is that I was in such discomfort that the only way I could have stopped it , And it would have worked, was no yogurt no dairy no nothin whiteHahhA.
If I were you I would stop all dairy including yogurt, even goat anything. I tried every remedy in the book! vineger, ow, you name it I did it, and sometimes it would subside a day or two but that was if I skipped all dairy for a day or two, it was torture.
Take advice from someone who;s been there, Eat more organic meat and greens, forget the dairy, any dairy. Why?

 
here goes... My baby was beautiful, soon after birth he developed baby excema, and everyone said it will go away like my other three. Never left..till I stopped all dairy and eggs. You see, my midwife was right,  yogurt, no matter how good for me is dairy and if you've got yeast probs, you someimes cannot handle it, therefore by baby got a systemic yeast prob after being delivered wich is what my midwife warned me may happen . I kept buying those monistat 7 things at the drug store and couldnt bring myself to use them. Well I should have doen somthing, My babe is a okay now. It took 3-4 months after forgoing and dairy for the rash to disappear. But if I had to do it again I woud stop all dairy, take threelac and then asher would have not had the rash all over his face and abdomen for 4 months. it was not pretty.I feel for  you!! please for your own piece of mind  take into consideration what Ive told you.God bless you and your growing baby.

Ps, I take threelac because Its the first thing I found that seems to be killing off my yeast, no more yeast infection, and no more itching palms and feet YAY

[Mrs. JDT]

wow. thank you so much yasmine. Did your baby get that rash because you had a yeast infection at the time of delivery...and  when he went thru the birth canal he got it?
I have tried the Monistat, but if i don't stayon a strcit no sugar diet, it just comes back. Can I take threelac while pregnant?

[Mrs. JDT]

And thank you to every one else who posted. I love hearing different things to try in these situations!

[SC]

for me . . . .is that . . .the only way I could have stopped it . . . .was no yogurt no dairy no nothin whiteHahhA.
If I were you I would stop all dairy including yogurt, even goat anything. I tried every remedy in the book! vineger, ow, you name it I did it, and sometimes it would subside a day or two but that was if I skipped all dairy for a day or two, it was torture.
Take advice from someone who;s been there, Eat more organic meat and greens, forget the dairy, any dairy.

I should have taken the time to give my reasons for using a VERY DILUTED vinegar rinse followed by kefir and yogurt application. This is NOT eating yogurt and kefir but actually inserting it into the area.

Vinegar’s acidic nature slows down the growth of harmful bacteria and acts as a cleanser for the irritated skin. The vinegar's action helps to set the stage for the beneficial bacteria to take hold and populate the area, restoring the proper balance of yeast.

Regarding the yogurt and goat's milk, I can understand your reaction. Anything with lactose feeds bacteria. The goat's milk would have exacerbated the problem by feeding the yeast. If you used anything but plain, organic yogurt, you were just eating sugar that fed the yeast as well. So, to clarify, you must use PLAIN ORGANIC yogurt. That stuff with fruit, sugar, honey, etc. is just a yeast feast.

By definition, yogurt is a garden that has begun to sprout beneficial bacteria. The probiotics are feeding off of the milk. That is what changed the composition and taste of the milk product.

When yeast has overgrown an area in the body, think of it as a garden overcome with weeds. You must first get rid of the weeds. THEN you must plant something beneficial to keep the weeds at bay, or at least manageable. If you go in with something too harsh (like many antibiotics), you just kill off everything but the hardiest bacteria (the bad ones). This gives them an area cleared of the competition to multiply and take over again.

By first cleansing the area with a VERY DILUTED vinegar solution, you correct the PH balance and slow down the growth of the yeast. By flooding the area with PLAIN, ORGANIC yogurt and kefir, you are "planting" the beneficial bacteria AND supplying them with the food they need to grow and populate the area, keeping the yeast at bay.

Of course, you will have to decide what course is best for you. This is just information.

[Mrs. JDT]

how long do you leave the yougurt on? do you sit in an empty tub while it is working?

