Tag Archives: thrush

Using Gentian Violet Without Staining Your Entire House Purple

We’ve been using Gentian Violet to treat our daughter’s thrush for the past few days. The number one complaint about it is that it is messy. It temporarily stains the mother’s nipples and baby’s mouth and cheeks purple, and will permanently stain any fabric it comes into contact with. I will agree with mothers who say Gentian Violet is messy. I don’t think it’s quite as bad as people make it out to be, however. With a little caution and common sense, administering it to your thrush-ridden child doesn’t have to be a huge deal. If you are about to … Continue reading →

Thrush: A Persistent Little Bugger

Despite my best efforts to get rid of my daughter’s thrush, it keeps coming back. It’s been about a month since we first noticed white spots in her mouth, and while they haven’t gotten worse and have even disappeared for a few days, they always return. After using an entire bottle of Nystatin didn’t get rid of the thrush, her doctor prescribed Diflucan. As fatal liver damage is a possible side effect, we decided against using it. The thrush, located in a small area on the inside of her cheek, is causing her no discomfort whatsoever and has never spread … Continue reading →

It’s Official: She Has Thrush

After debating whether my baby had thrush and trying natural, preventative measures just in case, I finally took her to the doctor. The spots in her mouth weren’t spreading, but they also weren’t getting better. In addition, I had been warned by midwives and lactation consultants that thrush, if passed to the mother’s breast, can be extremely painful for the mother. So off we went, and, sure enough, it was thrush. Luckily, her pediatrician told us that we caught it very early. We went straight from the doctor to pick up prescriptions for Nystatin – one for her mouth, one … Continue reading →

Why Did My Baby Get Thrush?

No one knows. There, satisfied? I’m guessing not. Seriously, though, it can be difficult to pinpoint why babies come down with thrush. There are some things we know for sure concerning thrush. We know that thrush is an overgrowth of the yeast, called candida, found in every person’s body. We know that infants are more susceptible to thrush because their immune systems aren’t fully developed and they are in the process of developing a healthy balance of fungi and bacteria in their bodies. As far as why certain babies get thrush while others do not, there are a lot of … Continue reading →

Be Afraid, Thrush. Be Very Afraid.

I wrote yesterday that I’m suspicious my daughter might have thrush. Experienced family members and her pediatrician all think it probably isn’t thrush, but I’m taking some precautions, just to be safe. I emailed a midwife I greatly trust (she delivered both of my older sisters in home births 25+ years ago and is still delivering babies), and got some great advice. She suggested buying a probiotic in capsule form, breaking open the capsule, and dipping my daughter’s binky into the powder. She said that allowing her to suck on the powder would help restore the natural balance of fungi … Continue reading →

No, That’s Not Cottage Cheese In My Baby’s Mouth

I love when my daughter smiles, and I love making her laugh. She has yet to pop a tooth, and her gummy grins are almost too cute to take. It was during a smile-fest last week that my husband and I thought we noticed a little white spot on one of her gums. At first we thought it might be a tooth, but realized it was something else. My first thought was that it might be thrush, and we decided to keep a close eye on her mouth. Sure enough, a few days later, we noticed another white spot, this … Continue reading →

Nursing Nuisances: Thrush

Out of all the nursing nuisances I have dealt with, thrush has been the most trouble. Thrush, or candida, is basically an overgrowth of yeast in the mouth. We all have a certain amount of yeast in our mouths, intestinal walls, and genital areas. It becomes problematic when it overgrows. In my experience it is important to diagnose and treat thrush early before it spreads to mom. Generally, there is not really a cause for thrush. . .it just happens. However, if baby or mom has recently been on antibiotics, this could allow for the overgrowth of yeast in the … Continue reading →