Have you ever painted your nipples purple with gentian violet? Did you, at one time, consume copious amounts of probiotics? Have you ever searched the drugstore for grapefruit seed extract or supplemented your morning smoothie with coconut oil? If you answered yes to any of these questions it’s probably because you’re a breastfeeding mom who has encountered thrush. It’s one of the most common breastfeeding problems.
Thankfully, it is not one that I have had to deal with during my breastfeeding years. Although I did have to treat baby number one’s bum for a yeasty rash once when I took antibiotics and I did treat myself for thrush for one week when I thought I had it, but it turned out my nipple pain was due to being pregnant instead (that’s a blog post for another day).
As I learned when I was nursing baby number one, thrush can crop up at anytime, but breastfeeding moms have to be extra cautious when they are taking an antibiotic. Although they often do a great job of making you feel better, antibiotics get rid of all the bacteria, good and bad, in your system. This means that there are no bacteria left to keep the yeast in check and as a result you and your baby can get thrush.
The yeasty rash that comes on a baby’s bum as a result of thrush will look like this. I got rid of it pretty quickly on my baby by making a mixture of antifungal cream (like Monistat), hydrocortisone cream, and regular diaper cream. I would just squeeze a little of each onto my palm and swirl them together and then apply. Although this is a pretty quick fix, I’ve since learned that when I need to take an antibiotic I should also take a probiotic capsule to ensure that there are still some good bacteria in my system. It’s all about prevention!
Baby's mouth with thrush
Probably the worst part of thrush is the pain that it can cause while nursing your baby. It’s described as a sharp, sudden onset, shooting pain that can last for the whole feeding. This can be really hard to deal with. The good news is that if treated, thrush can clear up pretty quickly. If you really can’t nurse then I know some women who have had success with pumping, but for others this can be too painful. If you’re dealing with it now- hang in there! It will get better!
If you do end up with thrush at some point, as many of us do, there are many treatments available. Probably the most effective one I know of is using Jack Newman’s All Purpose Nipple Ointment (yes- I love that guy!). Since it contains a steroid and an antibiotic, you have to get a prescription to get it made up. Most pharmacies will mix it for you, but some will give you a hard time about it and tell you that you can’t get it mixed locally. Don’t listen to them and just go to another pharmacy.
Jack Newman shares the recipe for his cream and a great explanation of exactly what you should do if you get thrush on his website. Kelly Mom also has a great compilation of resources.
A smart mommy friend of mine suggested that the best cure for thrush that she has heard of (and used) is coconut oil. It’s a natural antifungal and can be used to prevent thrush or to treat it. She suggests rubbing it on your nipples and mixing it in a smoothie. It’s got the advantage of not containing a steroid or antibiotic, so it might be worth a try as a first line of defence.
Anyone else have any amazing cures for thrush? Any words of advice for those suffering from it right now?
Felicie is a teacher turned work at home mama to two busy little angels, aged 22 months and 4 and a half years. She is a proud member of La Leche League Canada and has helped to organize three World B[..]
Great post Felicie. A couple of points to add while the baby is sleeping:
1. if you have a thrush infection, be very diligent about hygiene. Change breast pad whenever they’re wet and at every feed. Wash anything that comes into contact with your nipples in hot water. Use some vinegar in the rinse cycle. Sterilize pump parts/bottles/bottle nipples/pacifiers/teething toys, etc….between uses.
2. Coconut oil is an awesome antifungal (can’t say it enough). It’s also great to use on baby’s bum if there’s a yeasty looking rash. It’s also nice as an overall moisturizer for baby. No worries about parabens or fragrance!
3. If you’re susceptible to yeast, cutting back the sugar in your diet will cut your risk of infection/reinfection. Yeast thrives on sugar.
4. Probiotics can also be used to treat the baby. You can open a capsule and mix a little expressed breastmilk in and let the baby suck it off your finger.
5. If you’re prescribed any medication for thrush, or are considering using gentian violet, first do your homework and make sure you know how to use them, any precautions, and potential side effects. Make sure you’re comfortable with them. (And know that gentian violet is not a “natural remedy.” It’s a chemical compound synthesized from formaldehyde and dimethlyaniline.)
6. If you have a persistent thrush infection of your nipples, that won’t go away despite treatment, consider that it a} might not be thrush, but rather a bacterial infection or b] might be the result of an undiagnosed tongue tie (many tongue tied babies will continually abrade the nipple as they suck, making you susceptible to infection and difficult to treat without fixing the source of the problem first)…but this is a topic for another day.
Sorry this is so long. I just know what it’s like to suffer for a long time with a persistent thrush infection.
Hi Felicie, Very interesting blog! I know you will get lots of feedback from mothers who have unfortunately had a challenging time with thrush. Just wanted to also suggest that readers take a look at our local NL resource on Breastfeeding and Thrush.You can download this fact sheet in the More Information section of this website. Here’s the link
http://www.babyfriendlynl.ca/more-information/
If you are worried about whether or not you have thrush and possible treatment options talk to your local public health nurse or lactation consultant.
Amber and Janet- thanks for the excellent tips! I hope others will write in too and share some other advice.
I wanted to pass on the link to this article I found about thrush. It’s from the La Leche League magazine “New Beginnings”. It’s about a women who didn’t let thrush stand in the way of the breastfeeding relationship she desired. You can find it at: http://www.llli.org/nb/nbsepoct98p139.html
Enjoy!