Is it a latch problem or thrush??

[aries girl]

I can't figure this out...I don't know if I have a latch problem or I have thrush. I have pain that is sharp/razor blade-like when my son is nursing, Sometimes I feel it deeper in my breast but mostly it's in the nipple. It is especially bad right when he latches on and then gets better. My nipples do burn sometimes after a feeding, and they are soo sensitive that I can't go without a bra because my shirt rubbing on them KILLS me.
I can tell that he latches on better sometimes than he does others, so I know his latch could be better and more consistent. Does anyone recommend any books that can really teach me the right way to get him on my breast? I've been to the LC's twice and still it is killing me. They think I may have thrush also but what they told me to do has not worked. I've talked to a naturopath who says she thinks it's a latch issue. I've also been told that my son may be a bit tongue tied and that he may need that piece of skin under his tongue snipped so he can stick it out further. ???????????
I have no idea what to do, I didn't know breastfeeding would be so difficult.
Any suggestions?

[blairinargentina]

i'm no expert but it sure sounds like thrush to me. check out his mouth, does he have a white tongue or white spots? do you have occasional shooting pains deep in your breast? could be both... for me, thrush caused my dd to change her latch which made it even more painful. now she does this clicking thing when she nurses and frequently unlatches or chews on my nipple because her mouth hurts.

so, i would look for symptoms with your baby that might make determining this question easier... although sometimes kiddos are asymptomatic, usually its noticable whether they have thursh or not.

have you looked at the Baby Book by Dr Sears for latch illustrations? maybe the lc can help you figure it out as well... i know my lc was waaaay more knowledgable about thrush than the pediatrician. Good luck, hang in there!

[NewAtThis]

It's so tough figuring it out, isn't it? I went through similar symptoms, several of which were thrush-like, but dd never had the white patches, and when I tried gentian violet, it did absolutely nothing for me (except of course, stain everything and make me angry). My breasts were so sensitive, all over, that wearing anything withour a bra was irritating. Finally, I quite wearing a medela nursing bra that was polyester, and kind of itchy, and quit wearing any non-cotton bras, and that seemed to help. I also did the low-sugar regimen and took acidophalus every day, sun-dried my bras, etc. I also did (and still do) a vinegar/water rinse once a day or more. At 6 weeks after dd's birth, the sensitivity went away, including the latching on pain and the occasional shooting pains.
I don't know if I had a mild case of thrush, and the diet/acidophalus/vinegar treatment did the trick, or if I just had sensitive skin and nipples and it took me that long to toughen up. I also think some of the itchiness was due to my breasts changing sizes throughout the day.
Long story, I know, but I totally sympathize with the amibiguous symptoms and not ever really knowing if it was thrush or not. All I know is, at 10 weeks, breastfeeding is a lot easier and less painful now that it was the first 7 weeks or so.
Good luck!!

[eleven]

We've been battling thrush : and it changed the way my dd latched. When we started treatment, everything got much much worse for a couple of days before it got better. I was literally crying during feedings and crying between them, too, because I was so afraid of the pain. We're still not completely rid of the thrush, but the discomfort is much more manageable.

I'd recommend going to a la leche league meeting if there's one soon near you. Not only will a leader most likely be able to check you out, but it's also a very supportive environment for nursing moms.

You can check out the thrush page at kellymom to read about symptoms and treatments.

For latch stuff, have you checked out Dr. Jack Newman's page? He has some videos on there, but I haven't actually watched them since I have linux and I can't figure out how to play them.

Here's the latch page at kellymom.

Good luck!!

[aries girl]

How can thrush change a baby's latch? What do they start doing differently if their latch does change with thrush? I'm trying to remember if my sons latch was different before all this pain started or if it really is the thrush and possible changes in his latch due to thrush that's causing this pain. Or if his latch has always been bad and it just took awhile for the pain to really set in.

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by NewAtThis

It's so tough figuring it out, isn't it? I went through similar symptoms, several of which were thrush-like, but dd never had the white patches

Me too! Ugh. :

[eleven]

Originally Posted by aries girl

How can thrush change a baby's latch? What do they start doing differently if their latch does change with thrush? I'm trying to remember if my sons latch was different before all this pain started or if it really is the thrush and possible changes in his latch due to thrush that's causing this pain. Or if his latch has always been bad and it just took awhile for the pain to really set in.

If the thrush is bothering them, babies will hold their tongue or mouth differently. Clicking sounds and dimpling cheeks are common with thrush. In my case, when the thrush was at its worst, her latch was so bad that I developed cracks all over my nipples.

She has a persistant patch on the underside of her lip and she doesn't maintain a good seal because of it. We end up relatching over and over during feedings.

We've just started Nystatin after doing a couple of rounds of Gentian Violet and other alternative treatments. Hopefully we'll all be pain free soon! :