In my last post I asked if anyone could guess why my breastmilk has turned purple. Well, kalen, mlwindc, and LatteLove got it right: it is due to gentian violet, which I am using to treat our latest bout of thrush. While gentian violet is proven to be one of the most effective remedies against thrush, I had been reluctant to try it because of the ick factor, the "ick" being that it is messy. Gentian violet is a deep purple solution that seems to get everywhere once the bottle is open, and it is almost always guaranteed to stain fabrics permanently and skin temporarily. Before giving Claire a cotton swab of the purple stuff, I had dabbed her lips and area around her mouth...

Claire has had thrush on and off for about a month now, (I don't know why doctors prescribe Nystatin when it only works in about 50% of thrush cases) and it looks like it's spread to my boobs too. So now I am battling both thrush and mastitis. Perhaps I had thrush first which caused the mastitis? Or did my weakened immune system from the mastitis help the thrush thrive in my breasts? Either way, I'm friggin exhausted, in pain all the time, and I can barely hold my own baby due to anything even remotely brushing against my nipples or right breast causing red, hot searing pain throughout my chest. Yesterday I got a bottle of grapefruit seed extract oil and have been treating...