>I have a client who had a tough time resolving a yeast infection with her
>first baby.  She is pregnant again and has a yeast overgrowth.  She wants
>to avoid the carry-over into the post partum period.  She is 3 months into
>the pregnancy.  Do any of you have suggestions for effective, safe
treatments?

I would recommend a book called "The Yeast Connection" by Dr. Crook. I know
many people who have suffered from systemic candidiasis (had a friend who
had it on her fingers, hands, and arms!) who have been helped by going
through this program.   It involves cutting out sugars, yeast, and other
foods, and is pretty strict, but very effective.

My experience has been that, in some cases you can effectively treat vaginal
yeast vaginally (either pharmaceutically or naturally) but it works BEST if
you treat it systemically, since the yeast becomes overpopulated in the gut,
and then travels elsewhere.  If this has been a long term problem with her,
it may be more difficult to eradicate the yeast, so this program is more
likely to help than just treating her vaginally. I've found that most people
don't have to be on it forever, just long enough to get rid of the yeast,
recolonize the gut, and proceed from there. Then usually just a regular dose
of the probiotic (a broad spectrum "mix" of intestinal health friendly
bacteria including but not limited to acidophilus) is enough to keep things
in working order.

The very least she should do is cut sugar out of her diet as much as she
can, and supplement with a good, broad spectrum probiotic ("gut bugs" to
those of you at home).  Those two things will go far to reduce the amount of
yeast in her system, by altering the environment of the gut to one more
favorable to "good" bacteria, and less favorable to the yeast. This may be
enough to tip the scales, and help with the vaginal yeast problem.
(Anecdotally, I used to get yeast infections pretty constantly; I didn't go
on the whole program -- I don't have that much self control!-- but did cut
refined sugar out of my diet and supplemented with the probiotic and have
been "yeast free" since).

If you want more info, please feel free to contact me!

Vickie Miller
doula, aspiring midwife,
and mother of three