If you notice white patches in your baby's mouth, she may have something called thrush. Thrush is a yeast infection that's extremely common in babies. It looks icky, but the good news is it's not hard to treat. Here are ways to know your baby may have thrush.
There are white patches on her tongue, lips, gums, roof of her mouth, or inner cheeks. It's sometimes confused remaining breast milk or formula left on the tongue. But milk should easily wipe off, and thrush won't. The yeast may also spread to her diaper area where it will appear as a shiny, red rash. Another sign is that she's fussy while breastfeeding. She may pull away because her mouth is sore.
If your baby has thrush, your doctor will probably prescribe an antifungal solution and it should clear up in a few days. Make sure you use the treatment for as long as it's prescribed.
By the way, if you have red, itchy or burning nipples, or you feel a shooting pain in your breast after nursing, you probably have the infection, too. You may need to take Ibuprofen for pain and apply an antifungal cream to your nipples. You may also need to pump for a few days until you heal. Treating both mom and baby is important, so you don't pass the infection back and forth to one another.
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