Help with Thrush - Minneapolis, MN

A friend of mine has been dealing with this. She uses gentian violet, and I heard someone reccomend to her Coconut oil for her nipples. But I know she put the gentian violet actually in her son's mouth cause his mouth was blue, but now it's gone.

My son, has had thrush twice, 1st when he was only months old, and even with medication he was not getting better, until I started to boil anything he gummed that day, the yeast was being transfered from his mouth to his toy, bottle, by boiling it kills the germ, with bottles I changed the nipple everytime he was done w/ a feeding, (that's only if you use them.) the second time around his little buddy (same age as my son was) had gotten thrush and they decided to share toys (at that time we didn't know he had thrush), well low and behold it was and I had my son cured in a matter of days.

When our first child was a baby he had thrush as well. The doctor told us to use Monostat! It's the same type of yeast, apparently. You cut a small piece off of the waxy stick, and rub it between your fingers to make it pliable, then spread on the cheek or wherever the area is. Sounds icky, but it worked like a charm right away. The Nystatin stuff another doctor gave us didn't work--the yeast has gotten resistant to it, our current doctor said. I also tried nursing for just a couple of weeks with our first child and it was pretty terrible for numerous reasons. I went on to bottle feeding and never looked back. Our kids have been as healthy as can be, so don't feel bad or guilty if you do decide to bottle feed. Formula these days is so advanced. Just do what works for you.

I dont know if any one else has given you this advice but I am going to add it. Thrush is a yeast infection. i had it and so did my newborn when she came home from the hospital. We tried everything under the sun untill finally my best friend told me to use monistat cream. I was worried because it says not for oral use but I talked to my doctor and she told me that it was a good idea and that it could not harm my daughter if used oraly. So every day I would swab my nipples and the inside of her mouth three times. Both me and her where cleared up in about three days. My doctor just told me to make sure that I did it for the full 7 days and to only use the monistat 7 day cream. All of the other ones are to strong for baby.

I hope this helps you.

My daughter was a preemie and sent home from the special care nursery with Thrush. We had no idea she had thrush and the doctor that discharged her never picked up on it. Nice huh?

Well pannicking cause our 4 lb. preemie wouldn't eat once home was like a life or death situation, she couldn't lose ANY weight. So we were squeezing the bottle and feeding her like a baby bird. My breast milk with a highcalorie formula mixed in. I brought her into her pediatrician nervous because she wasn't eating and that's when we learned she had thrush, after a few days on medication she was back to normal but I was frustrated pumping and not getting her to latch on at all, because she was having enough problems with a bottle so I gave up. I regret it somewhat today I tried, and she got my breastmilk in the very beginning 2mos or so.

You gotta do whatever you gotta do to get them fed for us it was feeding formula like feeding a baby bird. Dropping it in her mouth.

Ok first off what are you being treated with? If its nystatin, it contains sugar and yeast (thrush) actually thrives off of sugar, so I'd not take that.

Go to the pharmacy and get Acidophilus caplets (teh kind you can break open) and Gentian Violet. You yourself take two acidophilus caplets three times a day, and break one open and rub in your babys mouth so she can swallow some. Its a probiotic, or good bacteria, and it'll fight the thrush off and balance out your flora so your body can easier fight off thrush. Then take the Gentian Violet, and dip a q-tip in it, and rubi t all over your babies mouth, its bright purple so it'll be quite the sight, but paint everything in her mouth, her gums, insides of her cheeks, top and bottom of her tongue, and roof of her mouth. THen take a NEW q-tip and do the same with one of your nipples, then a NEW q-tip again and do your other nipple, all around the areola and nipple.

This has taken care of thrush for us 3 times with both my boys. Like I said the nystatin contains sugar and yeast thrives on sugar, so try to cut it out of your diet too for a short time.

As for the sore and cracked nipples, let them air out as much as possible so they can heal, and make sure her latch is good when yo uare nursing.

www.kellymom.com has detailed instructions on using Gentian Violet. Plase don't give up nursing, it will pass and you'll regret stopping, even if yo ustop nursing you stil have tobe treated for the thrush! Good luck, and don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions!

Hi. I have not had to deal with thrush, but I have bfed all 3 of my kids. Please do not give up on bfing. This will pass and you will be so glad you continued. Talk to your ped or a lactation consultant and they can help you. I wish I had something to offer you, but we were lucky enough not to have to deal with it. Keep up with the pumping, more if you can, to keep your supply up. This is one of those difficult times you need to get through so you can continue on with the wonderful times and terrific benefits for your baby and for you. If you give up, you may end up regretting it, especially since you bfed your other kids. Keep at it, it will get better, and you will be so happy you toughed it out. Best of luck. Talk to a lactation consultant, really, that will help.
S.

