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My six-month-old son developed a little rash around his anus this past week. Butt Paste wasn’t working. Powder wasn’t working. Then it dawned on me. I had been taking antibiotics for the past week thanks to tonsillitis. Could it be yeast? A call to the lactation consultant in my son’s pediatrician’s office confirmed what I had suspected. My son needed to replenish his probiotics since mine were being stripped due to the antibiotics I’m on. I’m not sure why I hadn’t connected the dots before. Maybe it’s because my probiotic supplement usually comes from yogurt and I didn’t want to liken myself to a cow… but a lactating mammal, I am. Here are three tips to help your breastfeeding baby combat yeast while you are on antibiotics.

Yogurt

It used to be said that babies shouldn’t have dairy until one year of age. Now research is saying otherwise. Infants over 4 months of age can be given dairy. 

Stick to single ingredient and mix in your own fruit to add flavor. I mash a ripe banana and mix with plain organic yogurt.

Topical Ointment

Just like any other yeast infection, an anti-fungal is needed. Lotrimin or Monistat or whichever brand you prefer, works. My pediatrician recommended Lotrimin so that’s what we used on my son’s bottom.

Probiotic Drops

Because a yeast issue on the outside means there’s a yeast issue on the inside, sometimes you need a little more of a boost than yogurt can give you. Mom should take a probiotic supplement to help herself, but baby should get a little boost as well. Gerber sells a probiotic drop you can find in the baby aisle of the grocery. It’s called “Gerber Soothe” and is marketed as “Colic Drops.” You can also go to your local health food store or natural pharmacy and ask for the specific probiotic you need for baby. In this case, lactobacillus reuteri. The probiotics can be dropped right on your nipple before a feeding to administer them to baby.

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp is a writer and mother of three. If you liked this posting please follow her on Twitter @writerbonnie or like her on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/WriterBonnie for more great info on Raising Kids.