Thrush vs. milk tongue - update

Has anyone had thrush before? or heard of milk tongue? Hannah's tongue is all white. When I called to schedule an appointment the nurse said if it wasn't on the insides of her cheeks & lips it wasn't thrush - just milk tongue. She said it is very common in BF babies. I told her neither of my other two had had it & she said I must have not noticed. Natalie doesn't have the white but has been very fussy nursing & pulling off of the breast alot & just not nursing well. I've read that that is also a sign of thrush. I have some sporadic pain - the nurse said I may need to be treated but not the babies. She that it would be possible for one to have it & not the other & if so, only one twin would need the treatment, but that doesnt seem right as I would think it could get passed back & forth that way. Any thoughts?

Thanks everyone for your advice. After three phone calls they finally prescribed Nystatin for Hannah over the phone. They said Natalie didn't need it because you "cannot treat what is not there". I wanted to bring them in but they wouldn't schedule me. I was about 99% sure it was thrush and did not agree with the opinion that Natalie didn't need treated too so I have been giving it to both of them & I got a prescription from my OB as well. I've also been taking Grapefruit Seed Extract & acidophilus as well. Also...after two applications, most of the white went away - I didn't know if that meant it was working or that is was not actually thrush...Any thoughts on this/ Would you treat both of your twins? I hate giving medicine to a 2 month old that I'm not sure she needs!!

 

Has anyone had thrush before? or heard of milk tongue? Hannah's tongue is all white. When I called to schedule an appointment the nurse said if it wasn't on the insides of her cheeks & lips it wasn't thrush - just milk tongue. She said it is very common in BF babies. I told her neither of my other two had had it & she said I must have not noticed. Natalie doesn't have the white but has been very fussy nursing & pulling off of the breast alot & just not nursing well. I've read that that is also a sign of thrush. I have some sporadic pain - the nurse said I may need to be treated but not the babies. She that it would be possible for one to have it & not the other & if so, only one twin would need the treatment, but that doesnt seem right as I would think it could get passed back & forth that way. Any thoughts?

Thanks everyone for your advice. After three phone calls they finally prescribed Nystatin for Hannah over the phone. They said Natalie didn't need it because you "cannot treat what is not there". I wanted to bring them in but they wouldn't schedule me. I was about 99% sure it was thrush and did not agree with the opinion that Natalie didn't need treated too so I have been giving it to both of them & I got a prescription from my OB as well. I've also been taking Grapefruit Seed Extract & acidophilus as well. Also...after two applications, most of the white went away - I didn't know if that meant it was working or that is was not actually thrush...Any thoughts on this/ Would you treat both of your twins? I hate giving medicine to a 2 month old that I'm not sure she needs!!

 

Not sure where that person got her thrush info, but it doesn't have to cover everything to be thrush. If you can wipe it off it is generally milk, but if it is hard to wipe off and shows a sore patch it sounds like thrush. Her behavior sounds like it too, and here are some pictures for you to see what it looks like.

Here are some pictures and info for you.

If you do think your baby or you has thrush, tell that nurse you do believe you have thrush or they/one has it, and you want to see a doctor as soon as possible. You can tell the nurse whatever you want to get in, but I would inform your ped of her misinformation...she could be keeping people from getting appropriate treatment by telling them they don't have it. That could mean health problems for mom and baby. Geez...that is too bad they let her tell people not to come in.

 

Get to the doctor!! That is absurd what you were told!! Generally if you can scrap it off it is milk, but if not it is most likely Thrush. It is painful and VERY contagious! Ruth Anne's link is great! Get in & get treated!

 

I agree, if it can't be wiped off with a washcloth it is probably thrush. I would definitely start treating it. Gentian Violet worked the best and fastest for us and it is available over the counter at Rite Aid. HTH

 

Ask the doctor to do a culture of her tongue. It doesn't hurt, just a cotton swab. I was convinced for a while that my duo had thrush, since I was having a lot of pain and they also had milk tongue. The doctor was convinced we didn't have it, but appeased me by taking a culture. She was right.. it wasn't thrush, and my pain subsided by about 2 months. She also said that usually you'd see signs of thrush in areas other than the tongue.

The ped also prescribed nystatin for me, which I used for a while but I guess it wasn't what helped.

Good Luck.. I hope you don't have it.. I hear it can be a pain to get rid of and the genetian violet stuff is a mess.

 

Nevan has a white tongue.. completely coated that you can't wipe off. I asked the doctor about thrush and its not. He said the same thing your nurse said about it being on one other surface besides the tongue.

 

Erykah, I can't speak for your ped since I haven't seen your little one's tongue, but you are right that bf babies do sometims have a white tongue. The difference is generally that the "normal" white tongue is a thin pale coating and doesn't bleed under it or show a sore when you wipe it. Your little one may have a coating, but I would guess it is white and thin instead of thick and raised?


It doesn't even have to show much at all in the child's mouth to be thrush...either it is thrush or it isn't, and it isn't judged by being on many surfaces at once. The child doesn't have to have symptoms (pain, pulling off, white spots), nor does mom, to have thrush, and all involved need to be treated to prevent reinfection.

I hope you got treatment, Oneplus2more, and I suggest you take acidophilus to keep the yeasties away.