Does this sound like thrush?

[bitingfairy]

Feeding my 8mo DS is always a little uncomfortable (long story with TT finally getting snipped at 13 weeks, and he has a high arched palate - IBCLC's last suggestion was nipple shields which he won't tolerate) but his top front teeth are growing and feeding has been more sore for about a week (ish). I thought it was teething.

Anyway, it's been even more sore for a couple of days, and on Monday I woke with a really painful, lumpy left breast and sore nipple. Plugged duct due to latch changing I thought, and with lots of feeding/massage managed to get rid of the lumps and breast pain, but the nipple pain is still there. I have a white patch on my nipple which I thought was a milk blister, but now think is thrush. It just looks like nipple, but white, not really raised or anything.

Because I thought it was a blister i've been using warm compresses and expressing milk to rub in which hasn't been helping. My nipple is extremely tender and feels on fire. Last night after feeding (which was vv painful) I was in agony for a long time with this burning sensation in my nipple. Not sure if burning is the best description - maybe hot needles/glass. This is now happening after every feed.

The other side is sore but not anywhere near as bad which has thrown me (it's usually both sides isn't it?), and I can't see any patches in DS's mouth (although he won't really let me look) but he has been really grizzly, pulling off and hard to settle for the last couple of days. I put it down to teething, but it could be thrush, right?

I'm in tears because it was so hard to feed at the start and I had to really fight to get the TT snipped. I thought we'd cracked it.

Should I get some daktarin? How quickly will it help if it is thrush?

[organiccarrotcake]

It could be thrush but from your description I think it's more likely to be a blocked duct and milk blister caused by a change in the latch. Milk blisters can be excrutiatingly painful.

On the other hand, thrush can cause that needles/broken glass sensation so it could be that too, and not passed over to the other side yet (or maybe it has a bit with the soreness on the other side).

The difficulty is getting it actually diagnosed as GPs are notoriously rubbish at it :(

IF it's thrush it will start to get better quickly - within a day or so it will start to get better and within a few days you'll feel quite different. It's amazing how quickly terrible thrush pain can get better.

I so feel for you having been through pretty much the same thing (although still feeding at 15 months so there is plenty of reason to keep pushing through :) )

Here's some links for you:

www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html
www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/BfN_Thrush_leaflet_Feb_2009.pdf

[RitaMorgan]

I've had thrush a couple of times, but never had white nipples - they were more pink/shiny and cracked round the base. I always got it after ds or I had anti-biotics.

[organiccarrotcake]

Thrush can create a white spot on the nipple although I've never seen it do so. But as you say, Rita, it's more normally pink and sometimes shiny.

[bitingfairy]

Thanks. My nipples are very pink, but then they're always pink (from the problems with high arched palate) It's hard to say if they're more pink!

I just bought daktarin gel/cream from the chemist, so I'm going to try it and see if it makes a difference. I didn't go to the GP cos they were utterly useless with the TT (as were the local Breastfeeding workers) and I had to go out of area. It's good to know it can start to get better quickly, I think I'll give it a day or two and see if it improves.

I had milk blisters when DS was tiny, and they looked like blisters, but this looks like a tiny area of white nipple - with all the usual creases etc. and it doesn't puff up when I express milk. The pain is all over my nipple/areola not just on the white bit. It looks like when you press and the skin blanches, except it seems permanent. Trust me to be unusual!

Thanks again.

[organiccarrotcake]

Hmm, my DS2 has a high arch palate (associated with TT) so I know what you mean. Yeah, try the Daktarin and see how it goes.

Sorry you had a rough time with getting the TT diagnosed. Sadly only very specialist BFing workers can diagnose it (usually IBCLCs or some qualified breastfeeding counsellors are able to recognise it but not officially diagnose) so don't be too hard on you local BF supporters. Mine DS took 6 months to be diagnosed so like I said, much sympathy and understanding from here.

One thing which helped my DS was cranial osteopathy. It can help to release tension which can be associated with TT and HAP. It can help to spread the palate. It improved things marginally for us (but in our situation anything is worth a try).