Thrifty Week day 5- Thrush

For all of you nursing mothers out there that deal with chronic thrush, never fear... relief is here! Thrush is basically yeast overgrowth.  I don't claim to know how all of this yeast stuff works... but I do know that it has haunted me the last 3 babies and its no fun! 

It doesn't just effect nursing mothers.  It effects all kinds of people.  Nursing just seems to be when it's at its worse because you and the baby can pass it back and forth over and over and over.  So here is a few simple tips that I have found to work... the only problem is... you have to keep it up for about 2 weeks after the symptoms are gone.  I'm the kind that once I start feeling better... it drops to the bottom of the priority list! Hence the reason I haven't fully gotten rid of it after 3 children.

The first thing to remember is a healthy diet!  Stay away from the sugar!!!  I know its easier said than done.  I am a serious junk food junky!  Eat lots of spinach and other really green veggies.  Not sure why, but it helps! I know it has something to do with building back up your immune system.  Oh and garlic.. Eat lots of garlic.  It helps to build your immune system too.

You'll also want to take a good probiotic. Ask you Dr or pharmacist which one they recommend. 

Here's the great part though.  If you have ever tried nursing a baby when you have an advanced stage of thrush, you know it's one of the most painful things EVER!  I won't go into details but if you are cracked and bleeding or even scabbed over, you know that those wounds do not heal very easy. And it's not always thrush that causes that just fyi. Sometimes its the latch.  Either way, try these recipes. They are awesome!!!!

Salt Water Soak

(to heal cracked nipples and other wounds)

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

rinse "troubled" areas with solution. I like to use those squirt bottles you get from the hospital for both of these. A lactation specialist told me you could soak up the water into two wods of paper towel and hold them on the breast or other infected areas for 10 minutes.  I like to just rinse them, its faster and doesn't waist paper towel.  I use the entire recipe each rinse. Pat dry with a clean towel.  Do this about 3 times a day. (if you can)

Vinegar Soak

(just for yeast)

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 cup hot water (as hot as you can stand)

rinse "troubled" areas with solution.  3 times daily (as impossible as that is for a mommy to do) You can also use the solution to rinse the babies diaper area with (ONLY USE LUKE WARM WATER FOR THIS) We don't want a burnt bottom for that little one!  Pat dry with a clean towel.  The hot water and the vinegar will kill the yeast.  Unfortunately it grows back rapidly, so that is why you have to do it frequently and do all of the other things above, so that you can get it out all the way. I use the entire recipe each rinse.