Yeast infections during pregnancy (vulvovaginal candidiasis)

By trimester

Weeks 1–13

1st trimester

Hormone changes early in pregnancy are already enough to raise your risk of a yeast infection, so it's common and not a sign anything is wrong. If you get one now, a topical cream or suppository used for the full week is the standard approach. The oral yeast infection pill is set aside in the first trimester especially, since higher doses have been linked to a distinct pattern of birth defects while your baby's major organs are forming.

Weeks 14–27

2nd trimester

Yeast infections can still flare or come back in the second trimester since the hormone shift behind them doesn't let up. If they keep coming back, it's worth mentioning at your next visit, since recurrent yeast infections are also linked to diabetes. The full topical course stays the go-to option now, the same as any other trimester.

Weeks 28–birth

3rd trimester

Third-trimester yeast infections are common too and don't need to complicate your delivery plans. Stick with the same full topical course, and let your provider know if anything feels different from a typical infection, like unusual discharge or odor, so it can be checked rather than assumed. There's no added reason to reach for the oral pill this late, since the topical option remains the only one recommended for pregnancy at any stage.

What does the evidence show for yeast infections?

• Pregnancy hormone changes raise your risk of a yeast infection on their own, and antibiotics, diabetes, or a weakened immune system can push that risk even higher. 1
• Yeast infections show up often during pregnancy, and a topical cream or suppository used for a full 7 days is the only option recommended for pregnant women, not the oral pill. 2
• In a large study, women who took the oral yeast infection pill had a higher miscarriage rate than women who used a topical option instead. 3
• One accidental low dose of the oral pill hasn't been clearly tied to a higher chance of miscarriage or birth defects, but repeated or high doses have, which is why providers don't take chances with it. 4
• Topical creams and suppositories for yeast infections barely get absorbed into your bloodstream, which is the main reason they're considered the safer choice during pregnancy. 5
• Typical yeast infection discharge is thick, white, and curd-like with burning, itching, and pain during intercourse or urination, while foul-smelling thin discharge points toward bacterial vaginosis and yellow-to-green frothy discharge points toward trichomoniasis, and vaginitis cannot be reliably identified by phone or appearance alone. 6

When should I call my provider about yeast infections?

Typical yeast infection discharge is thick, white, and curd-like, without a strong odor. Discharge that is yellow, green, or gray, or that has a foul or fishy smell, points toward a different infection such as bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis rather than yeast, and is worth having examined rather than managed with an over-the-counter yeast product. Since vaginal infections cannot be told apart reliably by appearance alone, new symptoms that do not fit the classic itchy, thick-discharge pattern, or that do not improve after a full course of topical medication, deserve an in-person look from your provider. None of these lists replace your own judgment: if this symptom worries you, that on its own is enough reason to check in with your healthcare provider.