Ninajewel

Hi ladies advice please!

I have been exclusively BF DS2 for 10 weeks and last week he started pulling off the boob being distressed and drolling like mad. My boobs were pink and sore I presumed this was from his pulling off the boob but over the weekend I got the agonising shooting pains and they seemed to get worse and wrose so I knew it must be thrush. We were prescribed Daktarin when he was a week old for thrush I was never convinced he had, I gave it to him once, he cried and I never gave it to him again but he didn't have anymore symptoms of thrush so I didn't worry about it.

Bit of research on the net said the best thing to clear it completely is fluconozole. Both of us a bit better today but I rang HV this morning she said I need fluconozole but she can't prescribe have to see doc. Doc refusing to give it as its not licesnced for use in BF mothers and she doesn't want to risk it so has given me masses of Daktarin gel and said to use it 4 times a day on DS mouth and my nipples for 10 days and if it doesn't clear to go back and she will reassess.

So I had a read of the leaflet and it says specifically not to be used in babies under 4months I know this is only because of the choking hazard but still surely that means its not licesnced in babies under 4months???

But more importantly I am reluctant to give it to him because it has a REALLY really strong flavour and I am soooo upset that all the effort I have gone to not letting anything but booby milk past his lips and now I have to put this rank stuff in his mouth 4 times a flipping day for 10 days so his first taste of anything other than booby is this!!! And its not just the flavour, the non-active ingredients are: potato starch, ethanol, polysorbate 20 (E432), sodium saccarin, cocoa flavour, orange flavour, glycerol and water. Now I'm not a particular health freak or anything but my goal was nothing but booby until 6 months... and I just feel that ten days of this crap 4times a day just makes a joke of that.

Am I being silly trying to protect my babies taste buds??!! Or is there any alternatives that either don't taste of anything or are more natural??? Obivously my first concern is to make sure Coop is OK but as we are both a bit better today and he has fed OK I feel like I have a bit of leeway to make sure I am happy with the course of treatment before I do it!

TIA

P.s. Sorry its a bit of a long one but don't know who else to ask and wanted to give all info!!! xxx

candyfloss

I went to my local BF support group who gave me printouts from a LLL book to show my Dr re treatment for thrush, even though Fluconazole isn't licensed for BF women, the amount that comes through the milk isn't enough to effect baby. This really was the only thing to clear me of it, I also used cream on my nipples, and Nystatin for LO.

Breastfeeding network has a good leaflet too...

http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org....t_Feb_2009.pdf

I was also advised to put a barrier cream on LO bottom as they can get a fungal nappy rash too as it can affect their whole digestive system, and for me to eat live yogurt to help clear my system.

Hope you get it sorted soon!

Babyshambelle

Hey hun, Olivia and I had thrush at this stage too and I forstly wanted to give you some

I had the fluconazole, and it worked wonders in the end, maybe try another doctor at your surgery?

Also, there is a natural remedy called gentian violet - this link explains it well http://www.kellymom.com/newman/06gentian_violet.html

I think you can get it from health food type shops, and it would mean that your LO wouldn't have to use the icky orangy daktarin gel. I never used it myself, but I think some of the girls on here have had sucess with it!!

Hope that helps! xxxx

Ninajewel

Ah thanks girls. Very interesting that both your doctors were happy to give you fluconazole, think mine is just being very paranoid. I know she's just trying to protect herself and thats fair enough but I want to protect my boy!!! Annoying because she's not even my actual doctor and I expect mine would give me it!

I think as he fed well today and I am in less pain I am going to hang back and see what happens in the next 24hours. If it continues to improve I'll leave it but if it gets bad again I think I'll try the gentian violet. and if that doesn't work well I'll print out this page and the breastfeeding network leaflet and go armed with it (to my own doctor!!)!