Treatment Needed for Thrush

Hello there,
check out some holistic info on the net or look for someone in your area knowledgeable. When I was pregnant with my 2 baby, I was worried about giving her thrush( yucky:I had a yeast infection almost the entire time I was pregnant with her, never had an issue with them before or after). I took acidopholous, probably spelled that wrong. Plain yogurt contains the same ingredient. I know she is two months but try a tiny spoonful of whole milk plain yogurt. It does help.
If it helps its worth her a little bit of comfort and you a bit of piece of mind, good luck! I hope you can find a solution.
Jessie

J., congratulations on your new baby, and for choosing to breastfeed! While thrush can be difficult to kick, you CAN do it provided you get accurate breastfeeding support/information... unfortunately, the vast majority of MDs and well-meaning friends do not have accurate breastfeeding (& thrush) information. Your best bets:

* the awesome breastfeeding site, Kellymom, has a really helpful page --> THRUSH RESOURCES http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/thrush/thrush-resourc...

* see a well-respected, local lactation consultant (LC) for treatment

* go to a local, free breastfeeding support meeting offered by La Leche League - there are several leaders in town who are also LCs - you can chat with other breastfeeding moms who have also been through dealing with thrush
http://www.lllusa.org/web/CincinnatiOH.html

Feel free to send me a private message if you would like any more information on the local LLL groups, recommended LCs, etc.

NOTE: Beware of recommendations to give your newborn something other than breastmilk. It's important to note that things like water or whole milk yogurt ARE NOT recommended in newborns or young infants! For acidophilous, you can find this refrigerated, in powder form, at your local healthfood store. As far as yeast overgrowth, sure, it's possible you have this, but again, I'd just make sure to double check any recommendations for pharmaceutical OR all natural treatments with your LC so that it doesn't interfere with your milk supply or your newborn!

Again, congrats on your new baby AND on getting your 1st baby ready for college. :)

I honestly had to stop breastfeeding my kids because my thrush was so bad it was drying me out and keeping them sick.

Probably not what you wanted to hear...

Ask your doctor what they'd recommend. I was initially recommended drops for the kiddos and pills for me. Didn't work. They then recommended drop for the kiddo, pills for me and a nipple shield. Again, didn't work. Then it was drops for the kiddo, pills for me and formula til we were both cleared up. Formula did the trick for the kids, but I dried up within days and no amount of pumping worked to get the milk back. (My milk always dried up within the first month with all the kids... the docs couldn't figure it out. lol. I had a LaLeche League rep in tears when I finally told her I gave up.)

You can try calling LaLeche League to see what they recommend for thrush. They might have some methods that work better than what a doc thinks to try.

I hope this clears up for you without having to resort to formula. I know I wish it had for me.

Hi J.,

When my son was a baby he had thrush too. His doctor prescribed some medicine for him. I can't remember the name of it, but it was purple and I had to paint it on inside of his mouth. I think you can get it over the counter. It did clear up the problem eventually. It did take a little time for it to go away though. Just to give you fair warni9ng, the medicine will stain and your daughter's mouth will be purple. It was worth it in the end though to use it. I would check with a pharmacist and ask them about it. I'm sure they would be able to point you in the right direction. Hope this helps a little bit. Good luck.

J.

Hi J.,
I am in a hurry to get some cooking done, but I couldn't resist answering your question real quickly. Thrush is the result of an overgrowth of yeast. Your daughter was probably born with it because you have it. I have a health and wellness business and help people learn how to overcome things like this all the time. There is a pair of products that will take care of this - they are not prescription. I have a web site where you can order them. If you're interested, email me at ____@____.com

Hi J.,
I am so sorry to hear about your struggle with Breastfeeding a thrush. Please don't give up...there are many ways to overcome this.
Have you and your daughter been taking acidophilus? This is a key thing to take while breastfeeding. It can really help fight the yeast bacteria. You can get purchase so YoBabay yogurt for your self, it has live bacteria cultures in it that can be very good for you body. You can go as far as to put some on your nipples during the day.
Try to walk around during the day with you breast exposed. This will help prevent the yeast to grow on your nipples (it also helps prevent cracked nipples).
Remember that you can have a yeast infection, and be completely unaware of it until it gets really bad. Therefore, it is quite possible that you and your daughter are passing it back in fourth to each other. Since she is a baby, that means she probably is getting it worse. So if you can take care of yourself first, your problems may be solved.
You are doing a great job and I am so encouraged by your perseverance, don't give up, you are doing what is best for yourself and your daughter.
Also, I don't want to sound like a jerk for mentioning this, but I am a Natural Family Boutique consultant and I sell a product that is all natural and can be used for you and your baby. It is called the Thrush Fighter Kit. This can be used as a solution and as a preventive of thrush. I know many women who have used this with lots of success. If you are interested you are more than welcome to respond back to me, or you can check out my website at www.NatureWiseFamily.com.
I really hope that this helps you out...you are doing great!
Hugs,
A.

