Tongue/Lip tie

Re: Tongue/Lip tie

• rizzlig member

  November 2015 edited November 2015

  I hope my personal experience can be helpful in some way.  Please let me know if you have any specific questions.  My DS is 4 weeks old now.  I saw two different lactation consultants at the hospital who had said everything was fine.  As a FTM I was really nervous about him getting enough, etc.  They never once looking in his mouth.  I left the hospital feeling as thought breastfeeding would get better because I have been given some pointers of how to make sure he got a good latch.  When I went home breastfeeding was painful but I really wanted to continue.  At the 1 weeks check up at the pediatrician I was telling the Dr. about my concerns and she basically said my nipples would toughen up.  I was a bit annoyed because I knew something more was going on.  However, I did not expect the pediatrician to be an expert on breastfeeding but rather an expert about myDS.
  
  I would have given up on breastfeeding it were not for my chiropractor and doula.  I had been seeing the chiropractor throughout my pregnancy and had my DS seen soon after hospital discharge.  Misalignment can affect feeding and latch.  I was talking with the chiropractor about how challenging breastfeeding was with intense pain, etc.  She was the first one who told me that tongue tie can also effect latching/breastfeeding.  She referred me to a Certified Lactation Counselor and Doula who did a house call.  She was great and spent 3 hours watching me breastfeed, weighing DS before and after feedings to see if he was getting enough milk, she checked his sucking pattern.  Within minutes she was able to diagnose an anterior tongue tie and a stretchy upper lip tie.  She said the tongue tie was not severe but LO may benefit from a correction but gave me options to try.  This included mouth/tongue exercises and she referred me to a someone who could help further.  That was a Craniosacral Therapist (CST) and when I saw her she recommended the tongue tie go ahead and get laser corrected within minutes of seeing LO.  She worked her magic on LO and also recommended a specific pacifier that would retrain LO's tongue to work properly and a bottle that would help as well.  I just started introducing bottles of pumped milk for a break for myself.  
  
  I got the tongue tie laser correction scheduled with the office recommended and it occurred for LO at 2.5 weeks old.  It was a quick procedure and I had a follow up with the  CST who said she anticipated me seeing much progress with better latching, less painful feeding in the next two weeks.  I am now seeing the benefits.  I still have to work at it to make sure LO does not resort back to the old way of sucking as I am "retraining" him to latch correctly.  His poor latch had him working double time to get the milk he needs.  I anticipate that things will continue to get better.  I did spend some money consulting with these professionals.  However, it was worth it to me because otherwise I would have stopped breastfeeding and had to buy formula which adds up quickly.  

  
  

  *Edited to add* 
  My LO did not deal with reflux issues.  However, the chiropractor can help with that immensely and with the feeding issues.  I learned that the clicking noise can have to do with poor alignment.  Most babies can benefit from chiropractic care after birth due to the forces coming out of the birth canal, and/or being pulled on during a C-section.  

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• alinic916 member

  November 2015

  DD had a mild tongue tie.  She was still able to latch, but not very well.  We ended up having to use a nipple shield, and unfortunately at 8 weeks are still using it.  The lactation consultant pointed it out to us in the hospital and our pediatrician checked for it at her first appointment as well.  She offered to clip it in the office so at her 2 week appointment she did.  With it being such a small tongue tie, it didn't help with her latch much unfortunately.  I keep trying to wean her off the nipple shield but it's not going very well.  We keep trying, but I have a feeling we will always have to use it.

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• mandala1107 member

  November 2015

  Great job being an advocate for your LO. @rizzlig has a great TT story. Check out Dr. Bobby Gaheri's website for information. He has a great Facebook support group and you can find a list of preferred providers who are experienced with tongue and lip tie revisions. Many of the preferred providers are pediatric dentists. Most states also have a state specific support group to try and find experienced providers in your area.
  
  My son has a tongue and lip tie. We have very minor symptoms, but I am weighing having them reversed. I'm just not sure yet. I found the ties myself. My ped agreed, but doesn't really believe in ties, but I will skip around my ped and go straight to the pediatric dentist if I decide for a consult. She wants to send me to an ENT, but in my research I've found that they are not necessarily the most well versed in ties and complete release. Dr. Gaheri is one of the nation's top experts on ties and you can even email him pics (if you follow the directions on how to photograph) including a list of symptoms and he will let you know if you should seek a consultation from a preferred provider.

