Oral Thrush

The "purple stuff" that someone mentioned is Gentian Violet which can be purchased over the counter. You have to be VERY careful in how it is used. This is usually not recommended as a first line of treatment. The Nystatin applied to your little one's gums, tongue etc. works really well. Forget the Q-tip, use your finger, it is a lot easier. If you have it on your nipples you can get Nystatin from your doctor or just purchase OTC 7-day treatment yeast infection cream and apply some to each nipple after each feeding. You don't need much. Everyday you have to sterilize anything that came in contact with your baby's mouth, paci, toys, spoons etc.

My little guy had it and I was not on antibiotics. He also gave it to me. Diet does plan an important role because whatever you eat the little one can also get in your milk. Don't freeze any of your milk, that will be a source of reinfection at a later date if you have not used all your milk. Good luck, I hope it clears up quick for you!

I breast fed my son and he got oral thrush. My sister is currently breast feeding her second son and he has oral thrush right now. Neither of us were on antibiotics when teh babies got thrush. And there isn't any reason that you can't breastfeed and be on antibiotics. The baby will probably be prescribed nystatin or something for the thrush and it really isn't that difficult to get rid of. I'd suggest sterilizing anything that goes in her mouth, though. Run all binks or whatever through the dishwasher and throw any hard, plastic toys in a bucket of diluted bleach water. Really, that should take care of it. Good luck!

if you suspect thursh you should see your ped dr- its very common- and ok to continue to breast feed. just call your ped dr. good luck! please make sure when you give your baby anything over the counter that it is FDA regulated.

When my two had thrush the prescription given by our pediatrician never worked! It was Nystatin (SP?). I took the recommendation of a friend and used Gentian Violet. Which can only be found at "mom and pop" type drugstores. It stains horribly so dress you child in something you don't like. Put a small amount on the end of a q-tip and swab the inside of the mouth.

This was the ONLY thing that cleared up our thrush. And I still nursed, my "huhumms" were purple. Which was good because it kept the thrush out of those.

Hope this helps.

:)

she will need nystain for the oral thrush it usually last 2 weeks and can be painful too baby, but they r born with a small amt in thier mouth but it just flared up. (the thrush can be painful to baby not the nystain). yes sterilize toys,nipples (not yours of course lol)

Try this:
Dr Jay Gordon's thrush protocol
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/thrush.asp

I had this with my first daughter. First it appeared in her mouth. Then my nipples had it. (You put the nastastin on her mouth with q-tip and on your nipple - AND swish with it in your mouth then too.) It is a pain. Keep changing your bras daily & washing them. Keep changing out your nursing pads the second they get damp. If you start noticing it in your mouth (white patches up to the top of your gums that are sore) then swish like crazy with the stuff - and swallow a little each time. You have to keep up with the swish, else it doesn't clear all the way. I would throw her non-battery toys in the dishwasher on the antibacterial cycle. the nystastin, combined with eating lots of yogurt (maybe take a daily acidopholis pill - that's what i do!) will clear it up. and the nystastin liquid isn't all that bad... it works.

C.:

if there are already patches in your child's mouth changing to ebm milk will not stop the thrush.... you both need to be treated

P., RLC, IBCLC, CST
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

C., I also dealt with thrush for the first month of my baby's life. It's awful but it does pass. Go to www.kellymom.com for lots of great advice. There is something called "all purpose nipple ointment" that Dr. Jack Newman created. Ask your midwife or OBGYN about presribing it for you. It relieves a lot of pain. This is, of course, if you have painful nursing sessions.

It is best to keep nursing, however there is a baby probiotic called FloraBaby by Renew Life can be bought on www.smartbomb.com when I had mastitis and my 10-day old had thrush, this was recommended to me to give to my baby in her bottle of expressed milk. It is a 3 month dose, very tiny dosage, but it was worth it and she is still so very healthy, not one cold or illness yet. We didn't need to finish the oral prescription and cleared up fast. I also took probiotics and still do to this day as maintainence as I b/f her at 8m. I took florajen 3 probiotic, which has three different strands. Yes, do watch your sugar intake, yeast loves sugar! Good luck.

Did you tell your doctor that you were breastfeeding? They can't precribe something less likely to be a problem?

I would ask if you haven't already. Then ask the doctor or your pediatrician what they think you should do.

C., talk to your pediatrician. There is medication for thrush that is applied with a Q-tip to the affected areas. The one I'm famaliar with tastes good and would be easy to administer. In addition, you may want to talk to your doctor about shortening the length of the antibiotic. I know that sinus infections are difficult to clear, but depending on the antibiotic of choice, it doesn't always take a course of 21-days. Good luck. ~L.