Hi J.,

Have you been in contact with a La Leche League leader? She would know more on this subject. Here's the link: http://www.lalecheleague.org/WebIndex.html

I had thrush for about two months. I tried Nystatin (prescribed by a doctor) without success. Here's what did work for me:

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/thrush.asp

It involves grapefruit seed extract - which can be purchased from a health food store. I also washed my bras and tops every day with 1 cup of white vinegar in the washing machine.

Good luck! I think it's great that you are nursing your little one.

There are many different ways to treat thrush. I think the convential treatment is nystatin. It can also be treated by giving baby acidophilus dissolved in water or breastmilk. Just follow the directions on the bottle. I use Jarrow Baby Dophilus from Wild Oats. Also, use a solution of baking soda and vinegar on your nipples. Wipe them with after each nursing. And cut out sugar in your diet as much as possible. If it is persistent, try Gentian Violet. It is very effective, but stains a lovely purple color.

Hello J.,

First off it's SOOO good to hear of new moms that choose to breastfeed :-).

One option you have is to use Gentian Violet (http://www.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/gentviol.htm). It's purple and so turns your skin and your childs mouth purple *LOL* but it dose work well. I never had to use it but one of my old friends did as her daughter got thrush and then she got it in/on her nipples too and it was EXTREAMLY uncomfortable.

Another option is to use Acidophilus (http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/7/main.html) and it is also very helpful with other health problems and overall health in general.

Here is a the link to La Leche League (http://www.lalecheleague.org/). You should be able to get information and phone#'s of someone in your area to give more "hands on" help if needed or to answer any other questions.