[healthybratt]

here goes... My baby was beautiful, soon after birth he developed baby excema, and everyone said it will go away like my other three. Never left..till I stopped all dairy and eggs. You see, my midwife was right,  yogurt, no matter how good for me is dairy and if you've got yeast probs, you someimes cannot handle it, therefore by baby got a systemic yeast prob after being delivered wich is what my midwife warned me may happen .

I would guess that you've had antibiotics at some time in your life.  This would explain your yeast problem.  This also means you don't have any bacteria in your intestinal lining.  These control the growth of candida, but they also produce lactic acid which helps you to digest dairy products more efficiently.  Raw milk is better than pasteurized for the same reason.  It contains the same bacteria which help you to digest the milk and they are not present in heated milk.

Lactic Acid Bacteria

The bacteria found in plain, unsweetened yogurt and kefir will also eat candida.  These bacteria also live on sugar as does yeast, so they will digest the sugars in the milk before you even eat them, so if your symptoms increased from eating it, there must have been something else causing the problem.  Maybe you were eating uber sweetened yogurt (flavored) or maybe your cravings of regular sugar picked up in conjunction with your treatments as a defense mechanisim of the candida.

One other thought, if your candida is advanced enough, you could have leaky gut syndrome which can in turn cause an intolerance to dairy and other foods as well.  This is very common and can be treated or even reversed, but consider it does not effect everyone.

Hope this helps.

~hb

[Ruby]

Yasmine,
You mentioned you take three-lac.  Can you take that while you're pregnant?  I've been wondering if I have some type of yeast problem, but we're trying to have another baby and I didn't want to take the Yeast Assassin because of this.  I thought I would just start taking the Tummy Tune Up and see if that helped, but I guess I might need something to kill off the yeast too.  Any ideas ayone?  Thanks.

[SC]

how long do you leave the yougurt on? do you sit in an empty tub while it is working?

Okay, all of you men, go somewhere else while I explain this.

Insert the kefir or yogurt and just leave it there to do its work. Wear a pad if you need to. Any leakage will just coat all of your feminine area and help with any exterior irritation that may be present. It isn't as bad as the creams you purchase over the counter. You don't want to "clean it out" because you want the good bacteria to take hold and start to grow. I would do this at night before bedtime and the next morning upon rising.

[Mrs. JDT]

Would I use a plastic applicator like the ones that comes in a Monistat box to insert the yougurt into the vaginal canal? And if so, where would I buy such a thing?

[healthybratt]

Would I use a plastic applicator like the ones that comes in a Monistat box to insert the yogurt into the vaginal canal? And if so, where would I buy such a thing?

You could use a douche bag or hot water bottle with attachment or I've even reused an empty disposable douche bottle.  I just cut the hole bigger to refill it (thrifty me)  .

[Mrs. JDT]

does anyone know if Threelac is safe to take during pregnancy?

[yasmine]

yes My midwife warned me that if I had the infection during delivery the baby may get  a systemic yeast infection,. Although it is not life threatening it is so not neccesary if you can prevent it with your diet until after delivery and then take care of it then. For me it was dairy, if it is sugar for you, dont have ANY!!!!!!!!

Yes if I could do it again, I would take the threelac, but i have researched it and feel comfy>>
I even give  a 1/4 of the packet a day to the baby when I take it.I hope you find relief soon!

[yasmine]

I have never really liked sweets nor did I consume them. I have only consumed raw goat milk in the past 20 years, and goat yogurt, all home-made.  Sugar is not the culprit at all, it is the dairy in the yogurt. Also , I did have antibiotics  once when I was little and once 8 years ago. But I took acidophilus after and have NEVER had this prob.
  I , to take care of a heath problem , adapted to a raw vegan diet for almost 5 years and I only consumed raw fruit, vegies, and nuts. Also A TON of carrot vegetable juices. It did take care of my migranes and I also did alot of cleasing wich I attribute MY candida to, since I may not have populated my intestines enough after the whole ordeal. The dairy in the yogurt was the direct cause to my yeast infection, Yes yogurt and kefir is great , but had I not consumed it during my preg, I would not have had this happen. I used every treatment in shonda Parkers book to no avail, I just would not give up the yogurt, HAHA.



