Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Thrush: baby won't feed and suddenly can't express. Argh!

29 replies

Yankunian · 02/09/2008 10:49

So my DD is 3 +1/2 months and this is the second time we have thrush. Unlike last time, the first indication I got was when she started fussing and refusing the breast. Went to GP on Friday after a day or so of this, he diagnosed thrush after a brief look in her mouth and gave us Daktarin. Nothing for my breasts or her bum. No fluconazole of course - I know from last time my GPs are very anti and won't even consider it. I asked. So I bought one 150mg tab and took it that day. Am concerned though that I won't be able to shake it without treating myself more - and have started to notice shooting pains in breasts, so appears I have it.

Four days later, she is feeding a little bit better, but not much - still refuses the breast at times, other times will take it but only after much coaxing and changing of positions and still not sucking normally. Seems unsettled. Feeding her is stressful and painful as she pulls a lot on my nips. Will take a bottle of EBM and have been giving her maybe one in the evening each day. The problem is, I seem unable to express more than a couple of ounces - have never had a problem before. And I'm down to a couple of feeds in the freezer - what can I do to up my milk production? And how can I get rid of the thrush? Should it not be better by now?

OP posts:
Original poster
Yankunian · 02/09/2008 12:39

now it is worse -even after calpol she won't feed at all! am at wits end and will have to go buy formula today if she doesn't improve. desperate to keep bfing but she needs to ear and don;t know what else to do.

OP posts:
madmouse · 02/09/2008 12:44

Clotrimazole cream for your nipples, you can buy it over counter.

Is her bum sore?

Maybe fluco was not a great idea?

If she has fed less for a bit you need to up your supply again. Make sure you eat well and latch her on often, also express after she finishes feeding.

Have you checked her thrush is clearing up? I find a little torch to shine in the mouth very helpful. If you see any white patches keep on treating. ds and i have had thrush a few times and I find daktarin does the job in two days, although I apply it for a week.

scorpio1 · 02/09/2008 12:44

The thrush sounds like it needs Fluc - have you taken the leaflet with you, by the breastfeeding network? You need a big 'loader' dose and then a smaller dose for ten days - v expensive to buy.

Does baby have it in her mouth - you can buy daktarin over the counter (gel)

You need to treat yourself too, otherwise you will just be passing it back and forth.

solo · 02/09/2008 12:53

I got rid of my Dd's oral thrush by dabbing with a cotton bud, small amounts of bi carb solution on her white mouth spots. The meds the doc gave did not do anything other than make her face spotty. I used vingar solution applied with cotton wool pads every day after my shower, then after every feed followed by Clomtrimozole cream. This advice was all given by La Leche League, but she did say it wasn't official any longer due to the salt aspect of bi carb. It was such a small amount though, that I and she didn't see a problem. There wasn't and it sorted the problem quite quickly.
I had thrush in my breasts rather than on them btw.

Original poster
Yankunian · 02/09/2008 12:53

I have taken the leaflet in to the doctor last time and he said no in no uncertain terms. We have been using daktarin for four days in her mouth the prescribed 4 doses a day, and I have been using some left over nappy cream on her tush, clotrimazole cream I had left over on my nips and rinsing with vinegar, changing breast pads constantly, etc. I try to express after every feed attempt - she will latch fine and come off after a minute or two. But my expressing is getting nowhere - v little comes out. Thrush still seems to be in babys mouth - I think - will check. She is still clearly in pain.

OP posts:
solo · 02/09/2008 12:54

Use clean cotton wool/buds each time obviously.

scorpio1 · 02/09/2008 12:55

different gp? is your hv on side? Mine rang my GP and i got a prescription.

Original poster
Yankunian · 02/09/2008 14:34

have tried the hv route but mine seems a bit feeble on that front. How do you even try a different GP? Being american not an expert on the NHS but thought you could only see GPS at the practice you're registered with (all 3 at mine will not prescribe Flucon.)?

Any ideas on how I can up the amount I express? Just tried and got 1.5 ml from both breasts, and that wasn't even after a feed... afraid my supply is going south.

OP posts:
laundrylover · 02/09/2008 14:55

Have you got an infant nutrition coordinator in local NHS? They should be able to send you to a pro Fluc GP. Try calling the midwifes and finding one who is bfing trained to help you sort this.

BTW I cleared thrush with Extract of Grapefruit Seed Oil taken in tablet form. Cleared it from my ducts too...I bought Fluc from Cambodia but it still didn't work!!!

Also are you using Milton on your pump/bottles etc as boiling will not kill thrush and you will be in a vicious circle - I was.

Don't give up hope yet...get the thrush sorted and then you can get your supply back up even if you resort to formula in the meantime. Bfing is better though for boosting your supply - have you tried nipple shields to lessen the pain?

Original poster
Yankunian · 02/09/2008 15:12

Just bought some grapefruit seed oil, so will try that. Also, hadn't been using milton, just sterilising and boiling, so will do that as well.

I definitely won't give up bfing, but am petrified of giving her even one or two feeds of formula. I asked the woman on the LLL helpline about this and she was v hostile to the idea, to say the least. I mean, if I'm pumping, and only using formula as a last resort when she abs won't nurse, until the thrush clears up, will that mean I have to stop bfing?

OP posts:
kennythekangaroo · 02/09/2008 19:26

We've got this too so you have my utmost sympathy - it feels like someone is poking needles in my nipples.