Hope this helps out :-) good luck and God bless.

~~~S.

J. W,

If you are in Willoughby, go to Willoughby Natures Way. There is an older gentleman who is the owner, and very knowledgable. I know he can help. He helps me all the time.

There is a Great Book Called EARL MINDELL's VITAMIN BIBLE it cost about $8.00? But it gives you options, like vitamins OR eating the foods that contain the vitamin needed! He also has a Great HERB BIBLE as well.
I research EVERYTHING BEFORE it goes into my body or someone I love!!

Try it I hope it helps you.

C.

HI J., I HAVE NO ADVISE FOR THRUSH BUT I WANTED TO SAY HOW LOVELY FOR YOU TO HAVE BOTH GIRLS. I HAVE TWO SONS, AND THEN 16 YEARS LATER, GOD BLESSED US WITH OUR DAUGHTER. TOTALLY UNEXPECTED BECAUSE I WAS 42 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. I COMMEND YOU AND TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL ENJOY THE GIRLS EVEN MORE. I THINK WE MELLOW WITH AGE. IF YOU HAVE TIME, WRITE ME BACK. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW OLD YOU ARE? YOU ARE PROBABLY A YOUNGIN. I JUST LOVE TO COMPARE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE 16 YEAR APART FOR SIBLINGS. ____@____.com S.

I had the same problem while nursing my now 2 year old. after trying the nystatin many times his dr gave us both diflucan, i only had to take it once and he had to take it once a day for 5 days, cleared it right up and it never came back.

Has the doctor prescribed nystatin for your baby? and Nizorel (nipples of breast) cream for you? I used both and found great success. You should use new dropper for each application for your baby. If you use the cream it can be tricky because you need to put it on prior to nursing. just make sure you wash your hands before and after applying the cream.You should see results right away. for me just a day or two.

Yep - my son and I had it when he was a newborn too. You need to get an anti-yeast medication from the doctor. Oral thrush is actually a yeast infection (gross, I know), and has to be treated by a prescription. Your breasts can be treated by an over-the-counter cream. It's important to let the medication sit in your baby's mouth as long as possible - squirt it over the tongue and wait to give her a drink for a few minutes.

You might want to consider pumping and letting her have a bottle for a while so that you can avoid contaminating each other, but it's up to you. It might take a little longer to heal, but you will eventually. Oral thrush is painful, so you might want to give her some Tylenol - ask your doctor.

Hi J.! First of all...DO NOT stop with the breastfeeding. It does not have the effect of dairy on babies. Actually it is in the same category for adverse effects as water according to La Leche. I'm not sure what you are currently using to treat the thrush. With my first born we used antibiotics....and that started a vicious cycle with yeasty diaper infections and thrush. My second born got thrush, and at that point we had a different doctor. We applied Gentian Violet to the inside of his mouth with a q-tip 2-3 times a day. Immediately after applying it I nursed him, so it treated him and me at the same time. Within a few days the thrush was completely gone. Gentian violet is available over the counter, but you may have to ask the pharmacist for it because we couldn't find it on the shelves. Be prepared because it turns everything it touches purple!! Good luck to you!!

I see you have recieved several responses...

I too battled with thrush. My daughter is 11 months old and has had it 5-6 times - as a matter of fact, we have are on meds for it now. One thing I did not see a lot of recommendations for is to wipe out her mouth with a damp washcloth. My doctor suggested to take a damp washcloth and wipe the inside of the cheeks and tongue before giving the Nystatin. Use a clean portion of the rag for each wipe. Also sterilize everything she puts in her mouth on a daily basis until the thrush has cleared... pacifiers, toys,....

The doctor will probably give Nyastatin first. We had to go through 2 bottles of this stuff for ours to go away. We often were given Diflucan when the 2 bottles of Nystatin didn't work. Diflucan has always cleared ours up. Keep yourself dry and you can put some of the Nystatin on you as well. Watch out for a yeast infection on her bottom. I didn't know what it looked like the first time she got it. It is kind of like diaper rash, but redder and more pimple like.

Good Luck!!

J.,
I had this same problem and we found out when my duaghter turned 2 months. We both were given thrush medicines for that but it used to appear some days again after the treatment. It was really sad for me that I had to start weaning her when she about 4 months to powder milk as she slowed down her intake of breastmilk (maybe she co-related the pain in her mouth with the breastmilk)
I would also like to hear if somebody knows how to get rid of thrush in a more effective way.
thanks

Dear J.:
I had a same problem with my daughter, although she was a bit older than yours...I would say there are several things you need to do at this point if you haven't done so already...If she takes a pacifier I would throw them all away and buy couple of new ones (no matter how much you wash them or sterlize them it is very difficult to get rid of that thrush bacteria). Ditto for any bottles, but I guess she is breastfeeding so no worries there, but do you have any infections on your nipples? There is this prescription your pediatrician can give you, that is very extremely effective and it is called Nystatin. It is a liquid and you rub it on and inside of her mouth about 2-3x a day with little cotton swab. Washing your daughter's mouth with water may not be as effective as this thing...if you use Nystatin it should go away in no longer than 2 weeks, but you should see significant improvements in 2-3 days. You should also try to use a little infant tooth brush with plain water to try to get rid of this...although she doesn't have any teeth yet..but once she does getting teeth it is important that milk does not stay on her teeth especially overnight as it is not good for her teeth.

Nystatin is really the best solution there is...I tried some things over the counter (I just asked at the pharmacy), but it was not as effective and very extremely messy...just ask you pediatrician for Nystatin
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic2/nystator_ids.htm

Good luck!
B.

Hi J.. Thrush is a yast infection. It is caused by bacteria. So yea letting the formula sit in the mouth doesn't help. If you go to webmd.com you can learn a little more about it.

My daughter had it from birth to now(3mos) and we giv her nystatin. I don't breastfeed her since I hae tried in the past and was unsuccessful and plus I have a 3 and 2 year old also. My boys also had thrush. For them I would boil their bottle and pacifiers in hot water for about 5 minutes all day long. I would give them the nystatin at every bottle feeding and I would always wipe out their mouth. For them the thrush would be gone within a week but I still continued the medicine until the bottle was gone. With my daughter we are almost there but not quite yet.

Talk to your doctor.

T.

I had the same problem with my second daughter. I went to my LC and she prescribed Jack Newman's Nipple Ointment for me. Our daughter was also being treated with Nystatin. It is a pain... I know. I can't tell you how many times I was ready to quit, but stick with it. My daughter is 4 months old now and breastfeeding is going smoothly... I'm glad I didn't give up... but those first few weeks were ROUGH! I wanted to make sure I responded because I think the recommendation of giving her water is bad advice. Newborns should not be given water because it can interfere with breastfeeding and it can cause an imbalance in their sodium levels which can cause seizures. Here are some other things we did.

Boil any breast pump parts, nipples, toys, or pacifiers that come in contact with your breast or your baby's mouth at least once a day (5 minutes).

Do NOT reinsert the medicine dropper back into the medicine without washing it with soap & water and boiling it. The yeast can contaminate the medicine. (We had two droppers. Our med. stated to put half the medicine in one cheek and half in the other. So, I'd use both droppers each time I gave med. to her and then wash them.)

Wash your bras in HOT water daily. Change nursing pads frequently (do not let a wet nursing pad stay on your nipple... that is how yeast grows). Wash any towels, washcloths, etc. that come into contact with your breasts daily. Wash hands frequently. Wash dish towels frequently in hot water (we washed them daily) or use paper towels.

That's all I can think of right now. If you have a lactation consultant, I would call her. If not, call the hospital where you delivered or your OB and they should be able to give you some names. If not, send me a personal message and I'll give you the name of mine.

I found this web page that may give you some help.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/thrush.html