Vaginal Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

Overview

If you are pregnant and have vaginal infection symptoms, see your doctor. Do not use over-the-counter yeast infection medicine unless you discuss it with your doctor first. Your symptoms could be caused by another problem that will need different treatment, such as bacterial vaginosis or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Your doctor can help find out what is causing your symptoms.

To treat a vaginal yeast infection during pregnancy, experts recommend:^{footnote 1}

• Vaginal medicines should be used for yeast infection treatment instead of pills. These may be vaginal creams or suppositories.
• Only certain medicines should be used. Non-prescription medicines include clotrimazole (such as Canesten), miconazole (such as Monistat), and terconazole.
• Treatment should be used for 7 days. (It can take longer than usual to cure a yeast infection during pregnancy.)

Vaginal yeast infections are a common problem during pregnancy. They may be caused by high estrogen levels. These infections aren't a risk to the pregnancy. But they can cause uncomfortable symptoms.