With Calla, Maya and Georgia I was never able to nurse them for very long. The main underlying problem was that I actually made too much milk. Believe it or not, making too much milk causes just as many problems as not making enough. In my case, it lead to constant engorgement, difficulty latching, leaking, plugged ducts, thrush and mastitis. I did seek help from lactation consultants with all three girls and in the end all of them had no idea how to help me. With Aria I decided that I would feed her for at least two weeks and then if it was going downhill I would stop.
Surprisingly, I didn't become engorged this time and for the first time in my life I was able to nurse my baby totally pain free. That was until THRUSH came into my life. I wasn't surprised that I got it as I had antibiotics during labor which is considered to be one of the main causes. For those of you that don't know thrush causes burning, and shooting pains . Not fun!
I immediately started treating myself with gentian violet. Oh yes, there is nothing like painting your nipples purple and having a baby with a purple mouth to boost a new mother's spirits! : ) Add that to the pain and sleep deprivation and it can be pretty discouraging. I should also mention that it's extremely messy and stains everything it touches including your skin. Luckily I had my little cheer leader Maya who happened to think that purple nipples and a purple mouth are beautiful. She even went over the the neighbor's one day and declared, "My mommy paints her nipples!" Thank goodness my neighbor knew what was going on and is a very open minded person.
Unfortunately, the gentian violet didn't work. This lead to a trip to the Walk In whereby I was prescribed something that is now considered 'ineffective' in the case of thrush, followed by a melt down at the pharmacy and another at home. Thanks to a fabulous friend and public health nurse I now have something much stronger that I am optimistic about. We have also been able to put away the purple stuff and feel a little more comfortable venturing out in public again.
So... we are still nursing and will continue until the we are done with the meds. But like I said I am not loving purple very much these days.
For those of you wondering, Aria has been unaffected by the thrush thus far and is packing on the pounds. She now weighs around 9lbs. That's almost two pounds since birth. She is a content baby for the most part and is just starting to wake up into this world. We are enjoying every moment with her.
Love to you all,
Kristen
