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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Help!! Thrush in 1 week old :(

23 replies

McQueasy · 08/03/2012 11:42

Hi all! Looking for your wisdom.
I had massive doses of antibiotics whilst in labour and now dd (1 week) has oral thrush.
Top of her mouth is coated and she has white spots on her Tongue. I have severe pain in one breast and I'm pretty sure it's not due to a latch.
My nipples are fine and the pain is stabbing like a red poker and worse after feeding.
Have phoned and spoke to gp who seemed a bit unclear on the use of fluconazole for me.
What is the best treatment. Will fluconazole be bad for dd? Confused!!

OP posts:
McQueasy · 08/03/2012 12:28

Bumpity bump!

OP posts:
crikeybadger · 08/03/2012 12:31

Have a look at the Breastfeeding Network site McQueasy- they have info on treating thrush that you can print out and give to your GP.

HTH

nannyl · 08/03/2012 13:03

I suggest you read this

updated in Jan 2012 so very up to date

McQueasy · 08/03/2012 13:13

Thank you soo much for your help. Nannyl, my pain is definitely worse on one side. Do you think that means I don't have it even although the baby does?

OP posts:
nannyl · 08/03/2012 14:01

No Idea, sorry.

about a month or so ago i had extreme pain but it was only 1 side (mostly)... It was truley agonising....
Dr said you cant get thrush in only 1 breast and wouldnt give me thrush treatment (though my baby had no signs of thrush or thrush at all)

My pain come and goes but has gone away pretty much by itself, and took about 3 weeks to go

MigGril · 08/03/2012 14:21

They do say the pain needs' to be in both breats, but regardless of wearther you have thrush or not then as your DD has thrush you should BOTH be treated for it as she will pass it to you.

As for the breast pain I would also look to seeing a BF counciler to see if there are other issues that could be causing the pain. contact one of the helpline's or your local dropin group.

PrincessScrumpy · 08/03/2012 14:29

I'm sorry but I am going to strongly disagree with some posters - you can definitely get thrush in one side. I have 6.5mo dtds and at 3 weeks though bf was sorted, then I got mastitis and was given antbiotics, these gave me thrush and my babies too.

Each feed I would start the one who woke first on the painful breast so I could get that feed done and enjoy the second baby's feed on the other breast. As the both had it I didn't keep them to a particular breast.

Often the affected breast is the one with the worsed cracked nipple (or the one that was the worsed originally even if it's healed now), and this was true for me. It can take a couple of weeks to get better and should be treated with tablets for you, cream for your nipples and drops for the baby's mouth. I was so close to giving up bfing because of it and it was far worse than mastitis.

tbh I have never heard of the "one breast" thing until this thread.

Hope it gets better for you very soon x

PrincessScrumpy · 08/03/2012 14:33

Just read the link someone put on hear - completely different to the leaflet I was given.

Definitely check latch as always best to check - I have to use rugby hold position for my right boob to get latch right - all 3 babies prefered it so I wonder if my nipple tilts slightly(?).

Mine was diagnosed as the pain was in the breast not the nipple and felt like razor blades being pulled down by the milk.

MigGril · 08/03/2012 19:19

Princess the BfN leaflet is Very new so you could have easily been given an old leaflet.

OhBuggerandArse · 08/03/2012 19:31

Definitely possible to get it worse (or only) in one side. I have myself. Take the BFN leaflet in to your doctor, and if she's still uncertain about prescribing ask to see another doctor who will.

I'd ask for the whole shebang: it sounds from your description like the thrush is fairly well set in, so you'll need fluconazole for you plus canes ten for you nipples and the baby's bottom, plus whatever the baby's supposed to have orally (there are two treatments, can't remember the names, but they are both cleared for neonates so there shouldn't be a problem with that bit).

The thing you need to say to the doctor is that even though fluconazole isn't licenced for breastfeeding women, the amount that gets into your milk is hugely less than is licenced to give directly to neonates. Not treating the thrush proactively and quickly could destroy your entire breastfeeding relationship; it's just not worth the risk of that.

RitaMorgan · 08/03/2012 20:22

Daktarin oral gel is really good for the baby's mouth - don't let them give you nystatin as it's rubbish.

DangoDays · 08/03/2012 20:39

Congrats on birth of DD. We had thrush early on too. Felt really worried about it but quickly sorted after trip to bfding clinic then docs. Midwife at clinic advised me to make sure doc knew that both of us needed to be treated and what with as she suggested some docs may not know best treatment. Daktarin gel for bebe and cream for me. Brilliant and rapid relief. Hope this helps and that pain/thrush sorted soon.

33goingon64 · 08/03/2012 21:34

We had thrush when DS was 5 weeks and it hung around for 5 weeks before I was finally given fluconazole when daktarin and nystatin hadnt worked. I had to go to gp 5 times. Keep asking til you get help to get rid of it. My life changed when it finally disappeared, bf was a pleasure. Good luck.

