I am so worried I am 8 weeks pregnant and just sussed out I have candida. It is mainly in my throat and I feel ill mainly, tired all the time hangoverish in morning headaches.Aches and pains. I was diagnosed with M.E a few years ago but having done some research I am sure I have candida. I am so worried what effect this will have on my baby. I would love to hear from anyone who has suffered with this for ages and gone on to have a healthy baby. Can anyone reassure me ???????? I have started the diet.

Hi Lisa,

I got Candida when I was 19, soon after that I found out I was pregnant. I had my daughter a year later and then 2 years after that had my son. (my candida was not diagnosed at this time and wasn't for several more years)

Both were born healthy and are healthy children. I did not have visible signs of candida though, just all the symptoms.

I had the hangover feeling in the mornings as well until my ND told me I was dehydrated. I'm not an overly thirsty person but now that I make sure I stay hydrated my headaches are gone. I especially like electrolyte enhanced waters.

Do you have an ND? On top of the candida you should have an ND do an ASI test on your adrenals. These things can go hand in hand.

Congrats on your little bundle!!! How exciting!

Hi Lisa and welcome to the forum!

Our moderator, Tarilee, will be back on tuesday to post a response and give you the welcome links...

I can't speak for having a baby, but I do know that I got myself well from this step by step with this diet and antifungal program. I don't know where you are candida-fighting wise, but perhaps you could begin by changing things in your diet as outlined in the diet section here...

http://www.wholeapproach.com/diet/

That would almost certainly benefit both your health and that of your baby. I also think that capryol is safe during pregnancy, but I would wait to hear back from Tarilee on that before considering it.

Please take good care and congratulations on your pregnancy!!

Ashley

Hi Lisa,

Welcome!

It's possible to gently find your way to better health while pregnant. There is a wee post about this in the protocol section of our site.

You can make sure your pregnancy and birth are easier and that your baby is healthier and you're liable to learn some great tips about keeping yourself healthy long term, along the way!

Here's our welcome link to help you find your way around the information and resources here!

Whole Approach welcome post

I'm here Tuesdays and Fridays to answer questions about the program and we've got lots of regular readers and members who are bound to do some sharing with you as well!

Take care,

Tarilee

I have been going to a naturopath for assistance with my candida for the past year. My daughter is pregnant and in the course of conversation, she asked me if my daughter was taking anything for yeast-- she told me that if the mother has yeast at the time of the birth that the baby will also be born with it--which might go a long way to explain the issue of so many younger children having problems with yeast! She told me that she has all her pregnant mothers on probiotics to alleviate any problems in that regard.

I think she's wise to counsel pregnant moms this way. This program's first phase is all safe for pregnancy if taken slowly, minimizing die off so that toxicity levels are not increased.

I'm not sure that probiotics are sufficient to minimize the possibility of passing on systemic candida and immune/allergy issues to the child. I've not seen specific studies confirming how problems are transmitted but I have observed that transmission of these problems often happens and that the issues go beyond skin yeast that may be picked up during the birthing process.

There's a brief post about pregancy in the Protocol FAQ section.

Take good care,

Tarilee

While doing some research online, I have read that there is a link between autism and yeast overgrowth. I have had candida for about 6 years.... Since then I have felt better, learned to eat a little better But I still struggle with what I can eat. Anyhow, I am thinking of doing a cleanse before trying to get pregnant which should help with toxins But not sure how long to do this.
But I have now put in my head that I could not have a healthy baby because of my past history!!!

Any advice from moms who have gone through this, It would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Kelly and welcome to the forum!

Yeast was a problem for me for a long, long time. I honestly found this program here to be the thing that got it at its roots--everything else I tried would work for a bit and then I'd be back where I started from.

If candida is still an issue for you, you may want to consider it. This page here: http://wholeapproachforums.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/131609395 will give you a good idea of what this program's about.

I'm not a mother myself, but I do know that a proper cleanse can go a long way towards your health, and in turn, that of your baby. I hope some of our resident mothers will pop in for some first-hand advice for you...

Please let us know how it's going ok?

Ashley

Kelly,

I work with children with autism and have studied these links with toxins in-depth, so I totally hear your concern. I wouldn't say that yeast causes autism, even though many children with autism have candida issues, major digestive/gut problems, etc. I think it is more the connection to heavy metals and toxicity as ONE of the main causal components for autism. And candida and heavy metals often go hand in hand -- once your immune system (and most systems) are down and affected by metals, in makes it super easy for yeast to take over and grow. Similar to how most adults do well with doing an anti-candida diet when they have heavy metals, children with autism often do well with those diets. It can ease some of the symptoms. But again, I don't think it is the yeast itself that causes the autism - there is usually something more there. I think it's similar for adults - there is often something wrong in our bodies to make us so susceptible to yeast overgrowth in the first place. So for many of these children, I think their immune systems, etc are already down from the toxins, etc and they get yeast issues very easily - and the yeast in turn exacerbates their symptoms. I am not an expert on this, I've just done a lot of reading and research on this because of autism being one of my career focuses, and because of researaching for my own health.

