Usually, if you have sore nipples during your breastfeeding journey it is attributed to baby not attaching well to the breast. With nipple pain caused by poor latch, once the latch is fixed and you have healed your nipples using Silverette Nipple Cups the pain will go away. However, if you have a nipple infection the pain will not go away.

A common infection that can cause nipple pain is Thrush (Candida albicans), which is a yeast that is present in the gut of healthy people and babies. Thrush is more likely to be present if you have recently used antibiotics. If you have damage on your nipple, the baby’s mouth may pass thrush through the open wound in the nipple. Therefore, causing nipple Thrush.

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Signs of nipple thrush:

Nipple pain without the presence of poor latch or a tongue tie
Nipple damage which is healing slower than expected
Your baby may have a thick white coating on the tongue
Your baby may have white spots in the inside of their cheeks
Nipple pain is often described as itching or burning
Pain from clothing rubbing on nipples
Pain is experienced in between feeds

How can I tell if my baby has thrush in their mouth or just milk on the tongue?

If your baby has mouth thrush, when you try to wipe the white off their tongue, it does not wipe off easily. When there is milk on the tongue and you wipe the tongue, it will wipe off easily leaving a normal pink coloured tongue underneath.

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What should I do?

It is safe to continue feeding your baby however, nipple thrush spreads very easily so it is important to use good hygiene for both you and your baby. This includes cleaning all clothing, bras, breastpads and your Silverette Nipple Cups in hot soapy water and dry them before use again.

If you think that you have nipple thrush it is important to see your doctor who will investigate causes of the nipple thrush and prescribe a treatment. Treatment will depend on the severity of the condition and ranges from a combined antifungal and antibacterial cream to having to take tablets. Taking probiotics can help with treatment and prevention of thrush by increasing the number of healthy bacteria in your body.

If you have any concerns that you may have nipple thrush, or your baby has oral thrush it is important to seek help from a health professional.

Antenatal Classes, Childbirth Education Classes, Childbirth classes, Sutherland Shire Birth Classes, Sutherland Shire Childbirth Classes, Sutherland Shire Antenatal Classes, Midwife, Sutherland Shire Midwife, One Mama Midwife — To learn more about breastfeeding - how to breastfeed, how to correctly attach your baby when breastfeeding, how to reduce pain when breastfeeding and common complaints of breastfeeding attend one of the One Mama Midwife Childbirth Classes in the Sutherland Shire

Nipple Thrush

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