Thrush, Candida, or Yeast Infections
The common yeast infection that you or your baby may experience is also called thrush or candida.
Infants with thrush have white patches inside their mouths or an angry looking rash on their bottoms. As a mother you can experience sharp shooting pain in your breast with sometimes red and tender nipples. You may also see patches of red or white on your breast.
Most children with candida became infected as they passed through the birth canal and the first symptoms show up in two to four weeks. Occasionally babies have a late onset infection brought about by the use of antibiotics.
If you have comfortably nursed your baby for weeks or months and are suddenly experiencing pain, thrush or candida might be the problem.
While yeast infections can be very painful the respond well to treatment. Doctors will generally prescribe an anti-fungal rinse for the baby’s mouth and an anti fungal cream or ointment for your baby’s bottom and your nipples. Medicine alone does not offer the most rapid or effective course of treatment. In addition to medical treatment you may wish to:
- Rinse the affected area and diaper area with clean water and let them air dry
- Expose the affected area to the sun for a few minutes once or twice a day
- Change your nursing pads after every feeding session
- Change diapers more frequently as yeast thrives in warm damp places
- Using hot soapy water , wash your bras, bottle nipples, breast shells, pacifiers, and anything else that comes into contact with the affected areas on you or your baby.
- Use lanolin or other breastfeeding-friendly nipple treatment to relieve pain.
- Wash your hands before and after feedings and treatments
- Drink more water and reduce your sugar intake
- Treat your partner as if they has had contact with your breasts
Mothers suffering from thrush have found success in using a product called gentian violet. Many pharmacies carry a 1% dilute solution that can be applied to the affected areas using a cotton swab two to three times a day. Be careful as it will stain everything it contacts.
One last word of caution, if your are expressing milk while you have a yeast infection, pump and dump as freezing will not kill the yeast and stored milk can re-infect your baby starting the entire process over again.