Saw GP today and he told me to put daktarin on my nipples as well as in her mouth - it's a bit sticky but he said it would be the best thing.

My mum suggested giving DD pineapple juice as that is supposed to be good but my DD has just turned 1 so I don't think it'll work for you.

My only other idea was would nipple shields help?

I'm determined to carry on BF for as long as DD wants it but really struggling at the moment as she will only do 1 side.

Original poster
Yankunian · 03/09/2008 12:13

Went to GP last night and he pointed out how the thrush was still quite far back in her throat - that's why, when she's sucking, she's in pain - the nipple gets pulled back as she sucks and irritates the painful bit. He advised me to mix feed and pump for a while until she gets over it, then go back to bf. Have accepted this, since my pumping output is not enough to feed her, though of course I will keep trying.

Just had to give her her first formula feed this morning. She was fine. I cried! Don't know why I'm so emotional about it - I know lots of people feed their babies formula and its no problem, I think it's more of a psychological thing re the closeness and bonding.

OP posts:
scorpio1 · 03/09/2008 12:16

and he stil lwouldnt give you fluc??

It is licensed to give to the baby direct at a higher dose than what it would get 'through' you anyway...

What if the FF affects your supply? You can just ask to see another gp at your practise.

Original poster
Yankunian · 03/09/2008 13:35

No, he still wouldn't, brought in the leaflet and everything. He said maybe if I still had it in a few days, but what am I supposed to feed the baby until then? I have tried HV and all three gps at my practice now and am giving up on that route

I know the FF may affect my supply, but frankly I am prepared for that eventuality. She won't nurse and I just have no other way of feeding my baby. I can't pump more than an ounce or two in 40 minutes with an electic pump, so obvs I can't feed my baby solely on expressed milk - she was getting 8-10 good big feeds a day!

OP posts:
scorpio1 · 03/09/2008 13:36

oh i know how hard it is its terrible.

TheBlonde · 03/09/2008 13:41

I took the grapefruit seed extract as tablets - it seemed to work

Hope things improve soon

TettyLouBar · 03/09/2008 13:52

Ive just been back to Docs for third time with persistant thrush in DD's mouth and my nipples. first and second visit we were given Nystsatin drops for her and clotrimazole for me, now were on Daktarin oral gel which I was told I should apply to my nipples too? is that right?

Also, going on big night out/first time away from DD on Saturday so DH is feeding her EBM for the 36 hours i'm away, I've been saving it up for weeks and weeks so he would have plenty, but after reading that thrush can be in your milk ducts I'm really paranoid that giving her the milk from weeks ago before I realised we had thrush will reinfect her???

should I tell him to just give her ff? really don't wanna do that

Original poster
Yankunian · 03/09/2008 16:08

Wow Tetty, that's a tough one. How long have you/babe had symptoms? Can you just use the older milk and dump the stuff that you expressed while you may have had thrush? Will you have enough? I know they say freezing doesn't kill it off, so better safe than sorry I guess.

God, why didn't I express like mad for the first several weeks, when I had milk spouting from my breasts like crazy? Next time i'll build up a serious milk larder!

OP posts:
kennythekangaroo · 03/09/2008 21:17

Tetty I was told to use oral daktarin too. It's a bit sticky and I'm not convinced it can be absorbed.

After reading all the info on here I went back to the GP for me this time and got some high dose fluc. I'm also rinsing my nipples with vinegar/water and have bought liquid grapefruit seed extract which I've drunk with water (yuck).

I'm desperate for something to work as we're both in agony.

madmouse · 03/09/2008 21:32

Mind you I had milk frozen from the early days when lo was in scbu and I double pumped and my body thought I had starving twins in from Africa. When dh tried to feed ds with it a few months later he was having none of it. Bm changes with your baby, so what he had when he was two weeks he refused at three months.

I swear by daktarin btw, and will not accept nystatin for my lo ever again. Not heard of putting it on my nipples, but that may be why dr prescribed two tubes? But they were both labelled for my son.

TettyLouBar · 04/09/2008 11:21

The two tubes may well have been for you too, sometimes they put the prescription through under your babies name instead of opening up a new episode under your name on the computer system. thats what they did for me.
It does seem to be working, I'm sooooo paranoid about it returning though.
Haven't been using milton, just steam sterilising all equipment, do you think I should replace the bottle teats after its cleared too?
sorry for hijacking this thread (will stop after this question, promise)

TettyLouBar · 04/09/2008 11:24

Yank: I've had the symptoms for about 5-6 weeks!! only realised what it was and got treatment started about 4 weeks ago. It's taken ages to clear, but I can still see white around the ridges of her top gums, I'm thinking thats just the way they are supposed to look though? it doesn't look like the type of white I could scrape away. Gonna keep going....

Original poster
Yankunian · 04/09/2008 13:02

Daktarin prescription (the one for her mouth) says apply four times a day; should I be applying it after every bf session? We have been using it on her for 6 days now and no results. Am really fed up; she will only bf sometimes and then only from one nipple, mostly.

Also, what's the dosage on grapefruit seed oil; I found something that says 10 drops in an ounce of water, but how often?

OP posts:
TheBlonde · 04/09/2008 13:24

info for the GFSE

Original poster
Yankunian · 04/09/2008 16:57

anyone know how often to give the daktarin?

OP posts: