HELP!!!cracked,peeling nipples...possibly thrush too

Jessie - posted on 11/17/2010

@Ashleigh... how are you feeling now? did you get something for relief?

Jessica - posted on 11/17/2010

have you talked to your ob/gyn that treated you while you were pregnant? if that doesn't work i would just go to a different hospital or find a different dr

Arlene - posted on 11/17/2010

I replied to your discussion last week sometime and since then had found out that I also had thrush, and didn't know it. The doctor wouldn't give me a prescription for Jack Newman cream, but gave me somehting he's prescribed before (and also wouldn't treat the baby??) and I am totally better right now, nursing pain free and back to looking normal again. The doctor have me an antifungal/steroid compound and then an antibiotic cream and I had to wipe both off before feeding and then I used gentian violet for four days so my daughter would get some sort of treatment. I am really hoping it's gone for good, I really forgot how great it is to nurse her pain free!!!!
Good luck!!

Christina - posted on 11/12/2010

Thrush feels awful, and it can be hard to treat. I will give you a link to a very helpful website that can explain it much better than I can. Both you and your baby need to be treated, or you'll just keep reinfecting eachother and it won't resolve. DO NOT rub breastmilk in! The sugar and moistness of the milk will make it worse. Keep trying till you find the answer and don't give up!! Sometimes you have to try different things and find out what works for you. Good luck!
http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Candida...

Nicole - posted on 11/12/2010

You need to go to your OB or just have them fill a prescription of Diflucan (sorry if spelling is not correct). If you are taking it I do not think your son needs to be treated bc it I think it goes through your milk. Dr Jack Newman is an excellent resource. He has an excellent website. My 3rd child and I had thrush and it felt like razor blades passing through my nipples when I nursed. I tried the natural stuff and nothing worked but the diflucan. Good luck!!!

Jessie - posted on 11/12/2010

Oh also, it took us more than one doctor and several visits to finally get it resolved.

Jessie - posted on 11/12/2010

http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_...

I had this problem when my son was a newborn, The first medicine they gave us was Nystatin and it did NOTHING, we were immune. My son never had signs in his mouth but he had it in his diaper area. We used a combintation of Diflucan (fluconazole) for BOTH of us, gentian violet, vinegar/water nipple rinses, air drying (butt and nipples!) and boiling the holy hell out of anything that my breasts or his mouth came in contact with (breast pump parts, pacifiers) The website I posted is very good. Check out the gentian violet especially.lts super messy but very effective. good luck. message me/add me if you need more help. good luck

Mary Ann - posted on 11/12/2010

It sounds that you may likely have thrush. Stop using the nipple ointment because it's feeding the yeast. Go see Dr. Jack Newman's website on signs and symptoms of thrush, and the many options for treatment. Hang in there! I've been through it and I promise that once you start treatment you will feel so much better.

Rita M. - posted on 11/12/2010

after breastfeeding sqweeze a few drops of milk out and whipe it around your nipples, and let it air dry, do this every time it hurts.

Lanna - posted on 11/12/2010

treat your nipples with the same treatment your son was. Rub the liquid on your nipples before you breastfeed, expose them to air when you can, keeping them covered will only keep moisture in. warm packs to to relieve pain.Good luck.

Katherine - posted on 11/11/2010

i never got thrush but my nipples did crack and bleed. i used to squeeze out a few drops of my milk and rub it onto my nipples gently cause your milk has healing properties. also it sounds wierd but the most soothing thing ever is to get a cabbage leaf and crush it slighly and lay it over your boob inside your bra. it is amazingly refreshing and healing!!!

