Thrush?

Hopefully someone with more experience will reply, because i don't know that much.

I had a yeast infection a week before I delivered my daughter. Since i gave birth to her vaginally the midwives we were seeing suggested to me for *prevention* of thrush to eat alot of acidofilus ( spelling way off LOL ) and to get a bottle of it and swipe it in both of my daughters mouths a few times a day with the head of a q-tip. Make sure to keep the bottle refridgerated because acidphilus is alive.
And to make sure to clean my nips well after each nursing.

This was only to prevent it, i don't know if once you have it, it will help.

my children never got it.

when i took my daughter to her two week check up I asked the dr to describe it to me, and to check her for it. She said that it will look like stitches ( like on clothing ) on the inside of their mouth, and that it can make your breasts rashy and painful.

thats all hear say of course, and i hope you get the help you're looking for. Just wanted to add what I know. peace and light

+

KatKirkwood,
From the description of your symptoms, it sounds like you could very well have thrush. Do your nipples have an itching or burning sensation? That's a big clue too. Have you had a vaginal yeast infection lately? (I know, that's personal, LOL, but it's also a big clue.) Has babe been gassy? If you have thrush, your babe may or may not exhibit symptoms with you, but both of you should be treated to make sure you're not passing it back and forth and to insure that the yeast is completely gone.

Sitara's suggestion about the acidopholus/probiotics is a great one. If you have a health food store nearby, go and try to find a brand that is refrigerated. Take some yourself, and if you'd like you can dab a teeny bit on your nipple right before you nurse, so babe gets some too, or you can put a teeny bit on your finger and let babe suck on your finger. If you can eat yogurt (preferably plain) with active cultures, do that too.

Try to avoid any extra sweets and white flours/refined grains until you're fully better...they feed the yeast.

You mentioned that you are using Lansinoh...Lansinoh is awesome for many nipple woes, but my understanding is that thrush is one of the only things it doesn't help. In fact, I've heard that it can exacerbate it. I would stop using it until the thrush is gone, and maybe even get a new tube at that time just to avoid yeastie beasties that may have gotten into the tube.

Docs may prescribe Nystatin for thrush, but many mamas say that the liquid Nystatin they give kids is a joke since it's filled with sugar to make it taste better, and the sugar does nothing but feed the yeast. There are home remedies you can use, like Gentian Violet and Grapefruit seed extract. Personally, I would go straight for the Grapefruit seed extract (GSE). You can probably find it at the health food store. A little bottle of the liquid is about ten bucks but it lasts forever and a day because it always needs to be diluted. You can dissolve 10 or 15 drops of GSE in an ounce of distilled water and swab your nipples with it throughout the day, after nursing. You can swab babe's mouth with it too; it's very safe, but tastes quite bitter. In a stubborn case, you could take several drops yourself mixed into a cup of orange juice once a day until you're better, but try using it externally first. It can be drying to the skin; if that is true for you, you can apply a bit of extra virgin olive oil to your nipples after swabbing with the diluted GSE (I have also heard of using very pure Vitamin E oil for this purpose, but it's a bit harder to find!)

Hopefully some other kind mama who knows the link to that doctor's (Dr. Jay Gordon?? Dr. Jack Newman??) website with more related info on treating thrush with GSE can post it here.

Another good thing to do until the thrush goes away is to wash all your bras, shirts, etc. (and cloth dipes if babe has a yeast diaper rash) in hot, hot water with soap and a squirt of GSE or tea tree oil, and dry them in a hot dryer to prevent the yeast from spreading through the laundry. It can be stubborn!

You could also wash all babe's toys, teething rings, etc. in hot water, just to be safe.

I hope this helps, and that you and your little one are better very soon!

God bless,
icxcnika

YES YES YES, my nips are super itchy and they burn right when she latches on for about a minute and then for a few minutes after she lets go and is done. No I haven't had a yeast infection since I've had her. Well at least that I know of. This is kinda gross, but aren't the signs a fishy smell and cottage cheese looking discharge? Because I don't have any of that. That's why I just figured this was normal. (This has been going on for almost a month now). Also yes, she has been very gassy. Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots and LOTS of farts and sometimes she can't go poopy for a day or two. I've just been breastfeeding more and more because I know that breastfeeding is best for her and that it gives her antibodies. But then my mother told me maybe I should stop breastfeeding and give her formula until we both get treated, and I'm like NO WAY! Right??

Thanks so much for all the advise. I'm going to write this down and head to the health food store. I can't wait for this to clear up.

Should I put anything on dd's lip on the cold sore thing?

There doesn't have to be any discharge for a vaginal yeast infection and if there is it doesn't smell bad. The symptoms of a vag. yi you should be considering are itching/burning/redness.

If you don't treat your DD's mouth you will keep passing it back and forth. You can use diluted GSE or gentian violet on your baby.

Get your self some GSE now and some gentian violet if you feel comfortable with it. Probiotics are important too. Follow Jack Newman's protocol: http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.ph...d=39&itemid=69
Pat Gima's protocol is also excellent and contains more info about diet, etc.: http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/yeast.shtml

Do NOT eat any sweets or refined grains, as this will feed the yeast. Don't stop treating when you feel better, you have to keep treatment up for a couple of weeks until your body is back in balance. I've been dealing with a drug resistant strain of yeast for 9 months now and I wish I'd been more vigilant in the early days, because I might have avoided the resistance I'm delaing with now.

Good Luck!

Well I got the GSE and Acidopholus today. I am going to start using them tonight. Thanks for all the advise and support!