Hi! I hope someone on this li*st will be able to give me some help!  I
have been counselling a first time breastfeeding mom-- she bottle fed the
first child.  Her daughter is 4.5 months old, and thriving on breastmilk,
but she had a bout with thrush at two weeks old.  Dr. Rx Nystatin
suspension, and mycostatin powder for diaper rash, but mom was not
treated.  She had some soreness, but attributed this to poor
positioning.  After 14 days on nystatin susp. baby still had thrush, so
she used gentian violet for 3 days, and the baby's thrush has not
returned.  She still had sore nipples at 6 weeks PP, but did not know she
could be infected with thrush.  After I told her this was probably the
cause of the soreness, she used nystatin for 10 days.  Pain dissappeared,
so all was well.  Now baby still has no signs of thrush, but mom appears
to have thrush again, and she has informed me that since about 8 weeks PP
she has had 2-3 day periods of RED sore nipples, which seem to go away
with no treatment.  Positioning of baby is great, and the nipples appear
bright pink, and flaky, but not cracked.  Mom has not been on
antibiotics, and thought that since the baby has no signs of thrush, and
since it disappears with no Tx on her nipples, she was doing something
else wrong.  Well, the question is can thrush go away and come back at
intervals like this?  This mom really wants to continue to nurse, but
feels that if she must keep going through 2-3 days of pain every couple
weeks it is not "worth it."  Could this be systemic thrush?  Should I
have her see the baby's pedi for Tx baby and mom again?  Any suggestions
would be greatly appreciated-- we only have ONE IBCLC and she is somehow
NOT very pro-breastfeeding (only nursed her own for 6 mos) so I am
reluctant to refer mom to her.  TIA!

Heidi Murphy,  peer counselor