p.s.Take coconut oil, this is full of caprylic acid and kills yeast!!!!! VERY VERY GOOD for you

[yasmine]

for me . . . .is that . . .the only way I could have stopped it . . . .was no yogurt no dairy no nothin whiteHahhA.
If I were you I would stop all dairy including yogurt, even goat anything. I tried every remedy in the book! vineger, ow, you name it I did it, and sometimes it would subside a day or two but that was if I skipped all dairy for a day or two, it was torture.
Take advice from someone who;s been there, Eat more organic meat and greens, forget the dairy, any dairy.

I should have taken the time to give my reasons for using a VERY DILUTED vinegar rinse followed by kefir and yogurt application. This is NOT eating yogurt and kefir put actually inserting it into the area.

Vinegar’s acidic nature slows down the growth of harmful bacteria and acts as a cleanser for the irritated skin. The vinegar's action helps to set the stage for the beneficial bacteria to take hold and populate the area, restoring the proper balance of yeast.

Regarding the yogurt and goat's milk, I can understand your reaction. Anything with lactose feeds bacteria. The goat's milk would have exacerbated the problem by feeding the yeast. If you used anything but plain, organic yogurt, you were just eating sugar that fed the yeast as well. So, to clarify, you must use PLAIN ORGANIC yogurt. That stuff with fruit, sugar, honey, etc. is just a yeast feast.

By definition, yogurt is a garden that has begun to sprout beneficial bacteria. The probiotics are feeding off of the milk. That is what changed the composition and taste of the milk product.

When yeast has overgrown an area in the body, think of it as a garden overcome with weeds. You must first get rid of the weeds. THEN you must plant something beneficial to keep the weeds at bay, or at least manageable. If you go in with something too harsh (like many antibiotics), you just kill off everything but the hardiest bacteria (the bad ones). This gives them an area cleared of the competition to multiply and take over again.

By first cleansing the area with a VERY DILUTED vinegar solution, you correct the PH balance and slow down the growth of the yeast. By flooding the area with PLAIN, ORGANIC yogurt and kefir, you are "planting" the beneficial bacteria AND supplying them with the food they need to grow and populate the area, keeping the yeast at bay.

Of course, you will have to decide what course is best for you. This is just information.

you see although the douches are helpful, I believe that treating the direct problem is better than treating a symptom. It is more important to stop consuming what is causing the problem, and kill the yeast internally rather than getting temporary relief . That is why I would restrict myself sugar and or dairy , whatever the culprit and during that time kill off the yeast.

[healthybratt]

Sugar is not the culprit at all, it is the dairy in the yogurt.

I tried to find some info that might lend some creedence to this and couldn't find any. 
According to my research, the only dairy products that may contribute to candida overgrowth are those that do not contain live cultures.  Any dairy products that do contain live bacteria do not have sugar because the cultures have already consumed it before you eat the yogurt/kefir or whatever.  Milk and other dairy products are to be avoided during a yeast infection only when they contain lactose (milk sugar) because this will feed the yeast in the same way it feeds the bacteria.

If your symptoms worsened while eating yogurt, then I would think that it was a die-off reaction.  This is an increase in symptoms while the yeast is dying.  This is caused by the toxins released when the yeast dies.  Normally, probiotics and yogurt wouldn't cause die-off because they eat the yeast instead of killing it, but if you decreased your sugar dramatically while eating the yogurt, you could have experienced some detox from this.

If die-off is not the issue, then I would try to closely examine the rest of my diet while I was eating yogurt.  I would bet money that you were eating something else, or possibly using some hygeine products that may have contributed as well.  Scents, detergents and I even noticed that some of the "super dry" sanitary pads can contribute to yeast as well.

