When you’re breastfeeding, thrush can happen at anytime. Let’s talk about a great natural thrush treatment for mom and baby.
I remember it like it was just yesterday. We had finally gotten the hang of breastfeeding. He was off the nipple shield, his latch was set, the pain had stopped. I felt like a champ. I wanted to hold signs wherever I went pointing it out: look at this, look what I’m doing with my body.
Then came the thrush. Ugh!
It just started out as general itching for me. I thought nothing of it, nothing at all. Then the thrush turned to searing pain, the kind of itching pain you feel when you’ve scratched a bug bite for too long—except much, much worse.
Misconceptions About Treating Thrush
Through the mom’s group I was a part of I knew that thrush existed, but I assumed only dirty people got it, people who don’t wash bras and only shower once a month. Boy was I wrong.
In my first-time mom panic, I called the my OB. She asked me to check the baby’s mouth, and sure enough it was dotted with white patches—and not just the milky ones from a good feed—genuine stay-put patches. The nurse offered to call me in a prescription of nystatin, to which I gladly agreed, knowing that if I felt like this, my baby probably felt much worse.
For my thrush pain, she told me to pick up some jock cream. Say what? That should have been the first sign that I should have gone down a different path, but I went with it, trusting the nurse over my gut.
Following the nurses instructions, I painted Anthony’s mouth before and after every feeding, dousing my nipples with jock cream after he nursed and scrubbing them raw to get it off so that I wouldn’t poison my first born. After two days there was no change, so I started to do some research.
Natural Thrush Treatment that Works Fast
Thrush is essentially a yeast infection in the mucus membranes, which can affect multiple parts of the body. For us it manifested in white patches in his mouth, a shiny red rash, and itchy, painful nipples. Looking on the back of my nystatin bottle, I recognized one of the key ingredients as sugar. Yeast thrives off sugar. No wonder we hadn’t kicked the thrush yet.
I continued to read and research, looking for a good natural thrush treatment. I’d heard about genetian violet, but there were a few mixed reviews and links to cancer that left me unnerved. Plus, I didn’t want everything in my life to be purple.
I found a few articles on success with grapefruit seed extract, and, paired with anecdotal success from a few women in my mom’s group I decided to try it as a natural thrush treatment. It was, after all, just an extract straight from grapefruit. If it failed, there was no harm done.
Oh. My. Goodness. Just ten drops of GSE in an ounce of water. That’s all it took. I soaked Q-tips in the solution and painted his mouth before feedings, and my nipples after. Within two hours the pain had subsided. Within one day, the thrush was completely gone. I kept up the routine for a day or two after the thrush had cleared, just in case, but it was gone, and it hasn’t been back since.
Ultimately, breastfeeding is hard. There are a lot of challenges you can face. Thrush shouldn’t be something that makes or breaks that relationship, that destroys the joy of bonding, the pride in knowing that you are sustaining a life with your body, the love you will undoubtedly share with your child. Trust your gut, do your research, and you will undoubtedly find natural thrush treatment solutions for you and your family that will be the best for all parties involved.
More Breastfeeding Articles:
- Dealing with Breastfeeding Problems
- When You’re Tired of Breastfeeding
- Tales of a Booby Monster: Unglamorous Truths about Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding a Sick Baby or Child
- Breastfeeding and Pumping During and After Your Baby’s NICU Stay
When Megan Eccles isn’t blogging at Megan Eccles, she can be found on a ranch in the foothills of Southern California, trying to keep up with the many ups and downs of life. Between striving towards self sufficiency, learning how to be a mother, and writing, and writing, and writing, she can be found on the left most corner of her couch with a cup of tea and a good book.
Thank you so much for this! As a diabetic mama, I fight thrush with every baby – Nystatin has always been the painfully slow solution, and never really wiped it out. I didn’t even realize that there was sugar in it – that’s just ridiculous! Next time we’ll try Grapefruit Seed Extract right away!
I still can’t believe they put sugar in it. It seems to go against any logic or practicality. It’s as if selling a product is more important than the people, which is why I stray from conventional medicine. *puts on tinfoil hat*
Thank you so much for sharing this! My eight month old daughter has been battling a yeast infection since JANUARY. After multiple trips to the doctor, several tubes of Nystatin, and many failed natural remedies, I just want her to feel better. I’m ordering this from Amazon today and will be trying it ASAP. Thanks again!
