RSS
Home
Breastfeeding 101: How do you treat thrush?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
How do you treat thrush?
To treat thrush, see your doctor. Even if mom shows no symptoms, both mom and baby need to be treated for thrush to prevent passing the fungus back and forth through breastfeeding.
The tips below are for informational purposes only. Home remedies are not to be used in place of doctor-prescribed medication or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the web.
Do you suspect you or your baby has thrush? Contact your doctor who can prescribe a mild antifungal medication for your baby and an antifungal cream, like Nizoral®, for your breasts.
10 Home Remedy Tips
1. Before and after nursing. Wash and rinse your hands and nipples in equal parts of white vinegar and water after each feeding until the thrush clears up. Apply vinegar and water mixture with a fresh cotton ball. Dry your hands with paper towels. Allow your nipples to air dry. Mix a new solution every day.
2. Nursing. The pain of thrush causes stress, which does not help you relax so your milk can letdown. Press a damp warm washcloth on your breast before nursing to help the milk let down. You may want to numb your nipple with ice wrapped in a cloth. Begin nursing on the less painful breast. Offer your baby shorter more frequent feedings. If it is too painful to nurse or your child keeps pulling off, you may prefer to pump your milk temporarily and feed your baby with a bottle.
3. Over the counter antifungal creams. Apply antifungal creams to your breasts for several weeks after the thrush disappears. Antifungal creams available without a prescription include: Lotrimin AF, Gyne-Lotrimin, Miconazole, or Monistat®.
4. Yeast diaper rash. Vaseline® or Desitin® can make the thrush rash worse, not better. Yeast feeds on the oils in diaper rash ointments and feeds on the starch in baby powders.
5. Pacifiers, bottles, toys, and breast pump parts. Anything that goes in your baby’s mouth or comes in contact with breast milk must be washed in hot soapy water or equal parts of white vinegar and water every day until the thrust disappears. Even better, boil pacifiers and bottle for twenty minutes. If you pump and freeze your breast milk, freezing does not kill the yeast.
6. Wash your hands often. Wash hands in hot soapy water, rinse in white vinegar and water solution. Dry hands with paper towels. Wash your hands before and after nursing, after using the bathroom, and before or after changing the baby’s diaper.
7. Hydration. Keep up your water drinking regimen. Some believe that drinking green tea three or four times a day helps cleanse your system of excess yeast.
8. Pain relievers. Take ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin, Medipren), if you are not allergic.
9. Diet and dietary supplements. Reduce foods with high amounts of yeast and sugar. Health food stores carry acidophilus supplements to promote the growth of “friendly” bacteria. They include lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidophilus and caprylic acid. A herbal specialist can recommend the dosages.
10. Nursing pads, cloth diapers, bras, and nightgowns. Avoid nursing pads. If you must wear them, change them after every feeding. Yeast can be passed through the laundry. Wash any fabrics that come into contact with your nipples in hot water and bleach. Dry clothes in a hot dryer or dry in the sun.
For more information:
Breastfeeding 101: What is thrush?
Breastfeeding 101: What are the common symptoms of thrush?
Breastfeeding 101: How can babies contract thrush?
Find a La Leche League Group meeting near you.
La Leche League International strives to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpg)
