Is it thrush?

[Rebecca1982]

Hi - this is long but thanks for reading because I am desperate.

About a week ago, I had a milk blister. Pulled it off in the shower with tweezers and milk flowed again. I had to keep re-opening it through the week though and I admit, I was not as careful as I should have been with keeping it clean.

Friday, I noticed my breast was lumpy with backed up milk. This time, trying to reopen the blister didn't work, milk would only seep extremely slowly. Over the past few days, the lumps have gone because I am able to remove small amounts of milk from the breast. My supply on that side is definitely declining though. I've been drinking fenugreek tea to try to counteract that but it doesn't seem to be working.

There are now tiny little blisters over nearly all the nipple pores on that breast, opening them does nothing. I have been using an over the counter anti-fungal (clotrimazole, 1%) since Saturday morning. One pore seems to be slighlty more open but the others, no.

My other breast has always been a little bit of a slacker and with my 'workhorse' not able to produce, my baby is hungry and frustrated. She won't take a bottle.

I rented a hospital grade pump and have been trying to pump out as much milk as I can to feed her with a syringe but I get very little. It's like something has sealed over my nipple pores!

No more lumpiness, no breast tenderness, no fever, it's not mastitis or a blocked duct.

It hurts to breastfeed but not as much as it did before I started using the cream.

Can thrush do this?? Maybe it's in my ducts? I am at a complete loss and panicked.

[APToddlerMama]

I don't know for sure, but my lactation consultant told me the best way to get rid of the blisters was just to keep nursing and leave them alone.  I did and they eventually did go away.  When I had thrush, I had a frequent shooting pain in my breasts.  That was really the only sign I had.  The pump was really rough on my nipples and things got better when I quit using it.  Good luck...

[Rebecca1982]

She gets so little milk out when she nurses and she's so frustrated. I just can't imagine what would cause milk blisters on so many spots on my nipple! She has a great latch...

[APToddlerMama]

Are you sure they are milk blisters?  Have you had an LC confirm it?  Because I know my nipples started looking pretty weird when I was nursing.  Are there other possible reasons she's not getting enough?  Tongue tie...supply issues...tiring out easily...?

[Rebecca1982]

Seeing an LC tomorrow. Saw a doctor today who thinks staph infection. But I've got no fever, my breast isn't hot...

She's 5 months old and a good nurser. She still nurses well on the right side but there just isn't enough there to do the whole job since my left was always the better producer.

There is definitely something obstructing milk flow there. When I go to express a little, I get a tiny short stream that shoots out to the side instead of the strong stream shooting straight out. Or sometimes I don't get a stream at all, just a little milk bubbling out and then nothing more.

At first it was skin grown over obstructing it and when I pulled it off, we were back in business. But now...

[NYmomma5]

that does not sound like thrush, but definitely something you need to see the doctor to get taken care of. I also agree with you that it does not sound like staph infection (Where did the doc get that idea?). I've had thrush and mastitis in my breasts and have had staph (in my arm) and it sounds like something else. Let us know how it turns out, good luck!

[Rebecca1982]

It was staph! Antibiotics did the trick and she's my happy nursing baby again! So relieved.