Friday, August 26, 2011

D.I.Y. Treating Thrush

MY How-To Guide on Treating the Yeast Multiplying "Disease"

If you've been following my blog, you know I've been ranting about this Thrush shit for a few weeks now.  I wanted to share some of the things I learned and how I {ME} handled it.  I'm not a doctor, but I am a mother, and I have common sense {I think} and this is what we did ourselves to battle it.  You can use this information as a jumping off point if you're also battling Thrush {the baby mama version, not the adult version or the vaginal version}.  You can tell me what advice I'm giving is awesome or awful.  You can do what you want with it. But here is what we did.


Our treatment

Baby
baby probiotics (acidophilus specifically)
lots of apple cider vinegar to rub on her tongue (you can dilute we use full strength because it works better, risk of burning at full strength though) must wipe off skin to avoid reness
yeast beaters liquid dropper 2-3 times a day
NO SUGAR or fruit, no carbs, no dairy (except breastmilk)
*ultimately, I had to give in and use Nystatin a prescription medication, it worked great.  We fought the thrush with the natural remedies for 2 weeks and had great improvement, but we were traveling and I couldn't risk the situation getting worse, if we were not traveling I would not have used the prescription, and even while using it, I continued the probiotics and yeast beaters droppers to ensure it would not return! 

Baby Toys
vinegar spray everything
sun everything

Mama
probiotics (I bought the vaginal health one since it's the same type of yeast, it prevents yeast overgrowth and it's helping now that I'm actually taking it again after being sick with the flu)
diluted vinegar wash nipples after EVERY feeding (1 tablespoon vinegar 1 cup water)
I also used hydrogen peroxide to wash after feedings once I got a cracked nipple, I needed to clean the wound and it did heal.
coconut oil on nipples before feedings and after vinegar wash is dry
sunlight! leaving nipples exposed in the sun will kill the yeast
disposable nipple pads, the yeast can live in bras so you have to wash them in HOT water and sun dry them. but I only have 1 or 2 bras so I had to invest in the disposable pads so I could function.
anti-candida diet, I followed it as best I could as a vegetarian it's hard to cut out more food groups.
supplements to ensure a healthy immune system- see photo.

***UPDATE: We've been though more yeast fighting with my current pregnancy and I've found washing the affected area with Potassium Permanganate is the MOST helpful of all of the treatments!  I drop 10 black crystals into 8oz of water so it turns light pink and then I soak and wash affected areas.

I've also been using Candicin and Alli-Cinn for preventative treatment.***

My daily dose includes, pre{post}natal multi vitamin, glucoseamine{for back, not thrush}, garlic anti-candida formula, yeast beaters pills, vitamin C for immune support


Here are a few links about yeast and what it does to YOUR body, it's already there and if you want to avoid Thrush or ANY yeast infection you should read thisthis and this.

Tips.
Do not wait until it gets bad in the baby's mouth to do something, ACV {apple cider vinegar} that shit right away, don't dilute it, just kill it full force, or at least that's what we should have done right away.
Do not wait until nipples are cracked, bleeding, sore, vinegar wash them right away, coconut oil then right away, PREVENT serious mama thrush by being proactive!
OH and make sure to continue treatment for 2 weeks AFTER the symptoms are gone!

Best of Luck!

If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments for other mamas or god{goddess} forbid if it happens to us again.


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