Breastfeeding is a wonderful thing that creates an everlasting bond between the mother and the child.
It is liquid gold that contains numerous multivitamins and minerals to nourish your little one.
But this journey is not a bed of roses.
90% of women experience pain and infection during their breastfeeding journey
Breast engorgement, cracked nipples, mastitis, and yeast infections are common problems during breastfeeding that can cause pain and makes your journey hard.
If you notice redness, itching, or burning under or around your breast area, please don’t ignore it as it can be a thrush.
Candida is a yeast naturally present in your vagina, gut, mouth, and skin. It gets active in warm, moist, and dark skin folds like under your breast.
Breast is described as shooting breast pain or a burning sensation. It usually occurs after or in between the feeding sessions.
Read along to know its causes, symptoms, and ways to prevent it.
Causes of thrush
- Thrush infections can happen due to cracked nipples. The candida fungus enters the cracked nipples and causes thrush.
- Some yeast cells transfer from skin to skin contact. If your child has oral thrush or yeast infection, it can be transferred to you as well.
- It can also happen due to the imbalance of good bacteria. If you have recently taken an antibiotic, you can have thrush as antibiotics imbalances the good bacteria and candida fungus.
- Yeast infection also occurs if you don’t wash your hands after a diaper change or apply creams and ointments to your infected baby.
Breast yeast infection symptoms
The first signs of a breast yeast infection are:
- Rashes in the folds of skin are also called intertrigo.
- Itching
- Burning sensation
- Flaky and cracked skin around the breast
- Small round bumps that ooze foul smell.
- Your nipples may appear pink and, the areola becomes red, dry, and flaky.
- Nipple damage
If your baby has thrush, keep in mind that you and the baby will need treatment.
Treatment for breast yeast infection
A mild yeast infection goes away on its own. A severe one can take up to 15 days to go away. If it is not treated timely, it can lead to severe outcomes, like, inflammation, pain, and skin infection.
If you have a mild infection, treat it with over-the-counter medicines. Apply hydrocortisone on the affected area to relieve the irritability.
If it gets severe, it is advisable to consult a doctor and get yourself treated.
Home remedies
Along with oral medications, some changes in day-to-day routine can also be helpful.
- Apply coconut oil to the affected area. It naturally contains antifungal properties that help reduce breast yeast infection.
- You can also add half a cup of apple cider vinegar in a warm bath and soak your breast for 20 minutes. The acidic component in apple cider vinegar will help eliminate microorganisms from your body including, yeast and fungus.
- In test-tube studies, oregano oil help eliminate five types of candida fungus. You can add a few drops in olive or coconut oil and apply them to the affected area.
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How to prevent the infection?
Yeast infection grows in moist, warm places. There are a few preventive measures that can help you avoid the fungus.
- Completely dry your underarms and breasts with a towel after a shower. You can also air dry them by using a hairdryer in a slow setting.
- Always choose loose-fitted nursing tops with breathable fabric to avoid skin-to-skin contact.
- Change your breast pads after every two hours and, make sure to use clean and dry nursing pads.
- If you plan to express milk, make sure the flange of the breast pump is clean and properly washed before use.
- You can feed your child the expressed milk during the thrush. Don’t freeze it for later use as it can make the yeast infection come back.
- Wash your undergarments and nursing bras with hot water. You can add white vinegar or bleach while washing them.
- Keep good care of physical hygiene. Make sure to shower every day and keep your under-breast area dry and clean.
- Make sure you are wearing nursing bras according to your breast size. Sometimes tight, underwire bras can also cause yeast infection.
- It is good to cut back sugars in your diet as yeast feeds on sugar.
- Add yogurt to your diet as it is the best natural probiotic that can help balance the flora and bacteria in your system.
Final thoughts
A nursing mother needs to eat healthy, rest, and take good care of herself. Don’t panic about minor rashes and yeast infections. With proper care and prevention, you can deal with them.
Always prioritize your health because your child needs a healthy and happy mother.
How about you? Do you have any tips and tricks you can share with us? Please, Leave them in the comment section.