I've struggled with yeast infections off and on for many years and I can tell you for absolute certain that yogurt consumption never caused any of mine.

[yasmine]

nope, there could be nothing else, you see , when I am pregnant , I dont eat any sugar , and the only other thing I was having from time to time was rasberry leaf tea.wHEN i GET PREGNANT, iM KINDA WIERD, I get excited and I focus a lot on eating as healthy as I can, when I was raw I would not touch cooked foods, like a wierdo. But I make sure that I'm eating the best I know how, and i do not falter at all and cheat! I like the excitement that the baby in my tummy is growing and everything I put in is helping to feed me and in turn my baby.And by all means no sugar. Wait when I want tea I put in a bit of honey but I had no tea with that yeast infection.
    I had yogurt twice a day with garlic in it too sometimes! Yes I understand you may think it was a die off but not for more than half of my pregnancy. from my understanding , candida feeds off of dairy. In a few of the books I've read  a candida killing diet has no dairy in it, except yogurt if the individual can tolerate it. The diet is usually meat, vegetables, rice and I think thats the basics, mabey a few more things.   Actually , everyone I have ever discussed candida with , chiropractors midwives, just people in passing through the past few years have never told me that dairy is good to eat if your trying to starve candida.  Im not really that well learned on the subject except as a layman , and all Ivedone is read books on it , but for me there was nothing else except the raw goat milk and the yogurt,

 Let me see what I ate ,... rice, tuna, salads, no sugar.. See thats not a temptation for me; sugar. oh and I ate goat cheese once and a while from scratch.. NO fruit even.. for the reason that I was trying not to contribute to this nasty yeast infection that I could not get rid of as I guzzeled my yummy, seasalted , sour homeade!.. goat yogurt!!
 Actually who knows mabey Im wrong but I can tell you for a fact, it is  and was not sugar
and I hardly ate bread! HAHA I was just craving that yogurt and any goat milk I COULD GET.


I think that is what happens with candida overgrowth any way, is it not? you crave was makes you ill or what is feeding the candida anyway..? oh and I was not using any hygein products at all except a shower with natural soap. I do not wear perfume either and of course no pads even went without underwear, yuck. Oh and the other thing is when I ate my yogurt and a bit of time went by my palms and soles of my feet would itch. wierd huh!

interesting huh..!

[mrsnoah]

My SIL is 14 weeks per. and is having some really weird stuff happening. Sh has had thyroid cancer and radiation for that also her gall bladder has been removed and during that surgery they sniped a tube to her liver and she has had a couple surgerys to correct that. Now she is having bad intertinal pain and dihareah and she says she can here stuff exploding in there and she just crys and crys it hurts so bad. Any ideas anyone. I thought maybe Tummy Tune up would help, but what else?
-Mary

[healthybratt]

Actually who knows mabey Im wrong but I can tell you for a fact, it is  and was not sugar
and I hardly ate bread! HAHA I was just craving that yogurt and any goat milk I COULD GET.

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't raw goats milk contain milk sugar just like cow's milk? 

[jaemom]

Is it safe to follow a yeast and sugar free diet while pregnant?  I wanted to start Yeast Assassin, but found out I'm expecting.  I know I have yeast problems, and I'm overweight.  I was considering following the Maker's Diet, taking TTU and Supermom (starting with 1/2 a pill a day), and doing the Water Cure.  Is this too much for a beginner?  Maybe I should just follow the 2nd or 3rd phase of the Diet instead of doing the complete elimination phase?

[sarajane]

Is it safe to follow a yeast and sugar free diet while pregnant?

I don't know how good it would be to not eat fruit. I do know that by simply eliminating yeast bread and refined sugar I have helped myself out a lot. I still eat fruit but not a ton. I still have breads like tortillas, biscuits, and corn bread when I do eat bread. I also eat yogurt.

