Suffering with UTIs and thrush on repeat?
Did you know this could be one of the factors at play in infertility?
Looking after our vulva and vagina is kind of a big deal. Whoever had a urinary tract infection (and they are more common than we think) or a burning, itchy or swollen sensation down there knows. And looking after your vaginal microbiome could be vital for fertility purposes…
Want to know why? Are you wondering what you can do about it all?
Read on to find out what are the 9 daily habits for a healthy vagina.
1. Avoid thongs, they may increase the risk of bacterial translocation from your anus to your vagina. The same way that women should always wipe front to back to avoid bacteria from your anus going near your female urethra and avoid any risk of infection (no one likes a UTI).
2. Clean your menstrual cup and sex toys well – that involves boiling water for the menstrual cup and therefore owning 2 of them!)
3. Change tampons every 2 to 4 hours. Don’t exceed this to avoid toxic shock syndrome
4. Wear cotton underwear – it is more breathable! If it’s organic cotton even better.
5. No vaginal douches or washes. Your vagina is self-cleaning. No need for you to disrupt the delicate flora! If there is any fishy or strange smell – consult your doctor, it may be a sign of an infection and no amount of washing will adequately address this.
6. Stop smoking – smoking disrupts your vaginal ecology and is associated with lower proportions of Lactobaccillus species which are meant to be dominant in a healthy vagina, they create a more acidic pH there that protects the vagina against undesirable bacterias. (DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-471)
7. Choose gentle lubricants – your vagina is such a delicate ecosystem, and lubricants can be really aggressive.
8. Wear periods pants or sanitary pads at night when you are on your period. This will avoid to create any bacterial proliferation with cups or tampons
9. Choose your toilet paper carefully. To see all the information on this topic and a few brand recommendations go to my blog post on the topic: 5 tips to choose your toilet paper for better hormonal health
