HELP!! thrush vs latch pain

[sscmom]

I need help determining if I have thrush or if I am having a latching issue.

I breastfed my 5 year old till she was 15 months and never had any pain or issues with her.

here are the facts:
- First feedings were from a bottle (due to health issues)
-Cracked and bleeding nipples, began using nipple shield
-Got mastitis at week 3, on antibiotics x7days
-Baby wasn't getting enough milk using the shield, at 5 weeks tried weaning her off
-Extreme pain when feeding... figured we were having latch issues
-Saw an IBCLC... helped with some positioning and latching... have abundant milk supply and really fast let down so baby was gumming my nipple to help control flow
-Went home and used the techniques and saw mild improvement over the next two days, still having problems getting the latch right
-Still extreme pain for the first part of the feeding, feels like someone is cutting my nipple off.. sharp pain.. comes and goes through the entire feeding
-Nipples hurt and burn after feedings..are cracked and bleeding
-No color change.. not red or inflammed, no flaking.... baby has no signs of thrush.. no white patches
-When baby unlatches my nipple looks like a new lipstick no matter how much areola she has in her mouth or what position we try

So I have some symptoms of thrush.. but the nipple after she unlatches makes me think that it could be a latch issue... how do I tell? I can't afford another consultation with an IBCLC because I am not working right now. So I am trying to fix my issues myself. I contacted my local LLL leader and she said it sounds like thrush. I just want to be sure before I am continuing to feed in pain with hopes of tripple nipple cream working if it is a latching issue.

[crystal555rose]

I am not an LC but the nipple shape makes me think it is a latch issue as I had the same thing and really painful nipples for the first 11 weeks of nursing. As he got older we got better at it. I wish I had a solution that would solve things for you right now, but I don't. : ( Hang in there!!!

[Nipple_nectar]

I think it is a combination of both:) You can use GSE as a preventive measure with no harm to you or baby. Here is a great link for thrush: www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/thrush.asp

Also visit www.drjacknewman.com and study the tutorial video on latch, read up on asymmetrical latch, this might be your problem. Do you use a positioning tool while feeding? Are you large breasted? Are you still using the nipple shield/artificial nipples/pacifiers?

[StillSingingMom]

Cracked and bleeding nipples are going to hurt no matter what. But latch and thrush aren't mutually exclusive problems; in fact, damage from latch problems can lead to thrush.

Using GSE wouldn't hurt anything, and might help.

What have you done to work with the fast letdown? It's possible that you are also struggling with oversupply, and this is keeping baby from latching well. Are you familiar with block nursing?

[devoted]

the only help I can give you is for soothing the pain. lanolin helps with the pain. LEt your nipples get air. Make sure you allow them to dry after feedings. once they are dry use lanolin to soothe the stinging pain. Are your nipples staying wet in your bra?

I had latch issues with my first baby, it turned into thrush time and time again. my daughter spit up blood one day and I paniced thinking that her tummy was bleeding. It turned out that she was pulling blood from my breast due to latch issues. We never got it figured out and I quit nursing. You have been a trooper hanging in this long. I know mommies that could not take the initial latch and quit the very day they started. You deserve a mommy award for trying this long with so much pain. Hang in there. IT may be thrush causing her to have an awkard or painful latch. My daughter would not stay latched because of thrush and then developed a painful latch once thrush was gone. The symptons were not obvious, I never saw white patches in her mouth but the medicine seemed to help her thus helping us nurse better. Through all of this she never developed a healthy latch and I gave up. I am not an LC, I just know how you feel. I hope it gets better for you and baby!