Q&A 2nd trimester

I am 22 weeks pregnant and feel itchy and uncomfortable down there. I have never had vaginal thrush before, but I have a feeling this is it. What can I take to help, and what can I do to prevent it?

DR PETER KOLL ANSWERS: Thrush is extremely common in pregnancy. Changes occur in the vagina in pregnancy that make it more favourable for thrush to grow. Fortunately, it is confined to the vagina and does not endanger the baby in any way. It is also usually very easy to treat, but you may need to treat it more than once during your pregnancy. It is usually treated with a cream or pessary (a tablet that is inserted into the vagina). It can also be treated with an oral tablet.

It is important to realise that thrush has nothing to do with poor hygiene. In fact, the exact opposite is true. If you are overly fastidious about feminine hygiene, you may wash away all the good bacteria and thus increase the chance of getting thrush. If you are battling with thrush, you can help prevent it from recurring by wearing loose comfortable clothing and cotton underwear. Avoid sitting around in wet costumes, and don’t spend too much time in public hot tubs or jacuzzis. Don’t add any disinfectants to your bath, and avoid any irritants like bath salts, bubble baths and perfumed oils. Reducing intake of refined carbohydrates will also help. Your sugar levels will be checked during your pregnancy, but if thrush comes back again and again, a glucose tolerance test should be performed.