Thrush is the worst, hu? Yes, you're right... Nystatin is prescribed many times for the breastfeeding mom with thrush... the down side is that it is usually less effective at eliminating thrush than other treatments options. Plus, its daily use of 4x/day for 2 weeks can be difficult. For me, it was just remembering to follow the recommended dosage for this amount of time, etc. Hence, the reason I became familiar with the different type of options to treat thrush.
Once thrush has been confirmed, it's also very important to help the yeast infection from returning... over & over again. Some moms finds it helpful to begin taking supplements like acidophilus bifidus tablets and also make some slight dietary changes to help put their bodies back "in balance" to help discourage the overgrowth of yeast and the chances of it coming back. It takes about 2 weeks before symptoms are gone. Great for helping the recurrence of thrush, too.
Does this make sense? Things like grapefruit seed extract, zinc, B vitamins and even reducing sugar intake (this was the most difficult for me!). Also, in some cases, medical tests can be done to rule out anemia and diabetes.
Gentian violet is used by many for both mother and baby. This is also an OTC product, costs less than $2 and can be bought at a local pharmacy. (I bought some at Kroger... the pharmacist happened to have some but said that I should order it in advance next time.) It can be very messy, so be careful to wear something you don't mind staining. Gentian violet "can" also be used with other antifungals. I've used gentian violet myself, but only after trying several different treatments and as a last resort.
For mom, (this info is available in many places, too) dip a cotton swab in 0.5 or 1 percent solution and swab nipple/areolae once or twice a day for 3-7 days.
For baby, dip a cotton swab in either the 0.5 or 1 percent solution and swab the inside of baby's mouth on cheeks, gums, and tongue once or twice daily for 3-7 days, as well.
Sometimes, a baby doesn't have any symptoms, but most peds/docs do recommend treating both mom and baby at the same time.
take care!
