Free advice re: Keeping you and your family un-purple while using Genitan Violet...m
As of today, I have used GV for one 3-day course, one 5-day course, and I'm currently on day 2 of my second 7-day course. I've got some great tricks for keeping the purple under control, and thought I'd share!!! (BTW, some credit should be given to those on this board who offered me some of this advice).
1. Though it may work for others, I find that trying to apply GV to baby and mama by only painting one party and then nursing to apply the other party is VERY messy and involves entirely too much cleanup. Lots of the links on applying GV say to do it this way (either paint yourself and feed or paint baby then feed). Feeding baby w/ GV involves way too many fluids for the purple to leech on and drip all over your house (the boppy, your clothes, the sheets, baby's face, etc.). Skip this method altogether (IMHO).
2. Do not apply GV to an awake baby. Again, too messy....baby spits, sucks, slobbers all over, and swallowing sometimes means choking and coughing and projectile little purple drops.
3. Here's how I've applied GV to myself: I use a q-tip to apply GV directly to my nipples (1 q-tip per nipple). I've found that you need to cover the entire aerola, not just the affected part for most effectiveness. I have one inverted nipple...I have to be sure that I pull it out before I apply GV. Put on nursing pads and sleep bra, and call it a night.
4. Here's how I've applied to baby: I dip the q-tip in water first, then the GV. This way, I don't pick up too much, and staining is minimal (advice given to me on this board!). Put baby on his/her side to sleep (I prop her against a rolled blanket), as to avoid swallowing the GV (you can move baby onto back later if you like). I "flip" her bottom lip out and put in the q-tip. She sucks automatically, and the GV spreads out all over her mouth like a charm (ie. no swabbing entire surfaces, as sucking does trick). Sometimes, she will move around a bit, or make a terrible face, but I've never woken her. You might want to put a flannel square under the baby to protect bed sheets (crib or your own) from baby drool. (Though the GV does come out in the wash).
5. When baby wakes for night feeding, I go to the bathroom to clean off my nipples. Very purple nipples while feeding makes for lots of mess. I use baby wipes to clean them off; I "blot" them several times, and try to remove most of the purple (so skin just becomes visible). My dh will comfort baby while I do this, and then I nurse. BEWARE, though as only ONE brand works to get off the GV: Huggies natural care wipes with aloe, unscented. Any other brand just doesn't work. Wipes also work well on baby's face.
6. GV will seem invisible when it "spatters" and one day, you'll be cleaning your sink, and a drop will "blossom" out of nowhere. And no matter how careful you are, miniscule droplets mist or splash as you dip. So do most of your q-tip dipping over a sink that can easily be wiped down with the huggies wipes. (those drip blossoms are a pain on floors/carpet, etc.)
That's it!! I've been using this GV a lot, and have had very little mess since I've started this "method." But with all advice, take what you can use and throw away the rest. I'm just grateful that the mess has been rather minimal.
BTW: thrush update for those following my saga. The All Purpose Nipple Ointment (or cream, in my case), seems to be working well, but thrush is still there. I tried GV last night, and the situation seems improved on me; we'll continue with a 7-day course, and even if symptoms are gone, do a second course (3-7 day) after a 3-day break, to help prevent relapse (still taking GSE and acidophilous). I HOPE this will do it. Bekah DID have a yeast diaper rash, even though the derm told me it was just irritation (he told me to use zinc oxide cream, which made her skin PEEL on her behind, and lotrimin cleared it in a day). The APNO was the BEST for this diaper rash.
Hope this helps someone out there!!!
Thrushy Meg (with nursling Rebekah 6m and Noah 3y)