I did this for two reasons, I don't want to get huge again! And I have a bad yeast infection that has greatly improved thankfully. I apply apple cider vinegar (I don't dilute it but you should at first to see if it burns! It just doesn't bother me for some reason) I also apply plain yogurt. Oh, and I douche with a mixture of Grapefruit Seed Extract and water. Mine came with instructions.

My body was also used to a regular intake of Stevia Leaf which supposedly helps prevent the overgrowth of yeast. I got the infection shortly after we stopped using it as a sweetner. =/

[knitting another]

I have a question about Yeast Assassin.  I just received the flyer from Beeyoutiful and I was reading about yeast assassin's ingredients.  I am wondering if it is not recommended for pregnant women due to the fact it has black walnut and Pau D'Arco in it?  I've researched these two ingredients in the three herb books I have (Nutritional Herbology; the how to herb book; prescription for nutritional healing) None of these books say not to take these ingredients while pregnant (they do, however, mention other herbs that are not okay to take while pregnant.) I spoke to someone today and found out the Caprylic Acid is just a fatty acid so that should be safe. I'm looking for the best and SAFE way to get rid of this yeast infection.   

[healthybratt]

I'm looking for the best and SAFE way to get rid of this yeast infection.   

If you mean a vaginal yeast infection then you should read this thread.
Vaginal Yeast:  Symptoms & Cures

[StephTallent]

I have a question about Yeast Assassin.  I just received the flyer from Beeyoutiful and I was reading about yeast assassin's ingredients.  I am wondering if it is not recommended for pregnant women due to the fact it has black walnut and Pau D'Arco in it?  I've researched these two ingredients in the three herb books I have (Nutritional Herbology; the how to herb book; prescription for nutritional healing) None of these books say not to take these ingredients while pregnant (they do, however, mention other herbs that are not okay to take while pregnant.)

I recently did some quick research on Black WalNut and Pau D'Arco.  I found some interesting uses cited (mostly in other countries) that were confirmation to me why you should NOT take Yeast Assassin if you are pregnant or nursing.  Black Walnut is used to decrease milk supply in women who are weaning.  Not something to take if you are nursing full time and working to keep up a full supply! Pau D'Arco has also been used in some cultures (probably in higher amounts than found in Yeast Assasin though) to trigger miscarriages in unwanted pregnancies.  There were many sources that advised against their use in pregnancy/nursing but those were the only two concrete reasons I was able to find.           

[ForeverGirl]

Things you can do to knock out yeast while pregnant or nursing:

Stop eating sugars and yeasts.

Eat yogurt and kefir.

Take a good probiotic.

Eat a clove of garlic once or twice a day.

Drink Aloe juice/gel.

[Mrs. JDT]

Beeyoutiful Girl,
when you say to stop eating sugars, does that include fresh fruits too? I know that fruit juices or dried fruits are out becasue they are WAY high in sugar, but I wonder about whole fruits, like an apple? Thanks for the compact, but very helpful list on how to knock out yeast while pregnant. 

[healthybratt]

Beeyoutiful Girl,
when you say to stop eating sugars, does that include fresh fruits too? I know that fruit juices or dried fruits are out becasue they are WAY high in sugar, but I wonder about whole fruits, like an apple? Thanks for the compact, but very helpful list on how to knock out yeast while pregnant. 

I'm not BeeyoutifulGirl, but I'll try to help.  Fruits contain lots of sugars and yeast do not discriminate between healthy and unhealthy sugars.  They will eat and thrive on both.  If fighting yeast, you need to cut out your sugars completely wherever possible.  There is a thread on diet somewhere on here that has helpful hints on how to do this.  I found it.  My post on this is in the LGS thread.  CLICK HERE.

[julie]

I wondered about this as well. I used a cotton ball, soaked it in kefir and placed it inside for a couple of hours and I haven't had a problem in that area since.  My problem though seems to be that it is starting to effect my breasts now that I'm going to be nursing a baby again.  One of my earlier children developed thrush and I have sort of had an on again off again problem with itchiness on my breasts since then and can't get rid of it. Any suggestions for that area?