complete guide to swaying and yeast infections
Update 12-26-17
Whether you're swaying blue or swaying pink, yeast infection is an issue for all of us to be aware of.
There is a little yeast fungus living in your vagina all the time, but it's usually held in check by good microorganisms that live in there. Whenever the environment changes (either more acidic OR more alkaline), that kills off some of these friendly critters, and if your diet at that time is yeast friendly, this gives food for the yeast to grow. Since there's less competition for the yeast organisms because of the changes in pH, they overgrow and that's when you get a YI.
To help prevent this from happening, you may want to include acidophilus/probiotics as a part of your TTC plan (BUT please note, we have found probiotics to sway quite strongly blue and no longer use them as a pink sway tactic!!!). This will provide more competition for the yeast and make it less likely they will overgrow. But you cannot use probiotics as a cure for YI, only as a preventative. Once you have an active infection, it's too late for probiotics to help because they will actually have to grow in your intestines and come out in feces and then spread to your vagina and set up shop there (I know, right?? EWWW!) This process takes time and once you're miserable with symptoms you aren't going to want to wait for this to happen!
If swaying blue, garlic is an excellent addition to your TTC plan. Garlic is antimicrobial and in addition to killing off yeast, it also helps your blue sway by raising your testosterone levels and raising pH. It may even help make you healthier overall by eliminating bacterial infections throughout your body that you may not even have known your immune system was fighting...and healthy women have more sons!! Fresh garlic is much more effective than garlic pills. Pink swayers, you can eat garlic, of course, but it is rumored to sway blue.
Another preventative is occasionally inserting some unsweetened, plain flavor active culture yogurt into the vagina. It doesn't take much, just a spoonful now and then. Eating yogurt is not a good way to prevent yeast infections, not only for the same reasons why taking probiotics is not a good way to cure them, but also because most of the beneficial microbes in yogurt are killed by stomach acid. Eating yogurt is great for the upper digestive tract and breathing passages but is not a cure or preventative for vaginal yeast, unfortunately.
The best cure for YI is prevention. For all swayers - Make sure everything is very, very clean. Sanitize your equipment with boiling water before you use it (be sure to let it cool to room temperature, you don't need to use the equipment when it's still hot!!).
Be sure to keep your undergarments scrupulously clean. Even if you have to change panties 2 or 3 times a day. This is especially important if you're trying to increase your EWCM as part of a blue sway. More secretions = more moisture, and moisture helps these organisms to grow. Do not wear thong underwear and at night, you may want to sleep without wearing underwear at all.
If this is an ongoing issue for you, do not eat a lot of sugar and bread, this feeds the yeast organisms.
You can treat a yeast infection either with an OTC medication or by applying plain yogurt, the kind with natural cultures in it. Surprisingly, the yogurt works just as well as the cream does, for many people (and it can also be a good preventative measure as mentioned above). If you've just ovulated, you should have enough time to treat your symptoms and still try again the next month, but if you get the infection in the two weeks prior to ovulation, you may want to skip TTC that month and try again the next month. The good news is, after ovulation is the most likely time to get one. The even better news is, getting your period is also a great cure for them for most people.
Yeast infection isn't dangerous at all, most women get them once in a while. You can still try and conceive with a yeast infection, they will not harm your baby. The only thing to be aware of is a UTI (urinary tract infection), that is when organisms begin to live in your urethra and bladder. If this were to happen you would have a lot of burning and feeling like you had to pee a lot. Drinking a lot of water and cranberry juice (allegedly good for ttc pink anyway) can help to prevent UTIs, as can drinking lots of water and eating fresh garlic (good for ttc blue).
If you do get a UTI, your doctor can give you medicine that will cure it. You should stop swaying while you use the medication because it can affect your sway in unpredictable ways.
Yeast is not bacteria, it is a fungus. If you have a bacterial infection, that is a different thing entirely and you need to see a doctor right away for antibiotics (note - antibiotics sway blue.) Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis are similar to a yeast infection, but with a greenish or grayish discharge, and a very, very strong and foul odor coming from the vaginal area. Some people can have bacterial vaginosis without having any itching or burning, so if you notice any discharge or odor that is worrying, see a doctor right away.
Yeast actually do create an acidic by-product as part of their life cycle, and some people actually speculate that they WANT a yeast infection because they think it will sway pink. But the problem is that it is too variable to rely on for swaying...your body wants to get rid of the yeast and so it raises its pH as a result, trying to eradicate the infection.
IN a nutshell, higher pH does not cause YI, lower pH does not cause YI, CHANGES in pH cause YI. You need to treat the yeast before continuing to sway.