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• urfcerin member

  November 2015

  Hi there! I'm a September mama who just popped in to this birth month to see what was going on My son also had a lip and tongue tie that two pediatricians and a lactation consultant missed. I did my own research and found the Facebook group mentioned above. My son had the following symptoms - "clicking" when nursing, slow weight gain and gassiness. The painful nursing was the worst though. After having his ties revised (by a pediatric dentist found through the Facebook group) the pain has completely gone away and he has chunked up quite a bit. I'm glad I had the procedure done and I'm glad I advocated for him despite being told my several other professionals that he had no tie. Sorry, no pictures to share.

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• briannacolasito member

  November 2015

  Wow - thank you ladies, all of you! For taking the time to share your stories and input.
  
  As a new mommy is discouraging feeling like "something is wrong" with your baby! It seems as though this issue would only be characterized as cosmetic until you realize that when BF it can hinder so much.
  
  I've read horror stories about getting these taken care of and I've also heard stories about it not being so bad.
  
  I looked up IBCLCs in my area and will be consulting with one this week - she'll be able to weigh baby before and after a feeding too which will be nice to actually see his progress.
  
  My son DEFINITELY clicks. It's frustrating. And gassiness all day everyday.
  
  For those mamas who have had it taken care of, I've also read it's a pretty pricy procedure...? Not covered my insurance?
  
  I added baby to my medical plan but left him off of dental and vision for now.
  
  Again - thank you ALL!

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• mandala1107 member

  November 2015

  I've heard stories of it being covered and sometimes it not. It's all going to depend on how it is billed and the medical reason they put on the procedure. You can have the provider you choose see if they can write it up for you and send it to your insurance and see what your insurance will cover. You can also call the provider and see what they charge and see what they require upfront. Sometimes it's not covered, sometimes it is.
  
  When it comes to the procedure and recovery, that's where I'm stuck, so hopefully someone else can provide you feedback. We are experiencing minor symptoms, some of which can also be attributed to or exacerbated by other issues (dairy sensitivity and overactive letdown) so I'm in a wait and see mode and will reevaluate in December when I see how my LO is progressing at his next appointment. In the stories I've read, the recovery is what varies greatly, but the outcome for those who used a quality provider and had complete revisions, has all been the same-great! The aftercare is easy for some and what seems like torture for others, but is a necessary evil. Good luck mama!

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• komorebi member

  November 2015

  aprosch said:

  DD had a mild tongue tie.  She was still able to latch, but not very well.  We ended up having to use a nipple shield, and unfortunately at 8 weeks are still using it.  The lactation consultant pointed it out to us in the hospital and our pediatrician checked for it at her first appointment as well.  She offered to clip it in the office so at her 2 week appointment she did.  With it being such a small tongue tie, it didn't help with her latch much unfortunately.  I keep trying to wean her off the nipple shield but it's not going very well.  We keep trying, but I have a feeling we will always have to use it.

  It's not too late to get it clipped. There is a Facebook group that has a list of preferred providers all over the world.
  
  I had my second dd clipped at a week old and it defintely helped her latch and my supply. My new baby has a tie but good mobility and since he had surgery at 3 weeks old is become a big battle with his dad so I'm letting it be for now. The procedure is so simple. The hard part is the post op stretches. But even those are just quick swipes

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• alinic916 member

  November 2015

  @komorebi, she got it clipped in the pediatrician's office at her 2 week appointment.  Unfortunately, it didn't help her latch much.  The pediatrician had said she wasn't sure if it would or not because it was such a small tongue tie.  She tucks her bottom lip in and compresses my nipple when latching.  It's so painful.  Since I haven't had much luck weaning from the nipple shield, I am going to see the lactation consultant again this week to see if she can help.

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• briannacolasito member

  November 2015

  Thank you ladies for the input - it sounds like all of you have had the same issues I'm having with your LOs.
  
  I'll have to give the shield a try and yes I have an appointment this week with a LC...here's some pics of my boy. What do you guys think compared to your babies?
  
  If anything I think the tongue tie may be submucosal

  image.jpeg 1.1M

  image.png 1.5M

  image.jpeg 1.3M

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• mandala1107 member

  December 2015

  From an appearance standpoint, they don't look too restrictive, however with the symptoms you are having, meeting with an LC is a great first step. I struggle with tongue ties. The upward mobility doesn't look bad but you have definite cupping. Looks like upper lip function may not be too bad as it actually flips up, though he does have a thick connection to the bottom of the gum. Again, symptoms and functionality are going to be your determining factors. Did you take a look at the Facebook group? If not, I can copy the list of probably symptoms here for you, just let me know. You're lucky to get into an LC. I have don't I drive 2 hours to get to one, and the closest provider is also 2 hours away. I love living in the country, but the drive for quality care does stink.

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• briannacolasito member

  December 2015

  Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It's so hard worrying about every little thing with our babes! Hopefully the LC will help with either getting a reversal or tips on how to better manage...

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