The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Yeast Infections

Yeast infections are tough to get rid of sometimes because the symptoms may disappear without the little critter actually disappearing completely from the infected “tract.” I usually recommend a combination approach to yeast infections:

Physical Intervention for Candida albicans Vaginitis:
· Wear cotton undergarments.
· Avoid intimate relations during treatment period or treat husband if recurrent infections are common.
· Boric acid capsules: 600 mg capsules may be placed in the vaginal vault up to 14 days (boric acid can cause significant irritation, but the critters usually die; more than 7 days of use can result in systemic absorption of the boric acid with resulting problems); another possibly irritating, but effective treatment is the application to the vaginal walls of gentian violet using a long cotton swab once daily for 14 days.
· My Specific Formula for Vaginal Application, may be used daily for 14 days: 1/2 ounce Calendula Flower Oil (http: 1/2 ounce Pure Emu Oil from Health-E-Skin (www.health-e-skin.com), 3-5 drops Pure Tea Tree Essential Oil (http: The amount of Tea Tree oil used depends upon your tolerance for the irritation/possible burning sensation from using too much Tea Tree - better to start out with a small amount and add more if needed for effectiveness. The Calendula oil and Emu oil are very soothing to inflamed tissue and healing to tissue; the Tea Tree oil is used for antimicrobial properties. A few drops of this mixture may be applied 2-3 times daily. If it is too irritating, one application daily of the Tea Tree mixture, then another application later of just Calendula and Emu oils work wonders to soothe tissue that is itching and burning (This blend may be used on any "boo-boo" or inflamed, infected tissue that you

Dietary Intervention for Candida:
· Eliminate all refined foods and simple carbohydrates.
· Eliminate or significantly decrease foods with trans and saturated fats (margarines, lard, etc.)
· If food allergies are suspected, eliminate the suspects for several weeks, then re-introduce to determine what needs to be avoided or rotated regularly.

Nutritional Supplement Recommendations for Candida:
· All of the following are recommended for daily use for a period of 2-3 months: Vitamin A: 5,000IU daily or Beta-Carotene: 50,000 IU daily; Vitamin C: 500-1,00mg every 4 hours; B Complex: average of 20-50mg of each of the major B vitamins; Zinc: 10-15 mg daily (picolinate is best; 30-50mg if you choose to use other forms); Vitamin E: 200 IU daily of D-alpha-tocopherol; Lactobacillus sp.: ½ teaspoon twice daily; Garlic: 3-4 tablets or capsules daily or 3-4 cloves of garlic (the supplement is usually a friendlier way to benefit from the medicinal aspects of garlic); Combination formula (or singles taken 2:2:1) of Goldenseal, Echinacea, Red Root - TincTract taken ¼ teaspoon taken every 2-4 hours or 1 capsule every 2-4 hours (this formula should only be used for 1 month of supplementation; if necessary, a 1-2 week break may be taken before continuing for another 2 weeks of supplementation - Pregnant Women Should NOT use Goldenseal during pregnancy); Yeast Defense: 1-2 tablets or capsules taken 3-4 times daily.