Tongue tie…advice please…

Fellow tongue tie momma 👋
What I learned is that there is no such thing as a "mild" tie. Either there is a tie or not. Get evaluated by a pediatric dentist that specializes in oral tethers and learn about your options

It won’t correct itself. We had my baby’s done at 7 weeks. The NHS wouldn’t do it as they didn’t evaluate him as having a tie so we went private. Some practitioners are less willing to do the procedure as baby gets older so if you’re interested in getting it done I’d move quickly.

thanks for the advice!

thanks for the advice Sophie. My health visitor said the tongue should stretch itself out over time…have you ever heard of that? Do you think the things I listed sound like a tongue tie?

Ours was apparently mild, 4 midwives missed it but it was agonising to feed for the first 5 days and she was constantly on my breast. A newly qualified midwife came out and made the referral to get it snipped and since then we had no issues feeding and a much happier baba. I would definitely get it looked into.

thanks Victoria. Do you think the things I listed sound like a tongue tie? Who do they refer you to, is it a dentist, GP or other profession?

to me it sounds like it, they could be getting frustrated as a tongue tie stops them getting enough milk. We were referred to a nurse who specialises in tongue ties but I’m not sure if everywhere has that. Definitely talk to your health visitor and see if there is somebody who specialises!

a lot of the things you mention could be caused by a tie but of course there could be other stuff going on instead / as well. If you search “tongue tie” and your area you will find local specialists who will assess for tongue tie and perform the release if necessary. Ours came to the house to do it.

Just stopped by to say my little one was diagnosed with a major tongue and lip tie as of 2 days old and our midwife suggested getting it water laser-ed(¿)!!! I’m not sure of the official name, unfortunately, & I’m located in Texas so not sure where other places are that specialize in this treatment but there is NO PAIN & healed amazing for our newborn!!!!!!! Doctor even showed us on our hand before doing it to show that it is extremely delicate. More expensive than “snipping” I’m sure, but soooo worth it!!! They have a follow up appt in case it begins to reform as well. Can’t recommend this alternative enoughhhhh

Its definitely worrh it! When they say mild it is usually more severe. Thats what i have been told by the tongue tie practitioner who cut my babies tongue ties. Your poor baby isnt getting enough per feed likely. In would say get an opinion from a tongue tie practitioner. I can share her details if you are in london

thanks for the advice! ❤️

do you mind me asking roughly how much it cost to go private?

do you mean she had to have speech therapy because of having hers cut? I thought a tongue tie in itself could cause speech problems

thanks, I’m in Scotland! I’m worried my milk supply is decreasing, not sure if a tongue tie would cause that to happen but maybe?

We had it done at 11 weeks after lot of problems with weight gain in the weeks after birth, and painful blocked ducts (me), it made loads of difference and I don't think I would still be exclusively breastfeeding had we not had it done. They initially told me the TT was "mild" so not worth doing earlier but I wish we had done it straight away.

Is baby gaining weight? Is the time spent breastfeeding interfering with day to day activities? Are you in pain?
I don't know if getting it fixed would help with sleep, we are still feeding very frequently day and night, but feeds are not long (6 months).
If babe isn't efficiently draining the breast then it's worth getting it looked at, but I was also warned that it might not make any difference so be aware it may not solve your problems and there is always a chance you may be disappointed if you have to spend lots of money. Around where I live it costs about £240 private or can be referred via NHS from local breastfeeding drop in with several week wait list

Don't just think about feeding issues now. Think about starting solids. Will they be able to move food around their mouth effectively. Will they be able to form words well. It can also cause tension in the body into adulthood.

maybe a lactation consultant can shed more light onto the situation! I am hoping they are also free in scotland through a referral from the midwife 😘

thanks for your reply. I’m glad things are much better for you now. Re your questions, yes baby is gaining weight, but I am spending A LOT of time feeding (feeds very often and up to 45mins a time), which I thought would’ve started to space out a little considering we’re approaching 4 months. I’m not usually in much pain but this last week have been experiencing burning sensation and whitened areola, and baby seems fussy. Maybe he’s struggling to keep up with his growing appetite as it is hard work for him…

45 minutes is a long time, you must be exhausted!! I think that alone is enough of a reason to get it checked out as it could make a big difference to your life.
Well done for sticking with breastfeeding for so long, I hope you find someone to fix it xx

thank you so much ❤️