January 2016 Moms

Tongue tie

Did or does your LO have a tongue tie? DS has a moderate one and an upper lip tie and it was suggested we get it fixed. I called the one dentist in our area that corrects them and it's $200 per tie. I told DH and he's all about it's a ripoff, he doesn't need it. It is so frustrating because I do so much research and I'm the one with sore nipples and going through the frustration every feeding while he's at work. DH's answer is just give him formula from a bottle and it's something that we can fix if he still needs it when we add him to our dental insurance later on. He's a huge conspiracy theorist and I feel like I get nowhere when I present him with research and medical opinions. I understand some people are out to take advantage of you, but I'm a firm believer that there are still some people willing to help, not just make a buck and move on!

So, I'm looking for personal experiences. Did you have LO's tie(s) revised? Did you feel it helped a lot? A little? Not at all? Thanks!
Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Lilypie - FiGB
Married DH 11/15/08
Formerly MissMheMhe

Re: Tongue tie

  • No personal experience but read this this morning and thought it was interesting. https://www.skepticalob.com/2016/03/is-neonatal-tongue-tie-surgery-the-new-tonsillectomy.html
    Baby Birthday Ticker TickerMarried DW <3 08.2013; AI 2x; IUI 6x; IUI #7 05.2015; DD born 2.2016 o:); Reciprocal IVF FET #1 on 11.18.2020 
  • I rarely post anything but this hits home. Both of my daughter were born tongue tied and I opted to have their tongue released. We didnt go to a dentist. My ENT performed it my oldest daughter's "surgery" when she was three months. I saw the baby girls tongue before I left the hospital and my ENT came by and clipped it. My major concern is speech delays. I have a good friend who didnt get hers done until age 40 and you tell the difference it her speech. Check with Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and you might can get it covered on your health insurance.
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  • My little girl had a posterior tongue tie. We had it released and never liked back!
    i was at my wits end, she was feeding around the clock and I was in so much pain I would cry! It was horrible did everyone involved. When I was told about the tie I was so relieved that there was an explanation for it. We had a little think and had it released within a week.
    I felt a difference in her feeding straight away and now 6 week so on everything is falling into place
  • My little girl had a posterior tongue tie. We had it released and never liked back!
    i was at my wits end, she was feeding around the clock and I was in so much pain I would cry! It was horrible did everyone involved. When I was told about the tie I was so relieved that there was an explanation for it. We had a little think and had it released within a week.
    I felt a difference in her feeding straight away and now 6 week so on everything is falling into place
  • My LO has a mild tongue tie and we opted not to have it released. I don't have anything against the surgery, but because hers is so mild, it wasn't creating any real issues at present. The LC felt that it should be cut, but our ped was on the fence. Husband was adamantly against it (he's a softy and couldn't stomach the idea of her experiencing pain for something that may only present an issue in the future). Because he felt so strongly, we left it as is. If it creates future problems (speech and such), we will revisit the issue. 
  • KFrobKFrob member
    I have both an upper and lower lip tie. I remember being a child and the dentist discussing cutting them. However, I was an EBF baby so is it really needed? My mom managed.  From the other side of it I gave up breast feeding and switched to EP when LO was a week old bc my nipples were cracked and bleeding. This after I was told she had a good latch. Then a few weeks later out of curiosity I checked her and she had lip ties also. Was there a correlation? Idk....
