The Yeast Beast

Disclaimer:  If you don't want to read about breastfeeding and boobs, don't read this!

Thrush:  the yeast beast.  I have Maggie to thank for that clever nickname.  Its been almost two and a half weeks since we started treating the thrush.  Thrush seems to be the gift that keeps on giving... except that you don't want it.  =(
On April 13th we went into the pediatrician's office because I was concerned about Henry having a cold.  While we were there the pediatrician examined him and asked me if his tongue is usually white.  I said yes, that it had been white for a while, but I just assumed that this was leftover milk from breastfeeding so often.  The pediatrician then determined that this was thrush and prescribed Henry Nystatin.  He also asked me if I had been having breast pain, but I said no, because at the time I didn't think what I was experiencing was necessarily "pain".  After talking to a friend, and doing a little bit of online research I realized that I was also infected with thrush, but just assumed that itching, burning sensation I was having was just a normal part of breastfeeding.  So with new information in hand we started an "aggressive" treatment of thrush.
We started with applying Nystatin on Henry's tongue 4 times a day, or after every day time feeding.  We first started using our fingers to do this, but then switched to using a Q-tip.  Lucky for us Henry happens to love Nystatin!  He takes it like a champ and actually enjoys when I apply it to his tongue!
After each feeding I would wipe off my breasts and apply a solution of one cup water, 1 tbsp vinegar.  I would then try to let them "air-out" as much as I could without giving the neighbors a free show.  I would also apply Mother Love's Diaper Rash and Thrush cream several times a day until I ran out of it.  I only had samples that I had gotten at Belly Bliss in Denver, where I used to go for prenatal fitness, yoga, and birth classes.  I really liked the Mother Love thrush cream because you didn't have to wash it off before a feeding, and it is olive oil based, so it just smells and feels really good.  I still continued to use my cloth breast pads but just changed them out after each feeding and washed them in really hot water with a few tbsps of vinegar.
After a few days with not a lot of progress I changed my cloth breast pads out for disposable ones and asked my midwife what else I could do.  She suggested applying Clotrimazole 1% on my nipples after feedings 4 times a day, but making sure to wipe it off before feeding Henry.  The first time I applied it I made sure to wipe it off well before feeding Henry, but even with doing so he still acted weird about it, and I could tell that he didn't really like the taste and knew that something was different.  This scared me a little bit so I decided just to use it 2 times a day.  About a week ago I felt like the yeast was taking over my whole body,  so my midwife prescribed me 2 pills of Diflucan to get rid if the yeast "down there".  Throughout this process I've been taking pro-biotics and trying to be careful about what I eat, but not completely depriving myself of all sugars and dairy.
On Tuesday last week Henry's tongue started looking better, but I felt like my breast pain was worse.  I decided to call the lactation consultant for some help.  She asked me if Henry still had thrush on his tongue, to which I told her yes, but that it was looking better.  She suggested that we talk with the pediatrician again, because after a week and a half of treatment she thought it should be gone.  On Wednesday after my 6 week check-up (which went great, and I've been cleared to exercise again, yay!) we stopped by the pediatrician's office.  She checked Henry out and thought that his tongue is looking great and nearly all better.  She suggested that we continue treatment for a few more days and finish up the second bottle of Nystatin.
Yesterday, we finished the Nystatin and both Henry and I am feeling much better.  I don't think the yeast is completely gone, its more in balance than it was before.  I am hopeful that we will both continue to get better, but if we don't, the next step is gentian violet, which can be a really messy treatment, so hopefully we don't have to go there.
Throughout this whole process I've learned a lot of information about thrush and discovered a lot of great resources.  I found The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr Jack Newman to be very helpful, and Kelly Mom also has a lot of great thrush resources.  Hopefully the yeast beast is on it's way out the door.