If you have a choice, it is a good idea to cleanse as many toxins as possible before having a baby. It doesn't necessarily mean that the baby will have health problems, but since yeast can pass down, as Tarilee and others guided above, there are ways to gently minimize the yeast. But I hear you with wanting to cleanse before becoming pregnant, if you have a choice in it. It's something I've worried about for years. I'm 27 now and know that within a few years I will want to have kids....and my health is in shambles right now. Complete mess. Heavy metals and probably parasites seem to be the main issues for me, which led me to have a candida overgrowth. I treated the candida for a loooong time, and that helped many of my symptoms. When I could not progress past a certain point, and was still ill, I finally went to an alternative practitioner and found out a lot more about what was doing this to me. Now I need to move on to take care of the causal health problems, but my body is too weak to handle it right now. So I'm just hoping that I can have some major progress within the next couple years with my health. Because it's a lot more risky to the baby when the mother has heavy metals than if the mother just has yeast. Since I have the biology not to be able to be able to eliminate toxins from my system very easily, and have heavy metal toxicity, coupled with the fact that I've worked with children with autism for 7 years....it makes me nervous! So I'm going to just keep working on my health steadily and see how much progress.

~Tia

Thanks so much for the advice, its nice to hear some positive feedback. I have been on a candida diet for a few years now and I still do not entirely get it. It seems as though everyone on the site is really in touch with their issues, like they cannot have soy oats etc... The thing is I still have no idea what foods are bothering me. Also with heavy metals and parasites... How do you know this??? I also think that I am hypoglycemic (intolerant to sugar and carbs) because I am always extrememly hungry no matter what I eat.
I found on the site the food list on what to eat and limit, But where do I find what to eat on each of the stages.

Thanks Tia for the positive advice!!!!

Hi Kelly!

Do you keep a food diary? This was the best way for me to get a grasp of what I was reacting to. Over the course of time, a general pattern will emerge and you eliminate the potential triggers.

Are you seeing an ND who can help guide your healing process? I think it's really important to have that extra support while undergoing any cleanse and addressing your health issues. I know for me that candida was my main issue, but as Tia has said it can and usually is a number of things--sometimes if you address just one thing the rest will resolve and other times not. Having someone knowledgeable there beside you can be a true help.

The link to the diet stages is here: http://wholeapproach.com/diet/foodlists.html

Let us know if you have any other questions--I know I was full of them when I first started!

Ashley

Hi Tia--I just emailed you a little note--I hope you start feeling stronger really soon! I'm thinking about you...

ashley

Thanks for the email Ashley - it was sweet of you to think of me! I will write back as soon as I can. I'm also sending healing thoughts your way

Kelly - Ashley's right that sometimes candida is the only thing affecting someone, but oftentimes, there are multiple issues that go hand in hand. And if they are milder issues, this diet (which is super healthy and a great gentle detox in itself) and the candida treatment can be enough to clear it all up. I'm pretty sure this WA candida cleanse even clears out a lot of parasites. If it's a deeper/severe issue like heavy metal toxicity, then you will have to do supplemental treatments. There are many things that frequently go hand in hand with candida: thyroid issues, adrenal fatigue, parasites, Lyme's, fibromyalgia, CFS, heavy metal toxicity...and plenty of other symptoms like IBS/digestive issues, hypoglycemia, and food allergies. It's often really hard to know what came first, but once something majorly disrupts your system, you become vulnerable to other health problems.

I now recommend to anyone that can afford it to go to an alternative practitioner along with the candida treatment, but to wait until you've given yourself at least a few months to adjust to the diet/treatment outlined on this website. At least for me, I had to go in steps. And it made it a lot easier to understand the health connections my doctor talked about, and to not be completely overwhelmed by their treatment recommendations. And I recommend finding an alternative practitioner simply because there are frequently other health problems, and it is so hard to piece together on your own. I learned so incredibly much from this website, diet, and way of life, and I made so many improvements. But I stayed pretty ill for a while because I didn't know back then that I also had adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues, parasites, and heavy metal toxicity....I think it's really good that I started with this, but wish I hadn't waited 2+ years before going to a doctor to find out what other health issues I had going on. Either way, this diet & treatment is the place I would recommend anyone to start, and to go slow with it. And many alternative practitioners will be open to guiding you with the WA treatment if you fill them in about it, and supplement if necessary with other treatments, etc to target any other health issues you might have. I got super lucky with my doctor, who not only was very open to me continuing the WA diet and treatment, but also valued my input on my own health & body for 2 reasons: 1) who knows better about our symptoms and bodies than us?, 2) I had learned so much from this site and had already made so many steps with my health. And then he helped me figure out what else was going on, and what we could do about it.