I hope that it helps! I’ve heard that after a day or two you’re supposed to increase the GSE to to 15 drops per ounce, but we didn’t have to because it cleared up so fast. Good luck!
I opted out of using TTO because he was so little and that stuff tastes awful and tends to make my mouth feel numb when I take it. I was worried it would interfere with his latch. I do love my essential oils though!
It has never made my mouth feel numb. I haven’t noticed any bad taste–that is what I like about it, doesn’t taste bad to it (unlike stuff like liquid Nyquil or decongestants that tend to
make me want to throw up!)
I live overseas and can’t get ahold of GSE. Is there any way grapeseed oil could work or are they two totally different things?
I don’t believe it’s the same thing at all. I’m sorry! Here is a post you might be interested in checking out on curing thrush with gentian violet.
Just realized my 1 month old has thrush & the searing pain in my right breast is probably thrush as well. Going to try this.
I hope it works! Let us know 🙂
Hi Trisha, I have been struggling with thrush in my nipples. I just ordered GSE yesterday. You think I could drink it or just putting it on my nipples would work?
No, you don’t drink it. Just place it on your nipples and in babies mouth. I hope this cures your thrush! If not, check out the post How to Beat the Yeast Beast and 15 Tips for Curing Thrush with Gentian Violet
Thanks trisha I will do that :))
Any certain brand of GSE? I’ve been having a burning sensation in my left breast (underside) all day long during our nursing feedings on that side. I’m not sure if it is thrush (baby has no white spots, but will check in morning), but want to treat just to be sure.
I don’t think it should make a difference what brand of GSE you use.
I’m trying this right now. My little one is in the nicu born at 29 weeks. I started feeling nipple pain 2 days ago and spike to the LC in the nicu she thinks thrush since his latch is good. No other symptoms. I cringed when she told me too use the same tube of medicine that cures athletes foot. So happy I found this and I will report to the LC asap if this works like u said it does.
Please report back and let us know if it works!
i have been battling thrush in my daughters mouth and on my nipples for 3 months. i have trid EVERYTHING. i am on all sorts of anti fungals. and applying coconut oil to my daughters tounge. i tried gentian violet twice; as well as grape seed extract. taking it orally, and applying it to my nipples and daughters mouth. also tried nystatin and diflucan. maybe i wasn’t applying the GSE enough times per day. you did it in youre babies mouth before and after each feed?? ugh. i just want this to go away. pediatrician wants me to stop breast feeding. which i really don’t want to do.
I’m so sorry that you’re having such a hard time! If the GSE isn’t working, maybe it’s time to try something else? Here are a couple of posts that I think you may find interesting from BreastfeedingPlace.com. This one is on using gentian violet and this one is some general tips on beating thrush. Why don’t you take a look at them and see if they could help at all? I really do NOT think stopping breastfeeding is the answer though!
What brand of GSE did you buy and where did you buy it?
Hi Carina,
I’m not the original author, but I’ve heard many moms have had great luck with this brand. I was using GSE for something else and this was the brand I chose because my doctor recommended it. Hope that helps!
Im pretty sure we have thrush. I’ve had sharp pains in my breast the last couple of days and my nursing pads smell extra strong and almost yeasty. My newborn has white stuff in her mouth, although it appears more like spit up than patches, and she’s been spitting up more and fussier than usual. I’ve used GSE for years to treat sore throats etc., but I always mix it with orange juice because it’s so bitter. OJ is the only thing that masks it enough to make it edible. So I’m wondering how your baby reacted to putting it in his mouth? Its so strong and bitter. Tips?
Would grapefruit essential oil work just as well?
Where do I get this grapefruit seed oil and anecdotal? My daughters thrush will not go away, any help is appreciated!
Malinda
Can grapefruit essential oil work just as well?
I need to know about the grape fruit is it a fresh grape fruit or juice or what an I I have researched the about the med Gentian violet wanting to find out what does it do to there mouth like does it numb there mouth an tongue because after I give it to my granddaughter she can suck on her bottle or grip hold of anything please write me back about this if any one has any information about it thank you
It’s not grapefruit juice, but grapefruit seed extract.
Can you use grapeseed extract oil directly on baby’s bottom?
Grapeseed oil is great for people with sensitive skin and would work well on a baby as well.
The GSE brand That was recommended is loaded with Surfactants commonly found in cleaning supplies. In fact it’s very hard not to find a GSE brand that doesn’t have them. I’d go with the Pure Encapsulations brand, you have to dissolve the capsule in water, but they are much safer.