Tongue Tie

esmemehl · October 2012

Has anyone had a baby with a tongue tie that you had clipped and it fixed issues with breastfeeding.

I finally gave in today and had a Lactation Consultant come in to observe me feeding and she immediately noticed that my baby had a heart shaped tongue and that she had a tongue tie as part of it. My little one has a hard time keeping her tongue down so I can feed her which has led to many problems - including my breast starting to really hurt.

I am really scared to have her tongue clipped, but it seems to be a pretty common thing that is done.

I have a backup plan too, in case I decide not to get the procedure done. We are going to do some suck training with finger feeding and also try a nipple shield every other feeding to see if that will work.

Any experience/advise would be greatly appreciated.

apardy131 · October 2012

We went to the doctor when LO was a month old and the pediatrician noticed the tongue tie. We decided to get it clipped. He was 6 weeks old and the ENT Doctor explained everything great and it took 10 seconds if that. I was a mess during the first shots so I thought this would be tough too, but it was not as bad as those awful shots. LO did not even seem to notice what was going on. I do not think he liked the Dr's finger in his mouth the most.

We did the procedure because of the later affects of tongue tie. He could have speech problems and not be able to talk right. If you decide to do it later LO will have to be put under at the hospital and it will be a surgical procedure.

After we did it, we noticed that LO was sucking much better on his bottle and discovering his tongue. I do not regret doing it.

Everyusernameistaken · October 2012

apardy131:

LO did not even seem to notice what was going on. I do not think he liked the Dr's finger in his mouth the most.

This was my experience as well...I think he was only upset about being manhandled! There was a TINY speck of blood and he didn't really cry, just a few mad sounds which stopped pretty quickly once the Dr. let him go. My Dr. said that the tongue tie skin doesn't have any nerves or anything in it.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat, especially if it was as noticeable as you describe (my son's tongue tie was VERY minor), it's such an easy procedure and the potential benefits for BFing are huge.

Good luck

ac1259 · October 2012

In the hospital we found out that our baby also had a tongue tie. In our first pediatrician visit they were able to do the clipping. We were told that the tongue tie could cause trouble with speech later on and make it way more difficult with breastfeeding. We did the clipping and honestly it seemed that she was more upset at being held with her mouth open then she was about the clipping itself. I could tell an immediate difference in the pitch of her cry and she was able to latch somewhat afterwards even though we've had like no luck breastfeeding beforehand. I notice a big difference in how far she can move her tongue, I actually see it sticking out sometimes where it never could before. I would definitely do it again and would highly suggest it if it was recommended.

ncbelle · October 2012

I wouldn't hesitate to do it. Getting it clipped will be so much easier for both of you in the long run than other stop-gaps like nipple shields (which can be a huge PITA and can cause supply problems because the breast doesn't get the same stimulation).

For those I've known who have had a tongue tied baby, they almost all noticed nearly instant improvements in nursing - it can make a huge difference! It's also a much easier procedure for a newborn than for an older child who has already started talking, etc. as it will impact the way they form sounds (meaning they may have to relearn things).

tokenhoser · October 2012

The sooner you get it clipped, the more likely it is to positively impact breastfeeding.

I'd do it in a heartbeat. There are no drawbacks.

cmhicklin · October 2012

Also, if you wait to clip it, it will mean being out to sleep to get it fixed or speech therapy later on.

greeneyed_bride · October 2012

GET IT DONE! I cannot recommend it strongly enough! The procedure itself lasted literally 5 seconds. It took longer for them to numb it (with ointment on a cotton swab) than it did to clip it. He stopped crying as soon as they were done and nursed immediately.

Our problem was that his latch was fine but his suck wasn't very efficient, so he nursed every half hour for an hour at a time. The day after we got the tongue-tie fixed (at six weeks), he started being able to go two hours in between feedings. I honestly wish we had done it sooner, because the first six weeks were miserable.

mkinMI · October 2012

Both my kids had this. I had problems breastfeeding and quit early on. No one mentioned to me that breastfeeding might be a problem with this condition. Both of them stretched out fine on their own, so no problems eating or talking when they got older, but with my next baby, if he is tongue tied, I will get it clipped to make breastfeeding go a little smoother.

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