Braggs Apple Cider vinegar..is it safe ?

Vickers224

Hello! I'm trying to combat a nasty yeast infection. My doc won't prescribe meds until I'm 12 weeks. 5 days away! But I heard if you bathe in this Braggs apple cider vinegar it helps soathe and balance the ph out. It has something called "the mother" with good bacteria to help fight off infections but its unpasteurized. Has anyone used this before in pregnancy? Thanks 

dmbfan46835

I drank it for heartburn with DS. Didn't bathe in it but I would imagine it should be ok? It really helped with my HB too. Towards the end I would gag if I tasted a tum so it was my last resort. 

szwill86

I used it to gargle with when I had a cold/sore throat last week. My OB wasn't opposed to it. Bathing in it though, I have no idea...

Mango517

I would assume it's pretty safe despite being non-pasteurized. (Disclaimer that my medical knowledge comes from watching all 8 seasons of Scrubs) The Ph of vinegar is so low that I don't think anything can grow in/on it because it's so acidic.  I certainly wouldn't douche with it or apply it directly, (it will burn the shit out of you) but I can't see the harm in adding a cup or so to my bath.

It sounds like you're really suffering. I would push for getting the meds now so you can start asap. You're SO CLOSE to the end of the first trimester and your baby could be a couple of days ahead of where you think it is.

imwithbaby

I drink it everyday but I don't know about bathing. I know it's fine for bathing for non-pregnant/healthy people but I don't know if I would mess with it when you're pregnant and have a yeast infection. To actually heal the infection it would have to make its way inside your vagina in the bath, and I definitely wouldn't recommend that unless your doc ok's it. As for soothing, I would just use the soothing wipes or cold tucks pads.

thistle8677

I wondered the same thing @Knottie80654994.
I found this link directly from the company. Looks like the vinegar eliminates any risk for e.coli.
https://bragg.com/products/acvFAQ.html

dinofreak

I drink it all the time. I'd not bathe in it, it's too expensive where I live lol. 

ElleKH

Hello @Knottie80654994! I haven't introduced myself to the group just yet, as I've experienced a loss in the past and am a little hesitant to jump on board just yet. I was going to wait to start commenting until our 12 week screening, but you need help now, so I'll do my best to tell you what's worked for me.

I'm dealing with the very same problem at the moment and I'm so sorry that you're in the same boat! I honestly don't get yeast infections all that often, so I always forget how awful they are. But you're doing the right thing taking the apple cider vinegar route! That stuff's a cure-all and it has so many benefits for pregnant women! Pasteurized is probably your best bet since it's considered safer, although the heat supposedly kills off some important enzymes. People argue over which is better, but with pregnancy, better to be safe than sorry, right?

Have you tried drinking it? If you're not taking any medications, you can try it right away, but if you are, you'd better check with your doctor first to make sure it won't interfere with anything. First thing in the morning, before you have anything to eat, drink a glass of very cold water with 2 tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar mixed into it. It's a pretty nasty drink, but it has a ton of health benefits! The cold water helps mask the taste a bit. If you need something else to help improve the flavor, add a tablespoon of honey and squeeze some lemon juice into it. Mix together and drink with a straw. (ACV can be rough on the teeth; a straw helps bypass them.)

Doing this will help kill off the candida overgrowth in your gut, which is where the problem usually starts. I've been doing this for the past several days and it actually ended up curing my morning sickness! Who would've thought...

To help with itching, you can also mix some apple cider vinegar with warm water and put it in a little spray bottle. Keep that by the toilet and spray yourself off after going to the bathroom and whenever you feel you need to. Try to let it air dry a bit before putting your pants back on.

Because this spray method works, I bet a bath with ACV mixed in would work too! Like dinofreak said, it might be a bit pricey, so you may want to try non-iodized sea salt instead. Soak for 20 minutes. That's given me a couple hours of relief. 

There are several other things I've tried too, so let me know if you want to know about those. This post is already super long and I'm trying not to leave you a novel.  

Just one last thing... my doctor put me on the following (European) medication: natrii tetraboras decahydricus (600 mg). I'm at roughly the 9 or 10 week mark and this medication is considered safe for pregnant women over here, so you might want to ask if it's available where you are or if there is something equivalent. 

Edited to correct the name of medication.