Including anything else, it's never a bad idea to include probiotics. One way to get part of it is by drinking Kefir and eating organic plain yogurt. If you can, stick to organic brands not dannon, etc. and try to avoid those with high fructose corn syrup or sugar--PLAIN and flavor it yourself with a little maple syrup (a lot less sugar this way which promotes yeast production).
When taking any antibiotics, you have the potential of losing your body's stash of healthy bacteria and the yeast grows, allowing for systemic yeast infections like thrush. Therefore it's always good to have a round of yogurt like I mentioned. If you consult with a nutritionist or even go to Whole Foods, ask for a good probiotic that you can take as well for a stronger source right now. These are not dangerous--it's like adding another food to your diet.

However, as always, consult with your doctor.

You've gotten really good info so far. I just wanted to say that it is not necessary to stop feeding at the breast with thrush. It may not be that she is getting the antibiotic but that you are out of balance and she got the thrush from you. Continue to nurse! All of the concerns you listed are good reasons to keep her at the breast. You may not be able to pump enough, you may not be able to keep your supply up, she may not go back to nursing! Keep her at the breast and treat both her mouth and your nipples. Vinegar and water rinses can help. Sterilizing anything that goes in her mouth. Nystantin is what your doctor would prescribe but it is becoming less affective in treating thrush. The purple stuff someone mentioned is gentian violet. You can get it without a prescription but have to ask for it behind the counter at the pharmacy. Dr Jack Newman has a protocal for getting rid of thrush on his website. I don't have the link handy but you can find it my searching for his name and thrush.
Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for you baby at this time, don't let this little bump prevent you from nursing you baby.

There are several antibiotics that are safe to use while breastfeeding, you should check with your doctor and pediatrician to get the right medications to treat both of you.

There's lots to try. First off, go to www.mothering.com/discussions to check out the forums dealing with alternative remedies for thrush and your sinus infection. Off the bat, I know lots of people swear by GENTIAN VIOLET. Messy but it's pretty much a sure bet. Garlic capsules are great for infections across the board - yours included. You should also go to the la leche league site (www.lll.org ?) for advice. www.kellymom.com is also a great resource for nursing moms dealing with problems/dilemnas like yours. HTH!

C.,getting rid of thrush in you baby when you are nursing is about you changing your diet. If you get the book, Natural Encyclopedia to Medicine by Micheal Murray, it tells you what foods to avoid when you have Candida. Thrush in a baby is another form of candida that is passed on thru the mother.

Also, there is a natural substance that is purple, I don't remember the name of it but you can find out at Whole Foods, that you put on your breast before you breast feed. My daughter-in-law used it when she breast feed with 2 of the children.

And I would suggest staying away from Nystin, it is a vigious drug, causes havoc to you body, and gives you cramps. I know, I took it as an adult at one time.

The most important foods to stay away from are sugars, stimulants such as coffee, sodas, alcoholic beverages, artifical sugars, yeast, yeast foods like mushrooms, and there are others listed in his book. It is a great book to have on hand.

Also, there is a pediatric natural health reference book that you can get a a book store, but I do not remember the name of it.

M.
www.toy-train-table-plans-store.com

PS: Here are the books that I was thinking of:
Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Jane Zandand and The Natural Pharmacy.

And always check with your doctor before taking anyone's advice. Changing your diet you can do on your own.

Getting the antibiotics should not be a big deal...you just need to get meds from your doctor to treat the thrush....as well as for your baby. I have heard that genetian violet works best but you can also get prescription treatments if you don't want to deal with the staining.

It does take a LOT of work to pump, but it is worth it. A friend of mine had her three week old daughter at the doctor for thrush and they brushed some kind of purple substance on the baby's mouth and tongue and it cleared the thrush right up for the baby. I don't know what that might do. Also, eating lots of yogurt is supposed to keep the beneficial bacteria in balance when you are taking antibiotics. Maybe that would help with this? I am not sure. If you have to supplement with formula for a bit, that is okay. I think most babies will go back to nursing if it is offered.

I hope you are able to work this out for you and your little girl. Good luck!

I have 3 children ages 8, 6, and 2 months old. When my 8 year old was a baby, we had a huge problem with thrush, due to the antibiotics I had during labor! I now will not take any antibiotics unless it's absolutely necessary, because of the risk of Candida. If I were you, I would not stop nursing, because you can usually control the thrush and, in the long run, your milk is better for the baby than formula. Here are some suggestions that worked for me in dealing with this: Eat yogurt and take lots of acidophilus and give some of the powder to her. (Just put your finger in the powder, then in the baby's mouth.) Take grapefruit seed extract and oregano oil capsules. There are also other herbs that work great, as well. You can also get a prescription for an oral antifungal medication, like diflucan, from your doctor which will help your baby, too. If you put gintian violet on your nipples and let the baby suck with it on, it will help the thrush on you and in the baby. The major draw back to this is that your nipples and the baby's lips will be stained purple for a few hours afterword, but the results are so worth it. It's also very important to minimize your sugar intake as the yeast feeds on this and intensifies the problem. It is also very important to sterilize the baby's toys, pacifiers, and bottles or she will continue to get it back. I used these methods and was able to continue nursing my son until he was 15 months old. Good luck!

N.