How do you know if your baby has thrush?

My baby girl is 3 weeks old, Thursday and my nipples are still sore while breastfeeding.  They've always been sore, so it hasn't come on again recently.  It's not as bad as it was but I am wondering how I recognize thrush.  I know this can cause sore nipples.  Her tongue seems stained white, which I assumed was from the milk.  She doesn't have any cheesy looking stuff on her cheeks or anything and no diaper rash.  The only thing she has is this stained tongue.  I've checked her mouth every day, and she's had this stained look since day one.  The pediatricians, I'm assuming, all saw it and didn't say anything. Does it sound like thrush?  Thanks for any input.  

[AndiJ78]

I would consult a lactation consultant, it may be a bad latch causing the pain. None of my boys ever developed thrush, but white patches and tenderness are usually signs. Itchy nipples I believe would be a sign on your end of things.

Call the LC and have her check your latch, even a millimeter difference can cause pain.

[sewpretty]

my son had thrush a lot and the only sign of it I ever saw was the white patches on his tongue.  It grew on him the way that mold grows on bread.  small and/or large circular patches.  
Basically the treatment is vitamin C in super sticky form so it sticks to the patches.  kind of gross if you get it on your hands but it's not a scary medicine.  Other than that, if your baby has it, they will tell you to sterilize everything that your baby puts in her mouth and to do it often or the thrush will just keep spreading around.  I had to get rid of the pacifier all together.
good luck!

[mlb1234]

my sister had thrush when nursing and she and the baby kept giving it back and forth to each other.  for my sister - it was very painful to have this in her breasts.  You'd probably know it if you had it.  Her daughter had a white coating on her tongue.  Both mom and baby needed to be treated at the same time and you are supposed to keep nursing through it but my sister couldn't continue due to the pain and ended up halting nursing all together.  If just your nipples are sore it probably is not thrush.  But if you have shooting pains in your breasts along with it, then it is probably thrush.  Either way call your doctor - breastfeeding should not be painful.  Good luck!