Mastitis and now Thrush? What the heck!?

When I got home from the crab incident, I couldn’t wait to feed Ariana to relieve the pain. I kept trying to wake her up but she wasn’t, so I started pumping…and that’s when it hit. All the sudden my breasts started feeling very very very painful wait let me rephrase that, my breasts started feeling VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY painful and I had tears coming down my eyes. Then I started shivering and never felt such intense coldness and chills in my entire life. I didn’t know what was wrong with me and it scared Jay too and after about an hr. of me covered up in 3 blankets and curled up in a ball shivering on the couch and getting worse by the minute, Jay told me I should take a hot bath. I didn’t want to move even an inch but Jay got the bathtub all ready and he helped me wobble downstairs to the bathtub. As soon as I went in the hot water, I felt much better but soon I ran out of all the hot water and our drain plug leaks a little so the water was getting colder and sinking lower. And sweet sweet Jay. For the next hour, he microwaved and boiled water using all our 4 burners in big pots while holding Adalie in one arm, and then he ran back and forth from the kitchen to our bathroom pouring the hot water into the tub. I got teary eyed as I watched him running back and forth, sweating, out of breathe and obviously getting so tired. Wow I have the sweetest husband ever. I love him. After a hot bath and some Tylenol I felt much better and thought it was soon going to be over. But boy was I wrong. That night, I slept maybe for an hr. as I woke up constantly from being so freezing cold, sweating, a high fever, a throbbing migraine, and to feed Ariana. I googled my symptoms and turns out I had Mastitis. I had to keep breastfeeding even if it was so painful and it was PURE MISERY for the next 6 days. The very next day on Tuesday I called my Dr. and got a prescription for antibiotics and started taking it right away and thought I would feel better within a few hrs. but no, it took me 6 days to feel better. I wish none of you will ever have to experience it. It was the worse sickness I’ve ever gotten. No wonder why my mom said I shouldn’t go out for a month. I should’ve listened to my mother! Jay talked to a Dr. and he told him the main cause of Mastitis is lack of sleep. He said too many mothers don’t nap while their kids nap because that’s the time they feel like they can do things but the best thing mothers can do is to nap while their kids nap. Skipping a feeding is only the tip of the cause of Mastitis. So breastfeeding mothers, here are the do’s and dont’s of what I found out through google, and talking to doctors and nurses. Trust me, you do not want to experience what I had to go through.

1. Get adequate sleep or as much sleep as possible. 2. Avoid skipping a feeding or not feeding for a long time. Pump or feed regularly. 3. Avoid tight clothing on top. Avoid tight bras with wires that dig in to the side. 4. Avoid going out for awhile after giving birth. Let your body rest and help adjust to the new regimen.

And thanks to all the mothers who texted and called me. I texted bunch of mothers asking them if they’ve ever had Mastitis, wanting to make sure my symptoms were indeed because of Mastitis and within mins. I had numerous calls/texts. Thank you. You know who you are. 🙂

So this post was suppose to end there. But NO it continues. Starting last Saturday my nipple started getting very sensitive and sore. I noticed a crack on one side and by Sunday there was a crack on the other side as well. I noticed that they were very pink and red and also around it. I thought since Ariana sucks so hard she bit a part and ripped it. Well, the pain is getting worse and it is so bad that I was tempted to stop breastfeeding and googled “Should I stop breastfeeding”. I read;

“If you attempt to wean the baby against its wishes, it will naturally retaliate as it enjoys the taste of mother’s milk and it likes the warmth and emotional closeness of its mother. While drinking breast milk, your baby’s blood pressure comes down, its heart rate reduces and its stress level drops. This is good for the baby’s health. There are far too many advantages of breastfeeding than attempting to stop breastfeeding…”

K, that’s how far I read. FINE! I won’t!!! My Goodness!!!

It takes me at least 5 mins. to get enough will power to have her latch on. She will lie on the boppy for 5 mins. fussy, sometimes crying but I need that time to get ready emotionally. And when she latches on, for the next 20-30 secs. which she sucks the strongest, trying to latch on, I shut my eyes tight and just wince and wimper like a little girl while waiting for her suck to be not as strong. It still hurts after for the whole feeding but it’s about 10% less pain. It is sore throughout the whole day too but it is nothing compared to the pain while feeding.

So I googled(thanks to Google, I can play doctor and diagnose my own symptoms, isn’t that great?), and I have THRUSH. Thrush you say? Yeah I’ve never heard of it either until now. I keep calling it thrust it is such a foreign word to me. It is an yeast infection inside the baby’s mouth that shows up as cottage cheesy milk curds on the tongue or the sides of the mouth. I have noticed Ariana having this white curd looking thingy on her tongue but I thought it was just a milk residue. I got antibiotics while giving birth to her and that caused the imbalance by killing off the “good” bacteria. So she gave it to me through breastfeeding and TA-DAH I got THRUSH!!! Woo hoo!

I called my friend who had the yeast infection/thrush and confirmed my symptoms with her and yes I have it all. I also called a Pharmacist and upon googling some more, I need to get a oral fungal medication to rub it inside her mouth and also some cream to rub on my nipples so that we won’t pass the infection back and forth to each other.

I have to be honest, I did get a little teary eyed as I got off the phone and realized it wasn’t because Ariana was sucking so hard. It’s another sickness/infection whatever you call it. When is it going to end? Morning sickness/recovery has been so much harder with my second child than the first. Mastitis was miserable and now Thrush? My mom told me it’s best to wait 2-4 yrs. after you have a baby to give it time for your body to heal. Well, I got pregnant 8 months after my first baby and yeah my body is taking it pretty hard. So you mothers who are not already pregnant, wait 2-4 yrs. after you have your baby!

Well, just like Mastitis, I do not wish Thrush upon anyone so here are some tips/suggestions I gathered from my friend who experienced it, google, and pharmacist.

1. Change your breast pad often. Bacteria grows in damp, moist areas. (it makes me almost faint to think the crack on my nipple is due to the bacterias growing on it! EWWWW!!!!!)

2. Air dry your nipples after breastfeeding.

3. Avoid giving unnecessary antibiotics to the baby.

4. If both you and the baby have it, treat the infection on both of ya’ll so you won’t keep passing it to each other.