Hi, I am in the middle of the same thing you are. My OB gave me an ointment that they call "Triple Nipple Paste". It's a combo of an anti-yeast, an anti-inflammatory med and an antibiotic. It worked wonders for me. But my son was on Nystatin for close to 2 months without any luck. They just put him on Diflucan and it is definitely working. I had a terrible time pumping and actually had to dump out a few ounces once because it was all blood. That just about killed me since I always have supply issues. Talk to your OB about the ointment. The Diflucan is working for my son. Hope it clears up for you soon. I know the pain you are going through.

I truly know how you feel. I had thrush with 2 of my kids & it hurts. I finally got a prescription for diflucan for me & it worked. I heard that geniation violet works really well. We tried almost everything. Even if you quit nursing you still have to treat the thrush. Please try not to feel guilty you are doing your best & things will get better soon.
With my third child nursing was hard because it was time consuming but it made me slow down & enjoy my babe. If I did not nurse I don't think that I would have recovered from my c-section as easily.
Take care & enjoy the new baby!

Oh K. can I ever relate. I am having more problems breast feeding my third than I ever did w/ the other two. My daughter is 8 weeks old and so far she has been treated for thrush, then I was treated for mastitis and then I got a yeast infection because of the antibiotics (weird it wasn't a vaginal one, just on my nipples) so I was treated and hopefully she won't get it again.

Have you tried Lotrimin lotion on your nipples? It's the regular stuff you buy OTC for athlete's foot etc...It really helps the burning itchy nipples. You just have to make sure to wipe your nipples before feeding. I was having so much pain on one side I cringed every time I had to feed--felt like a red hot needle being stuck in my nipple. So far, 3 days later I am feeling better. I refuse to give up nursing because, despite all the problems, it is still so much easier for me than bottle feeding would be.

Hang in there. It will get better. You are not alone. :-)
Oh BTW, lanolin for the cracked bleeding nipples. Even when mine aren't sore I still put it on after a shower when I get dressed.

I went through the same thing. I kept using the meds over and over the doctor prescribed until someone told me about gentian violet. I used that once on me and once on my daughter and never had thrush again. Dont give up, try that, its messy but it worked!

I nursed my older daughter for a year but was very attempted to stop in the beginning as a result of cracked, bleeding nipples. I don't believe I ever had thrush but it was incredibly painful nonetheless. I hope you'll stick with it! I was able to allow enough healing by pumping for only a few days to move on and nursed problem-free for the rest of her first year. I don't know how long you've been pumping now (nor do I know the demands of 3 other kids!) but I do know the eye-watering (crying!) and toe-curling, cringing pain of nursing a baby with wounded nipples! It will get better!!

I also have fur children and I understand what you mean when you say you feel ran down. With my third child . I had cracked nippled with blisters and bleeding. So I remember the pain and the frustrion. I use a cream named Earth Mmama and babies angle. They are a website that have breastfeeding support kits to help with cracked or sore nipples and with engargment .
I would continue to pump but if you feel that it is too much don't feel guilty about not breast feeding. 4 children is allot to deal with. Give yourself a break andknow that you are doing a great job as a mom and you know what is very best for your family. My baby is 16 weeks so hang in there.Your doing great.
K.

Yes, it was 11 years ago, but I had that problem!! It is very painful; I feel for you. The baby can take Nystatin (a prescription), but the problem is unless you are treated also he will keep getting it. I hope they have made advances in the last 11 years in treating it, but you will need to see a doctor. Gentian violet (a topical remedy that turns your nipples purple) can sometimes help if it is still used. There is also an oral medication that works well, but I don't know if you can take it while you are still breastfeeding. The bottom line is you both need to be treated and you need help from a doctor or other medical care provider. Since it is a fungal infection keeping things dry and "airing out" (go braless for awhile?) can help. Good luck!

You can get through this. My 3rd was born in July, and I got thrush with her for the first time of all my kids.

Call your lacation consultant...mine helped me a ton! She gave me medela breast shields that allowed my nipples to get air, so the yeast would not have the moist skin to grow on. Those helped a TON! I had a bleeding crack, and after a few hours of wearing them, it was completly healed. I couldn't believe it. She told me breast tissue heals really fast. She recommended using Lotrimin, also. And that has worked well.

On the milk supply, mine was almost gone because they had me on some super strong antibotics (thus the thrush). I drank "Mother's Milk" tea made by traditional something (I think traditional medicals...you can find it at Whole Foods, Kolwalski's and Byerly's and it completely brought my milk back in.

Hang in there....Good luck!! You are welcome to email for the number to my lacation consultant if you don't have one.