I had high aspirations for breastfeeding. And although my first child and I had beautiful moments, we experienced a medical condition I would never wish on my worst enemy. Let’s call it the THRUSH MONSTER!
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services describes a mother’s symptoms of thrush as “sore nipples that last more than a few days, even after you make sure your baby has a good latch.” I describe it as feeling like someone stuck nails in a perfect circle around my nipples, then repeatedly hammered those nails until I was a whimpering mess.
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More Fun Symptoms for Mom
- Pink, flaky, shiny, itchy, or cracked nipples
- Deep pink and blistered nipples
Thrush is caused by an overgrowth of Candida (think yeast infection). Usually Candida exists in human bodies without issue. But then something upsets our natural balance of bacteria (like antibiotics), which can cause Candida to overgrow.
At first I had no idea why there was sudden nipple pain. Then I noticed whiteness in my baby’s mouth. An immediate trip to the pediatrician confirmed thrush, along with the knowledge I needed to treat myself and baby. Otherwise, we’d simply spread the infection back and forth.
Baby Thrush Symptoms
- White patches on the inside of the mouth, along the inside of the gums, inside of the cheeks, roof of mouth, throat, or tongue
- Diaper rash that does not respond to regular diaper creams
- A baby with thrush might not exhibit either of these symptoms
The infection can cause mouth or throat pain and lead to a nursing strike. This actually happened to us, which meant a lot of pumping, bottle feeding, and then coaxing baby back to breastfeeding once the infection cleared up.
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How We Banished the Thrush Monster
- Drugs from the pediatrician
- Everything (I mean, everything!) that could have come into contact with the yeast was washed in very hot water (above 122°F) several times over a couple of weeks. This included sheets, teething toys, nursing bras, and nursing clothing.
- These same items were laid out in the backyard under direct sunlight for several hours.
- I switched from disposable nursing pads to cotton nursing pads (whenever possible). First reason, disposable pads lock in moisture, but cotton is breathable. And secondly, I could wash the cotton pads in very hot water to kill the thrush.
- Washed hands often, especially when dealing with baby’s yeasty diaper rash.
- Became even more vigilant sterilizing all breast pump parts after every single use.
- Applied half vinegar/half water mixture on both nipples after feedings because yeast doesn’t like acidic environments.
A few weeks later, we were finally in the clear. Thankfully, the thrush monster never reared its ugly head again. It was a sweet victory.
Have you battled thrush? Share your tips below.
