Why I don't trust the pharmacists advice

[tickle]

Today I went to the pharmacy as I noticed a couple of white dots inside Millie's mouth which I suspected were thrush. The pharmacist told me not to worry about it unless it starts to spread (I'm wondering if this is even correct). I told him I was relieved that he had said that as I am already giving her horrible zantac for her reflux, which she hates and didn't want to have to put anything else in her little mouth. The pharmacist then went on to tell me that I should give her a 'special' formula with bacterias in it and that will solve her reflux. I told him that that wouldn't be possible as she is breastfed and her reflux is greatly improved on the zantac. He then went on to say that breastfeeding is only important at the start for colostrum and after that there's no difference.:eek: I told him that I would be ok without it. I won't be going back.:rolleyes:

[ziggie]

I agree with you - don't go back there. I'm not a Pharmacist, but am a dispensary assistant in a hospital pharmacy, and I'm a bit shocked at his advice to be honest. :no: To me, it sounds like oral thrush, and may not go away unless treated... Maybe you should go to another pharmacy for a second opinion?

[melfunction]

E, I would go back there either. What a womble.

Anyhoo, go to a different chemist. If it is thrush, they will most likely give you something like Daktarin Oral Gel, which most bf women, lather on their nipple before feeds.

[tickle]

Thanks for the advice. I think I will go to a different one tomorrow.
(What was I thinking, I should have just asked you KM)

[Ana Gram]

Ok, I'm no expert on breastfeeding and I am certainly no expert on thrush, but with the likelyhood that it is indeed thrush, no treating it runs the risk of your nipples getting thrush and creating a cycle. What a looney!

[draught]

Although it may well be thrush just keep an eye on it - I was told DD1 had thrush when she was 6 weeks old because her tongue was white and was slathering the Daktarin on her and me - then read good old Robin Barker who said that many breastfed babies get white tongues until they are 8 - 12 weeks old because there's not a lot of saliva to clean the tongue.

She goes on to say that thrush appears as patchy white spots on the inside of the lips and cheeks that cannot be removed by wiping - so if your darling bubba has that - it is thrush and treat it as such.

BTW - that pharmacist sounds like a complete knob!

[Pixie]

I am deeply offended......by KM's comments the guy was a womble...wombles are great KM please respect all wombles :D

moving on
HL you sure he was the pharmacist and not just some twot behind the counter!!! honestly!!

[mumtok&z]

He has obviously got his wires crossed! I wonder if this is the reason why it isn't MEN who actually have babies! Their theories are usually something to Question. My husband thought that when i breadt fed that my nipple only had one hole like a teat of a bottle. :banghead: I had to explain to him that it is more like a showerhead. See what i mean about their theorys?

[Tam-I-Am]

What an idiot!

If its' thrush in Millie's mouth, you can tell by trying to move the spots with the tip of cotton bud - if they stay put, they're thrush. If you start to notice shooting pains in your breast when you're feeding (and when you're not for that matter!) then you have thrush on your nipples. Treat both. BTW the Daktarin oral gel is not great for nipples -use canestan cream or similar, just be sure to wipe it off before a feed.

And find another pharmacist! I wonder if there's some sort of advisory board that you could inform, given the inappropriateness of his advice!

I remember a dental assistant coming and speaking to my mother's group when DD was about 3 months old, and advising us to stop breast OR bottle feeding at 6 months due to the risk of dental decay - I thought that that was incredibly irresponsible, given that milk is still REALLY important at 12 months - let alone 6. Some people are just stupid. Plain and simple (BTW this doesn't reflect on some of the wonderful dental assisstants I have met - just this one idiot!)

[tickle]

LOL, a showerhead, that's a great explanation. They really don't get it though. My DH freaks out about touching breastmilk. I asked him if he has a problem touching cows milk and he said no and looked at me with a strange look. Yes he's a weird one.:rolleyes:
Nat: He was the main guy that the behind the counter lady got.
T: It is definately thrush. She's got little spots of white stuff in her cheeks and it can't be removed. Poor girl. I'll get her sorted out tomorrow.

[*Chels*]

What a ****!!
Hope Millie clears up soon:fingerscrossed: (and you too)

[lukaelmo]

Numbnut.

When the dude was about a week old I took him to my GP (now my ex GP:D ) for the week old check and she told me he had thrush and wrote me out a prescription.

I was quite wary of medicating someone who had only been here for a week, so I ignored her and didn't have the prescription filled.

The next week I saw a lactation consultant who told me what Draught mentioned above, and also mentioned that it was highly unlikely that a c/s baby had gotten thrush.

Good on you for listening to you first.

[Maghan]

With DD, who was completely breastfed, we both got the most horrible thrush - she in her mouth and me on both my nipples - YOUCHHHHH! My nipples were red raw. As suggested earlier I used some daktarin gel on my nipples which fixed us both up.

[meme]

argh, what horrible advice. the people you need to complain to would be APMAIF this is the group that regulates the marketing of infant formula in Australia.

you can read the martketing aggreement on the web, and check out the WHO code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes as well if you're interested, although we don't follow all the guidelines it gives you a good base for looking at ethical marketing practices. breastfeeding can be hard enough to master without someone telling you you 'need' a formula:banghead:

if it was me, i would be taking in some information on why breastfeeding is important. that guy needs educating.

he also should know about thrush..:no: .

good luck on clearing it up quickly.

[mamachops]

My husband thought that when i breadt fed that my nipple only had one hole like a teat of a bottle. :banghead: I had to explain to him that it is more like a showerhead. See what i mean about their theorys?

Erm, I assumed the same as your DH before I breastfed!:o