Ouch! Thrush! Please hold my hand :-(

[Ellellie]

Owwww! Feeding 4 month old DS wasn't even this painful when we first started!

Noticed a white coating in his mouth Thursday last week. Doctors on Friday, given the oral suspension stuff. Doctor said nothing for me even though nipples were red and sore. Nipples got worse over the weekend and went back to doctors on Tuesday and got cream for me.

Have heard it gets worse before it gets better but yikes! One side is just eyewateringly painful to feed from and now it's bleeding too! I feel like I'm going to pass out everytime he attaches!

Please hold my hand through this difficult time and tell me it's all going to be ok. I don't want to give up feeding, just need pity :-(

Oh, I'm so sorry - poor poor you. Thrush is just the worst. If it's any help, I had it a few weeks ago and it was significantly better within about 5 days of starting to use the cream, and had totally cleared up within 2 weeks. What I found helpful was airing the nipples as much as possible - I spent a lot of time walking around the house with my boobs hanging out. (In fact, I got so used to it, that I forgot I was half naked, and answered the door to a very embarrassed postman ). And laying off the Lansinoh also helped - I think it had created perfect conditions for the thrush to thrive. But I really really hope the cream starts taking effect soon for you - in the meantime, just take it one feed at a time. The pain will be a distant memory soon.

Thanks Molly, I'm having a chuckle at your answering the door to the postman (I'm sure you can forgive me in these desperate times!) I'm glad you mentioned the Lansinoh, I was just about to slather myself up with some but I'll resist the temptation!

To be fair, it has gotten slightly better this afternoon. I cried when DS wanted feeding earlier because it's just so painful and as soon as he latched on I had to snatch him off because I thought I would pass out if there were any more pain. He's just been on that side now and although I still feel like hot pins are being prodded into my nipples, it's not as bad as this afternoon.

I do hope it all works, toys/bras/cloths are all getting a very hot wash tomorrow!

Just keep repeating 'this too shall pass' through gritted teeth. It will pass in a few days or so. Just make sure you keep religiously treating the. Orb of you or you will pass the infection back and forth.

I had it with dd2. I didn't know what it was a first and was crying with pain. I had Daktarin, I think it was, which worked a treat.

Holding your hand. Have some and .

And I'm pretty sure I typed 'both' not Orb.

I hate this iPhone sometimes. I never had such a shit keyboard on my old one.

Poor you. you're doing an amazing thing to keep on feeding through all this. Are you taking plenty of painkillers - you can take paracetamol and extra strength ibuprofen together and make sure you take them on a regular basis whether you think you need them or not for now as ibuprofen only works for inflammation if taken regularly.

Thanks ladies. Painkillers are a good idea, I'll go and raid the cupboard after DS has finished this toe curling feed. He's wriggling around trying to get comfy and it's agony! Last feed he decided he was finished by clamping down then pulling his head back...it's a good job he's too understand swearing

Congrats on your son!! Well done for bfing through all that pain. It is horrendous. I had it on dd1 and creams etc didn't nothing for it. Ended up on 28 day course of diflucan (50mg) and that did the trick. Try using washable breast pads rather than disposable and wash them in boiling water to kill any bacteria. Hope it clears up really soon & you can go back to enjoying bfing your son.
BTW, ouch on him sucking off the nipple. V v v sore

What do we think about nipple guards? I'm thinking of getting some just to stop the irritation rubbing against clothes, but do we think they will help feeding for a day or two, or are they not worth it?

Am laid on the sofa with a pashmina covering my chest with cream everywhere. No matter where I put DS he finds a way of kicking/grabbing my nipples! Little wriggler! I thought I'll just stay here all day but I forgot I have a baby massage class this afternoon :-( so I've got to trek all they way across town to that

Hi, have you tried grapefruit seed extract? You get it from health food shops. You can take it internally and/or dilute it and swab onto the nipples. I found it extremely effective in clearing up a very stubborn thrush infection quickly.

Thanks gastrognome I'll grab some on the way through town. How often should I take/apply it?

If I remember rightly I would take a few drops in a glass of water every morning (check the bottle for directions as some brands are stronger than others) and applied the solution about three times a day. I used this web page as a guide, but admit that I didn't apply every hour as directed. I guess it depends on how badly you have it.
For me it worked very quickly - within a day or two.
I also carried on taking the diluted GSE every morning for a couple of weeks after symptoms disappeared, and again when I suspected it might be coming back a couple of months later. Never had any more pain though.

Nipple guards may help with the pain of latching on/feeding BUT they can then reinfect you as they could then reinfect you (you may still be sore while you are healing but thrush free as the meds have killed off the thrush organism only to then get thrush back).

If you can't bf with out them (and thrush is incredibly painful!) washing them in hot soapy water then boiling them post-feed for 5 mins should kill off any thrush organisms that may be on the shield. This would have to be done after every feed though just to make sure.

Also, if you are using washable breast pads switching to disposable ones and throwing them away after each feed can help prevent reinfection too.

You need some breast shells. They are plastic cup things that fit over your nipples and keep your clothes off them. I had some Avent ones and they really helped when I was in agony. Leave off the Lansinoh and put these on instead. Also, try to get hold of Daktarin rather than Nystatin - gel for your baby and cream for you. A long course of fluconazole and Daktarin cream/gel finally got rid of mine.

Thanks all :-)

Got the nipple shields and some Grapefruit Seed Essence. Nipples are feeling a bit better for not having clothes rubbing against them and as long as they don't dry out, it's not as painful to feed (although it still bloody hurts!) hopefully all this will help clear it up by Monday (at least the pain?!) It looks like it's gone from DS's mouth now but I'm still gonna give him his stuff until I'm sorted, I NEVER want thing to happen again!

We're your nipples ok before you got the thrush OP?
I'm asking because I had a very bad nipple condition when I had my DS and had to give up breast feeding him as I couldn't stand the pain/my milk was pink with blood. However it started when I was 20wks pregnant.. I was tested for thrush almost weekly by midwife, docs and health visitors (even by a breast deeding specialist whilst i was in active labour on the ward!) but all came back negative. I managed to feed him for only 6wks but the condition didn't fully go away until he was 8month old.
I'm now 27wk pregnant with DC2, and again this has happened, I've already been tested of thrush, all negative, but am using daktarin cream (prescribed) and oilatum body lotion (asda!) to try keep my nipples under control.. They weep, crust, bleed, peel and itch/sting unbearably otherwise .
I'm watching this thread with interest as I'd really like to be able to breast feed DC2when he/she arrives.

Hi celebmum Sorry to here you are having such a bad time :( I was fine before all of this started, it's just regular PITA thrush.

Feeling better again now, still really painful though. After closer inspection, I can see all the cracks on my nipples I've started to try and feed DS in different positions so he latches in different places so it's not as painful iyswim.

Another question. How do the cracks heel if you don't use lanisoh? At the moment it feels like they dry up but then get opened up again with DS sucking. Surely that's going to make the healing process longer (and extra painful?) or am I missing the point?

Thanks again :-)

celebmum - have they tested for a staph infection? There was a study done in Australia that found all the mums that were diagnosed with thrush when they tested for it didn't have it - they had a staph infection instead (or didn't have either thrush or staph).

Worth a shot if they are testing you for thrush at any point to do a swab for staph too.

Truthsweet, that is interesting. I wonder if it explains why Grapefruit seed extract can be so efficient at treating these problems, as GSE is supposed to be effective in combating staph infections too.