A Thrush Question!

[HidaShara]

I could probably find my answer out there somewhere if my Google-fu was perfect, but as it is I'm just not sure how to phrase this as a question...

Last week I saw my midwife for my 6-week pp appointment.  She took a look inside the baby's mouth and told me she thinks the little one has Thrush.  I had thought it was only "milk tongue" but it *was* really thick, and doesn't wipe off.  And, once it was brought up, I reflected that yes, I was feeling itchy/burning in my nipples.  I'd written it off as a bad latch and/or aching nipples after her 6-week growth spurt.

So I started taking Gentian Violet on Wednesday (5 days ago).  After 5 applications, I can safely say I can't tell if there has been any improvement.  DD still has a white tongue, and I still have periods of mild nipple burning.  I know I can keep taking the Gentian Violet for another 2 days... but still, no improvement so far is a bit disheartening.

Part of the problem is that my symptoms were never that bad to begin with.  So it's hard to tell if it's "gone".  Yah, there's a throbbing burn now and then, but it's really mild.  My midwife recommended the treatment so that the Thrush didn't get worse, not because it was very bad right now.  

I guess I'm wondering... do you guys think the Violet is working?  Does it keep getting better once we stop treatment?  Should I even care one way or the other - will it just go away on its own if I go back to ignoring it?  What's the next step if, after two more days, DD still doesn't have a perfect pink tongue and my nipples don't feel great? :/

Thanks for any advice/insight...

[foreverinbluejeans]

I've had thrush in my mough and throat and it mad me pretty uncomfortable. I would think your baby would be fussy and you would have nipples that would be more sore if it were thrush. However, I would take the baby to the hcp to be sure. They can take a sample and look at it under the microscope and see if it is yeast.

[tincia]

I have struggled a great deal with thrush but unfortunately it has been more severe cases. I would think that if the gentian violet doesn't work then u will require more aggressive measures of getting rid of it. You can get a script for nystatin for the babe and use vinegar wipes and canestan on your nipples. If you ignore it and your baby has it u will likely get it worse as it is extremely contagious.
Hopefully u r lucky and the gentian violet takes care of it! It would still be good to use vinegar wipes just to be on the safe side (since it is so cheap and easy). Keep a close eye on the babe's mouth as it can get worse linger and the fungus can appear to get better but then get worse.

[to-mama]

I believe the GV works pretty well. I was told to dilute it and apply for about 10 days straight. The thing is you have to use it every few hours because yeast grows back within those hours. Rinse your nipples before applying to make sure there is no milk on it because they thrive in sugary environments.

You say you've been using it for 5 days straight...and only applied 5 times? I don't think that's enough. You have to apply every few hours or between feedings..

Also, I found that what caused my thrush with my first was antibiotics because I had mastitis...and we just got a case of thrush again with my 1 week old..and I think it's because I have a LOT of dairy in my diet and sugar. Also, I did not wipe off the milk or let my boobs air dry..and had bad nursing pads that would get soaked and were somewhat nylon-like... which is what I think caused thrush.

I think you can still tell if the baby has thrush because the white patches will be a darker purple..Also your boobs will still hurt. They say to continue treatment for 3 more days after symptoms disappear..But honestly while I do find GV convenient..It has a lot of risks to it :(