Kylie - posted on 11/11/2010

I had thrush in my nipples but no bleeding, but it can come up in your nipples in a few different ways like with white dots. Anyway I used daktarin oral gel its spose to be for little kids but i put that on like lansinoh, but this was prescribed by my lactation consultant so i would go and see one maybe a diiferent one if you are not happy with yours. Good Luck

Ginny - posted on 11/11/2010

If both nipples are cracked and bleeding you really need to get some medication for thrush yourself. Don't fiddle around with the pediatrician if they aren't listening, go directly to your gynecologist or familiy practice doctor. You need to use the medicine on the baby and you both to get over the thrush. When I've had it it feels tingly when I nurse and itchy when I'm not. Now, for total nipple cracks try pure lanolin - you can get the udder balm they sell at the tractor supply store and keep yourself lubed up between feedings. When I've been cracked and sore I let one nipple heal - nursed soley off of one and pumped the other for a day or so, kept the nipple really lubed up then switched after a couple of days to the other nipple that was in the healing process. Then switched back. Nipple healing got sore again but not deadly bloody sore. Also, very important, switch positions so he's not pulling at the same place. Try the football hold, it is really helpful, lay down at a different angle when he latches on. Remember to let yoruself off the hook, his getting a bottle of your milk is okay and pumping if you nurse off one will be easy - the milk will pour out of the other one you're not using and you can get dad to give a bottle and a break from one or two meals. Good luck!

Leah - posted on 11/10/2010

I didnt have thrush, but I have had mastitis twice with my two month old. It was so painful that i couldnt nurse him on one side, so I pumped for a week until I could stand to let him try again. so far so good this time.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 11/10/2010

I hope the new doctor is able to help you. If you leave thrush untreated too long it can get down in the ducts and be very painful. It sounds like that may be what happened. Hope you are better soon!

Arlene - posted on 11/10/2010

I breastfed my son with no problems for 15 months. My daughter is now 8 months old and I have been battling cracked, peeling, bleeding, infected nipples for two months!! It is agonizing! And I too have had to deal with the thought of weaning or just suffering through the pain of continuing to breastfeed. Luckily for my daughter she has good taste and refused a bottle of formula. I am now in the habit of caking on lansinoh or medela brand lanolin and changing my nursing pads a million times a day and letting my breasts get some air a few times a day. Also I bought medela hydro gel nursing lads and they were so cooling it was like a spa day for my breasts!! I highly recommend them for instant relief of pain! I get my nipples almost healed by also nursing her in different positions and the crakcs start to heal but within a few days they start to hurt again and I just power through trying to keep the routine that got them healed before. I didn't get thrush, but a friend of mine did along with her breastfed son and she used this weird bright purple stuff in his mouth and on her, not sure of the name, but it was violet something or other and she swore by it for the baby and herself! Good luck with everything and I hope you get back to a comfortable happy breastfeeding routine very soon!!

Ally - posted on 11/10/2010

my baby got thrush and it took a while to clear up i wanna say a month or two....she went through like four bottles of medicine...you sound like its thrush...my doctor told me to rub her med on my boob and i did after a while we both cleared up...but you need to be treated as well, you can wipe the inside of his month in the morning and that helps too....goodluck girl i know your pain and im sorry

Ashleigh - posted on 11/09/2010

Thank you both.
Sara,I told the Dr. I thought I should be treated too.He said I didn't have thrush.I Said,"But,if the baby has it,and I'm supposed to boil everything his mouth touches,and he breastfeeds,doesn't that stand to reason that it will be passed to me and that I should go ahead and be treated also?"And he informed me that I wouldn't need to be treated because the baby was being treated.THEN he gives me a printout that SAYS we should BOTH be treated.WTH?I'm going back tomorrow (to a different Dr)and tell them whats going on and show them the info you linked.Thank you!

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 11/09/2010

When you had mastitis did you go on antibiotics? Antibiotics can kill good bacteria allowing yeast to grow rapidly. This can cause vaginal yeast infection and thrush. It makes sense to me that this is when you got thrush. When you're on antibiotics usually doctors will recommend eating plain yogurt or taking acidophilus supplements to prevent yeast infections/thrush (even when not breastfeeding). Next time you need antibiotics ask your doctor about this.



When one of you has thrush you BOTH need to be treated or you will keep passing it back and forth. Go back to the doctor and tell them that you both need to be treated. Here's more info on thrush including how to get rid of it:

http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/thrus...

Rita M. - posted on 11/09/2010

I didnt get thrush, but what i did when my nipples got red, bled and peeled was after breastfeeding or when in random pains, i would sqweez a few drops of milk out and rub it around mi nipple and let it air dry for a few minuts laying down, face up so gravity wouldnt make more milk come out, in around 2 weeks it stopped hurting.
i really hope this helps