So anyway, in that long rambling, I just meant to get across that you've come to the right place, and in case you have other health problems, I highly recommend the help of a natural pracitioner. They can help you determine IF you have other health concerns, and if so, how to address them.

I also have hypoglycemia issues (which can sometimes be linked to adrenal fatigue). What helps me is to always have candida-friendly snacks on hand. I seriously need to eat about every 2 hours, or I get shaky, weak, nauseous, headaches...it can get bad. And if I don't have good food on hand, I am stuck between the decision of progressing getting more sick, or breaking my candida diet -- not a good place to be in. So I'm the weird girl that pulls almonds, carrot sticks, etc out of my purse at really random times, regardless of where I am. But it helps! Check out the link that Ashley put in above about the diet and stages, and that will tell you what you need to know. Good luck!

Take care,
~Tia

I'm so touched by all the helpful and wise counsel that you gals provided here for our forum friend. Tia, thanks for posting all the information especially. It's so important to be aware of these things when planning to bring kids into this world. They'll get enough exposure to unavoidable toxins once they come out into the world!

Tia, I'm so sorry to hear that your health has not been holding up well for you. It sounds like you're in a more stable life situation now? Will you be able to find extra time in the next while for care and rest? I know you are SO ambitious and committed to your work and I worry about you working too hard.

I wish you all the best in your healing efforts. Try to drop in now and then to let us know how you're doing and let us know if we can help, kay?

TLC

Tarilee,

Thanks! Unfortunately, I'm in a LESS stable place in my life now, as I feel like my job is slowly killing me. I'm work 50-60 hrs a week, the stress is extremely high....and I don't have much say in it, because my caseload is incredibly high and I have a lot of regular "crisis" cases that require lots of extra attention. I admit that I'm overly dedicated and a workaholic, but most of it is my job itself, and the lack of understanding and support from my agency. And since that is the case, as much as I hate to even consider it, I know that I might have to move on sooner than later. There is absolutely no way to heal if my job continues on as it has for the past 9 months...and there are no indications that it will change. I just love my kids, the setting/population, and feel like I'm made for this job....but the factors at play right now interfere with all that. I'm just too damn dedicated and stubborn to quit and move on....but I am setting a deadline by which things have to improve or else I'm out!

Sorry for the depressing post! My health, stress, etc are not doing so well right now, and it is largely due to my crazy social work job. Okay, I hope to check in with you guys again soon, and on a more positive note....for now, I have only been home for one hour from my 11.5 hour day and I have to think of something other than work. I plan to post soon asking for help with destressing! (I just ordered some Bach's rescue remedy, I'm taking Magnesium....).

Hope you're well.

Love,
~Tia

Hey Tia--these are for you!

Oh sweetie!

I'm so sorry that this the way it is for you now. It sounds like you're made for the job but the job's not made for you! Understaffed agencies with high caseloads can be so destructive to people with an open heart. A similar situation nearly killed me back in the nineties when I was in social work. Don't wait until you have a nervous breakdown or a crisis. I lost my life for almost two years as a result of staying too long.

Bach Rescue Remedy and maybe Heartmath? You need strategies to get you through while you're coming up with a new plan. It's hard to leave something you love and even harder to find the time to search for new opportunities.

My thoughts are with you and I hope you find yourself drawn to something much more conducive to a healing rhythm. Your health requires that you choose a low stress job well suited to your self care routine. Good luck sweetie. I'll be thinking of you and trying to imagine you walking into the perfect setting, full of people who value you and who can pay you for what your time is worth so that you can work part time and still have some hours left over for self care and health appointments.

Love,

Tarilee

Thanks guys!

Tarilee, I thought I remembered you mentioning in the past a similar experience with social work, and it sounds like you know right where I'm at. I'm hoping to prevent that major crisis/burnout possibility that you just described, but it's a realistic possibility in this line of work. I had a long talk AGAIN with my supervisor today, but I have no hope that things will change any more. Not only are they not reducing my caseload, they are trying to add one more on! So it looks like I'll end up looking for a different job quite soon.

Thanks for sending all the positive thoughts my way - I certainly needed them!

And on a different note...I'm missing Sandi right now. I'm about to get sick with endometriosis tonight....and I used to email back and forth with her whenever I got sick with it. So I think of her and miss her whenever I get sick like this, because she was always such a support and ray of sunshine through the pain and gloom. She was such a sweetheart, and will always be missed.

Love,
~Tia

Cheers to that Tia--It's funny, this past week I was scrolling through my emails looking for something and there were three from Sandi just sitting there. Reading her words was like having her right there. What a strong and special lady...

I really hope you got through the night alright Tia--I'm thinking of you.

Hug, hug, Take good care Tia and good luck with this transition period.

TLC