MrsTimeOut · 09/03/2012 03:49

Thrush is VERY VERY painful. You are doing amazing to keep feeding through it. I tried everything topical but the only thing that worked was a. 28 day course of diflucan. Even then my go wouldn't prescribe it. My bf group leader rang lactation consultant in my maternity hospital then rang my gp and that's how I got the script. After about 3 r. 4 days of taking the tablets I finally, finally started to enjoy Breastfeeding and not dread every feed. Best of luck in getting resolved and well done for persevering through the pain

McQueasy · 09/03/2012 09:06

Thanks for your help and support. Still not quite sure if I do have thrush or not. Pain is definitely worse (excruciatingly so) on one side. Midwife checked my latch and said it was fine. Gp said no fluconazole as my nipples weren't red or shiny that the infection couldn't be that bad Confused
Really struggling to feed at all from that side so I am only feeding dd from one side and pumping from the other.
Not sure what else to do :(

OP posts:
Keziahhopes · 09/03/2012 12:14

Hi - similar here too, 1 week old baby with oral thrush after I had lots of antibiotics in labour etc. I don't have it yet, but Dr prescribed me Daktarin gel for baby and me... which is clearing his mouth well. I have no symptoms but am increasingly sore, but as I have reduced lactation it is not helping. Daktarin isn't prescribed usually for neonates I was told, but they gave it to me anyway and it is working after 2 days really well! Hope you get something to help you soon.

OhBuggerandArse · 09/03/2012 13:16

Go back and ask to see another GP. Not his/her place to judge your degree of discomfort, or to refuse treatment. 'Not that bad'? Who the hell do they think they are?

I had a similar experience, I have to say - the first doctor I saw looked terribly sympathetically at me and said 'yes, these early days are so hard, aren't they' and asked if my mum could come round to take the baby out for a walk in the pram to give me a break. Clearly that would be very helpful in treating a yeast infection...

Then when I asked for another appointment with a different doctor, they had to go out on call and I was sent back to the first useless one who still wouldn't prescribe. Third appointment I got someone sensible and straightforward who prescribed fluconazole plus everything else, and it was cleared up within a week.

So it really is worth persevering - please do try again, and don't feel embarrassed about keeping on going back to them.

Other things that can help:

wash everything that comes in contact with either of your skins in a proper hot wash

probiotics (acidophilus) and grapefruit seed extract as supplements for you

cut out sugar as much as you can (hard I know when you're feeling tired and hungry, but if you boost your protein intake it can help with cravings)

calendula cream for the baby's bottom can be helpful

If the worst comes to the worst and you can't get the doctor to prescribe, I would just get someone to go and buy over the counter fluconazole for you and not let on that it's for a breastfeeding mother. You are NOT going to do your baby any harm by it, and at the very least, if you get some relief it will be diagnostically useful.

Grr. It makes me so cross that people are still having such difficulty with this issue - I reckon it must be one of the biggest causes of people unwillingly giving up breastfeeding before they want to, and it would be so simple to issue clear guidance for GPs that would eliminate the problem completely.

Good luck, and do keep us posted about how you're getting on.

OhBuggerandArse · 09/03/2012 13:29

Oh, and some more thoughts (sorry, am on hobby horse)

You're doing so well to keep pumping from the sore side - I found that even more painful than feeding from it! But if you're using a steam steriliser, I think they're sometimes not hot enough to kill the thrush spores and you may need to switch to boiling the pump parts till you're all clear.

Same with everything that may come into contact with milk - bras, nighties, sheets, muslins, bottles etc. There will be a LOT of washing, but it really does help.

RunnyBum · 09/03/2012 14:27

Haven't time to read other responses so not sure if I'm repeating! DD2 (5 weeks at time) and I had thrush for 3months nothing worked until I finally convinced the dr to prescribe fluconazole it really saved me as the whole situation was driving me mad, can't believe I kept feeding. You have my sympathy it's miserable hope u get it sorted soon xx

RitaMorgan · 09/03/2012 17:31

Definitely go and see another GP, and take the BFN leaflet with you.

Minstrelsaremarvellous · 09/03/2012 17:57

Thank you SO much for posting this invaluable information and BFN sheet. I've been paranoid that I've/we've got thrush and you've confirmed that I should chill out Confused thank you!!!

DangoDays · 09/03/2012 20:08

I'm with the other posters suggesting seeing another GP with leaflet. When I originally phoned for an appointment and mentioned it was for breastfeeding I was given an appointment with a specific doctor who tended to see new mothers and babies - which really helped as she knew exactly how to help. If you are in pain then it should be treated. It absolutely sounds like thrush and both of you need treatment. What did the midwife say re. thrush? I would go along to a breastfeeding clinic too for support, but absolutely go back to see another doc asap. You are doing really well to continue despite pain. Keep us posted. All the best.

OhBuggerandArse · 10/03/2012 15:59

The old leaflet with the bit written especially for GPs is available as the last link here. I think it's actually much more helpful than the new FAQ, which I think is a bit oddly constructed and has got some debatable stuff in. In fact, I might start a separate thread about that.

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