It's Not Easy Being Purple

So I totally freaked out about 10 different moms at MOPS this morning. Here I am, carrying around this two-month-old little baby, smile on my face and blue-looking lips on hers. Each one that noticed it got wide-eyed and said, "Um, Mom...." But no worries. Well, not really - there are worries, but not the fact that Raegan's lips aren't the natural or normal pink that they should be.

See, we are STILL treating for thrush and gentian violet is our latest attempt to rid it from both of our systems. As you can tell by the name (or the link if you take a peek at it), it is a purple liquid and it stains. Everything. But the basic concept is that you paint it on the baby's mouth or your nipples or perhaps both and - hopefully - after a few days, the thrush will disappear. Now we've tried weeks of antibiotics for both of us and probiotics/yogurt for me and vinegar washes after nursing and Lotramin and reduced sugar intake for my diet, but none of that has been able to get rid of the white on her tongue or the stinging in me when we nurse (and sometimes even when we're not). So purple mouth it is.

But being purple isn't easy, and not just because it scares everyone who sees her sweet little face. The stuff really is a holy terror mess. I apply it once every evening and then we both have to wear and be surrounded by things that we don't mind turning purple. Fortunately I have some lovely old towels that just happen to be a lovely shade of lavender - perfect for this week of treatment! I also found some old gowns that Harrison managed to stain in other ways and we are using those for Little Miss so she doesn't get icky anywhere other than her face. Olive oil has helped too - I paint a little of that around her mouth before applying the gentian violet and then the purple doesn't stain the outside of her mouth quite so much. So yes - fun, fun.

The thing is, if it works, I don't care. I am obviously willing to try just about anything to get rid of this because I want to enjoy nursing. I plan to do it for at least another 10 months, either way, but I would really appreciate it if I wasn't in pain for that entire time span.

So, no, being purple isn't easy or fun, but hopefully it is effective.