12 answers

Thrush?

We've never dealt with thrush, but I'm wondering if some odd things happening lately may point that way. My 16-month-old still breast feeds, but lately she's been sticking her hand down her throat, which I originally just chalked up to normal "exploring" behavior. But this week she has had a bad diaper rash, very red, which is very unusual for her. PLUS, and pardon if this is TMI, but my nipples are SO sore, also very unusual, since we're pretty good with the feedings after 16 months! I'm wondering if this is thrush? Maybe her mouth is itchy, hence sticking her hand in there all the time. Any other moms dealt with thrush? I guess I always thought it was for small babies, but maybe not?

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

Well, we went to see the doctor, and he didn't think it was thrush since Piper didn't show any of the in-the-mouth white stuff that everyone talked about. So...I'll probably get some yogurt just in case--she used to eat it a lot but hasn't eaten it lately much. And if my nipple pain continues, I may try the vinegar, just in case! Thanks for all the responses--nice to have non-MD experts out there who can tell me the REAL score. :)

More Answers

Sounds like thrush... but if it is, you should be able to see it in her mouth. And if it something that has been a while going, you may start to see it around her lips. Yes, your nipples will be sore if she's passed it to you.
All 4 of my kids have had it at some point. It is easy to treat so you don't need to worry!
Just head to the Dr. They can give both of you a RX for Diflucan, it's a one time thing for you, maybe a few days for baby. And sterilize everything she uses daily until it's gone!
You can also use monistat cream on her diaper rash if that isn't going away with all the other things you have tried, but it should clear up with the Diflucan also!
Good luck!

You can find out fast if it's thrush...and the treatment is easier than you think. The breast pain will be the signal. Take one part vinegar to five parts water (mix it in a bottle, glass, whatever, preferably something with a lid). Then take a cotton ball and slather the stuff on your nipples. Vinegar is a yeast infection's mortal enemy. Do this every ten-fifteen minutes or so, for an hour. Within an hour, you should feel some relief from the pain.

Look at the inside of your child's mouth. If she has fuzzy white stuff on her tongue, or white spots on her gums, she probably does have thrush...but you can swab the inside of her mouth with the same solution...she won't love it, but it won't hurt her at all. Usually the kids don't really feel much discomfort with thrush, but if it continues, your pain can become unbearable (I speak from experience), but the vinegar solution is the BEST treatment, by far. It works better than anything out there, from Nystatin, to gentian violet, to the oral yeast infection medication (it's name slips my mind, but believe me I had thrush and tried all these treatments, and the only one that worked was the vinegar).

Good luck! I hope you find out what it is, and your discomfort ends.

Hi B.,
My sister-n-law just went through this with my newborn niece. Please don't wait to get help. Thrush is very painful for the baby. It's better that the doctor tell you that you and the baby don't have it, then to wait and have your baby and yourself hurting :( No fun....

B.,

Usually thrush comes with a nasty rash in the mouth as well. You didn't mention if she had white patches in her mouth. If so, you need to take her to the doc. She'll need a specific prescription that's an anti-fungal. If not, she probably has a yeast infection. You can take her in, especially if she's running a fever, or get some OTC vaginal yeast infection cream. You'll know fairly quickly what's what. Also, a good idea would be to feed her some probiotic yogurt. That will tackle the internal yeast. Poor baby, I had this with mine when they were about the same age. Good luck! Oh, and try to let her go without her diaper as much as possible, to let it dry out.

Hi B.. My son breast-fed until he was about the same age as your daughter and we fought a long battle against thrush beginning when he was quite small. It would go away for a few days then come back and my first sign it had returned was very sore nipples. Our pediatrician prescribed some purple medicine that I'd swab in my son's mouth and on my nipples but it only worked for a short time then came back. It also stained everything it touched including his mouth and yes, my nipples!
Best of luck to you,
Purple Nurple

My girlfriends have had to deal with this and they took Probiotics - which is Acidophilus - and it comes in little tiny pearl size pills. It is one billion good bacteria and will balance out the pH naturally. If you take it and nurse still it will be in your milk and cure both your nipples and your daughters mouth and diaper rash and/or yeast infection. I go to school at a Naturopathic College and you can confirm this information with any Naturopath. Super Supplements has the probiotics or any Natural Health Food Store.

Good Luck
Feel free to e-mai if you have any questions
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I was going to tell you the same thing about the yogurt. even if you cannot get her to eat it rub it all over the inside of her mouth and she will swallow it. It could very well be that she has a case of it because she is cutting some teeth. Also rub the yogurt on your breast when she nurses.
Hope that helps...L.

not sure about thrush...
but my girlfriend told me to use a hair dryer on low heat after baths ect.. to dry their private parts off if they are having trouble with diaper rash.. that way the area gets super dry and coat with diaper cream that doesn;t have alot of perfumes in it.. Best advice I ever recieved :) also www.babycenter.com would have great articles about thrush and diaper rash and what kind of diaper rash it might be.. If it is a yeast rash type infection call her dr.. for advice.
L.

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