Thrush

[kuz78au]

Hi all, I've been bf my nearly 5 week old and looking for some good ideas on how to get rid of and prevent thrush! I've had it for a couple of weeks now (antibiotics started it I think!) and we are using nilstat on nipples and in bubs mouth. Seems to be better but not gone completely - well I think because pink and tender nipples and she has a bit of white in her mouth still. Any ideas?

I saw the pharmacist originally who suggested the nilstat and considering maybe going to the drs if it doesn't clear up soon. I don't want to give up bf'ing so want to try and get it sorted thought I'd come in here and see if anyone had a similar issue previously. Tia!

[Ngaiz]

You can use either daktarin cream or oral gel on your nipples. I would recommend the cream as the gel is sugary and make sure you wipe your nipples clean before feeding then reapply after each feed.

[someonesomewhere]

I was in your shoes a month or two back, it lingered for about a month. Thrush can be stubborn but dont despair just keep up with the treatment.

this is what we did:
Washed everything every laundry by adding Canesten laundry rinse (kills the fungi in your laundry i.e. your bras, baby clothes that have had milk on it etc) - i found it at Coles near the fabric softeners
I started off nilstat drops in his mouth and on my nipples - didnt work for me. However he didnt have any signs in his mouth tho. He needed to take it to prevent me passing it to him and then reinfecting me.
then i tried daktarin gel on my nipples after every feed
then i also tried mycostatin (need prescription for that) and in the end I had to add a steroid cream to the daktarin which then helped clear it. I also took diflucan but you cant take this while breastfeeding (i had to express a stash of milk for 3 feedings and then take it, pump and dump the next three feeds) if you have expressed milk in your freezer by all means you could use that, or if you dont and dont mind using formula for those three feeds (you can buy pre mixed brick packs at the formula isle in 200 ml sizes, i think its $1.75 per 200mls - its expensive but if its only for 3 feeds ever it doesnt matter. I ended up buying three but never used it as i was able to express enough milk for 3 feeds

I know that you can also get nilstat tablets (i found out after mine had cleared) but i dont know if you need to get a prescription for it, but those are fine while breastfeeding and you dont have to pump and dump.

Best of luck for you and bubbie, Thrush truly sucks but once its gone and you stuck with BF it will have been worth it.

If after another 3 weeks it still hasnt cleared or you still have the blanched nipples or pain, get your GP to check your nipples again, sometimes vasospasm is misdiagnosed for thrush (because of the nipple pain and blanching) and you get thrush treatment but you end up having vasospasms. thats what I had at the end of it all and the thrush had cleared but i still had nipple pain and blanching of the tips of my nipples. I then had to work on my latch and get the nipple in DSs mouth deeper. it was a long road and i struggled until he was 11 weeks but we got there in the end. DS is now 16 and a half weeks and the last 5 weeks have been great

good luck