  • My husband is tongue tied and It never affected him. My DD is and it hasn't had any issue do to it. We will not do anything about it.
    Married 2006
    DS1 2010
    DS2 2013
    DD1 2016
  • Maybe show him how much formula actually costs and explain you will spend $400 very fast on it. If he is purely focused on cost that might make him reconsider after all breast milk is free.
  • My son had a severe tongue tie and could not latch. He was even having trouble eating bottles. We got it clipped at the hospital, a day later because he was losing a lot of weight. I was able to get him to latch as soon as it was done.
  • My daughter had a mild tongue tie and my nipples were cracked, bleeding and bruised. At about 4 weeks I finally got my husband to give me the OK to get it clipped. She also got bodywork done because her jaw and shoulders were really tense while eating. I noticed the difference right away, and it got a lot better over a couple weeks. Now at 7 weeks old, I'm using nipple shields and my boobs are totally healed and breastfeeding is going great - no pain at all. I'm considering trying to not use the nipple shields, but we'll see - they are so easy and I don't want to ever experience the pain I was in ever again. A nurse practitioner did the procedure and insurance covered it.
  • From a early intervention standpoint I would recommend getting it clipped. I have many children I work with who have lip or tongue ties that effect eating and speech, I feel like it is such an easy fix when they are young to make sure they have no limitations on there success. That being said, I know a few people who opted to not get it corrected and eventually the child overcame their delays and was fine. 
  • My LO has a upper lip tie that extends all the way thru her gums. While at the pedi dentist with my older kids I talked to her about it and she checked it for me and agreed she had a thick lip tie and found no tongue tie. I have an ENT appt on Monday and we will see what she says. My pedi said it could go either way as far as if we should get it clipped. I haven't seen a LC with this LO but I have nursed 2 other kiddos for a year so I knew she had a shallow and weak latch. She is gaining wait great but doesn't nurse long, weak latch and I'm worried about how she will do at daycare with a bottle in a month when I go back to work. She's only had 2 bottles at home and took a while to finish them. Even when she wants her pacifier she can't suck on it very well. My pedi said to see a pedi dentist or ENT. I told her I would talk to both.  I already was seeing the dentist so that's the only reason I even talked to one about it. ENT is covered on my regular insurance and the baby isn't on my dental so that's why I'm going that route. Dentist said lip tie shouldn't cause speech problems but would cause a big gap in her front teeth and would prob need to be clipped at 8 or 9 years old. I don't have much pain when nursing, sometimes it feels like she's chewing on my nipple because her latch is so shallow and it's uncomfortable .... I'm sure if she was my first it would hurt more since I'm sure most of the feeling is gone from my nipples since this is my third to nurse. I'm curious to see what the ENT recommends on Monday. My BFF'S some had a tounge tie, painful nursing, she took him to the ENT and they clipped it in the office. She said it bled a few minutes and she nursed him in the office 5 minutes after it was clipped and she could tell the difference immediately.
  • We had the lip tie and minor tongue tie done at the dentist with a laser in week 4. Nursing used to be agony for me resulting in cracked nipples and getting mastitis twice. The procedure took 5 minutes and cost $250 (insurance covers most of it). It made such a huge difference. Nursing is painless now and I'm starting to understand why people enjoy it. I hope you can get your husband on board to get some relief for yourself and your lo. My son really struggled with his latch and would breathe heavily while nursing because it took so much effort to stay on.

