Some people do seem to be particularly prone to thrush, and pregnancy is known to make thrush infection more likely.
Thrush infection is caused by yeasts which live on the skin, and in the mouth, gut, and vagina, usually without causing problems. These yeasts are kept under control by bacteria, and the body’s immune system. Certain conditions, such as taking antibiotics, upset the normal balance, allowing yeasts to overgrow, and resulting in thrush. Itching, soreness, thick white discharge, and stinging when passing urine are typical symptoms. However, the only way to be sure that these symptoms are due to thrush, and not to another infection, is to see your GP for a vaginal examination and for swabs to be taken for analysis.
Treatment for thrush consists of keeping the body cool and dry as far as possible (yeasts favour warm, moist conditions), avoiding soaps and bubble baths, avoiding scratching or rubbing and intercourse, and using anti-fungal medication. It is safe to use Canesten cream and pessaries during pregnancy, but the stronger oral treatments such as Diflucan should not be used. If you are worried about using pessaries with an applicator in pregnancy then you can insert the pessaries with your fingers rather than with the applicator. It is not unusual for symptoms not to ease using the cream, but a pessary such as that in Canesten Combi is very likely to get rid of the problem. If after using pessaries your symptoms do not settle, I would recommend strongly that you see your GP for an examination.
If a woman has vaginal thrush infection when she delivers, then there is a risk that the baby will develop thrush infection. For this reason, pregnant women with thrush infection are treated with antifungal medication. However, thrush infection in a newborn baby is very unlikely to be a major problem, and in most cases is easily treated.