Yeast infection during pregnancy: Over-the-counter treatment OK?

Answer Section

You can safely treat a yeast infection during pregnancy with antifungal vaginal creams or suppositories. You can get these medicines without a prescription. But it's best to check with your healthcare professional to make sure that your symptoms are due to a yeast infection before starting treatment.

Yeast infections are common during pregnancy because hormone changes can upset the pH balance of the vagina. Common yeast infection symptoms include vaginal itching and a white, thick discharge that looks like cottage cheese.

Medicines for treating yeast infections that you can get without a prescription come in the form of creams, ointments and suppositories. They include:

• Clotrimazole (Mycelex, Lotrimin AF).
• Miconazole (Monistat 3).

These products can be used anytime during pregnancy. They don't cause birth defects or other pregnancy complications. For best results, choose a seven-day formula.

Healthcare professionals suggest that these medicines are better than medicines taken by mouth, also called oral medicines, during pregnancy. There's a possible link between oral medicines for yeast infection and miscarriage or birth defects.

Also, don 't take some common prescription antifungals during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. These include fluconazole (Diflucan). If you see a healthcare professional to treat your yeast infection early in your pregnancy, make sure to say that you think you're pregnant.