    Formula will end up costing way more than a couple hundred bucks. I would have paid the fee without insurance ($1500) if necessary and it would have been worth every penny. Good luck!  

    __________________________________________________________
    Married to DH June 2013
    BFP #1 07/23/14 lost heartbeat @ 9w
    BFP #2 11/07/14 mmc @ 9w
    BFP #3 due February 2016!
  • My little one had a tongue tie and we got it clipped at the ENT when she was 6 days old.  It made a huge difference in my comfort level nursing. We still paid $150 for it, but worth every penny in my opinion 
  • My daughter had a tongue tie and we got it clipped and the difference was immediate.  She had been unable to latch without a nipple shield prior to the surgery and even still was hardly transferring any milk.  I was in the nurse, pump, supplement grind before we clipped it.  Afterwards she latched immediately without the shield.  A week post frenectomy she transferred 100mls.  Best decision I've ever made. Oh, and our ped did the procedure and we had a small copay.  
  • My daughter has a tounge tie and an upper lip tie. I nursed through hers. But they are minor and caused no pain and she was able to transfer milk appropriately. I did not find out she had them until her first dental exam at age two. I nursed her until 3.5 years. That being said at 4 she has a notice speech impediment. She cannot pronounce Y or th correctly at all. She can lick her lips but cannot reach above or below them. Picture... Not being able to lick off a milk mustache. Her tounge is heart shaped. I wish it was done! My son had a more severe case. His tougne could not move past his gums. An ent released his day 2 in hopital. I noticed immeadatly. But was in pain for the next week because of the damage done in the first two days, blisters bleeding bruising. It took a few more weeks to work around the high pallet issue. Due to his tie being so restrictive his rouge did it have a chance to mold his pallette in the womb. It did not touch. So I really had to work on latch and wait for him to get stronger to really get a better suck. I'm probably looking at spacers in his future if he gets braces in his teens due to having such a high vault. Have an ENT look at your baby. There are so many issues in the future that go along with tougne ties besides nursing. Btw... Nursing your baby is fundemental and you and baby should not be forced to suffer through months of discomfort for any sum of money. 
  • I greatly appreciate everyone sharing your experiences! There is one dr, the dentist, who is recommended within a 3ish hour drive (only 5 in the whole state of FL and he happens to be in town) but I figured I could call ENTs anyway just to get a consult at least.
    Lilypie First Birthday tickers
    Lilypie - FiGB
    Married DH 11/15/08
    Formerly MissMheMhe
  • I went through hell trying to get my son's tongue tie fixed (couldn't transfer enough milk so I'm pumping). I finally got my insurance to cover it and the oral surgeon didn't want to do it because he said LO would need general anesthesia and there would be a lot of blood loss. I'm going to pay to have it done by an expert and by laser (how it should be done). I know there's recovery and stretching involved afterword so I'm waiting for summer break to have it done so I can work with him after. I know by then the breast feeding train has left but I won't ever have to wonder down the line for feeding and speech (and dental issues) if we should have done it. There's one preferred provider near where I live but he charges 900, I can go upstate and have another (world leading) dentist do it for 550, we're going upstate!
  • BEWx2BEWx2 member
    My son had a tongue tie and the pediatrician clipped it in her office when he was 2 weeks old. I held my baby down and she clipped and it was done in less than 10 seconds! No surgery, ENT, laser etc needed. I BF him immediately and he stopped crying and BF was immediately more comfortable. So glad I got it done. 
  • I called and made an appointment with an ENT that was recommended to me. He's not a PP but he's done many revisions and insurance will cover it.
    Lilypie First Birthday tickers
    Lilypie - FiGB
    Married DH 11/15/08
    Formerly MissMheMhe
  • We had it done. Ours was $400 and since LO is too young for dental insurance they just billed medical, which I think is pretty common.
  • My DS had a really bad upper lip tie. We went to ENT to have it looked at, and the Dr said it would have caused a major gap in his teeth. It also made him unlatched easily. We had it done 3 weeks ago and he is fully healed. We had it done with a laser and it took 5 seconds. He didn't have any discomfort at all, even while healing. Just make sure to flip the upper lip a couple times a day so that it doesn't grow back. 
  • chillmama1518chillmama1518 member
    edited March 2016
    We had our little guys tongue tie done on day 10 at the dentist. He basically slept through it, cried for literally 2 seconds and back to sleep. Nursing went from horrible to just fine (minus a couple weeks for nipples to fully heal from the first 10 days of trauma). It was the best thing we could've done and was covered by dental insurance. Our ped said we could or didn't have to, LC said DO IT and dentist who did it said it was definitely an option to do but only if it was affecting nursing (it sure was) so everyone's opinions seemed to differ a bit. 

    Edited because typing is hard
  • My LO had a lip and tongue tie that we had released at 4 weeks. There was an immediate difference at the office, but by that point we had started feeding her with bottles so she hated how slow breastfeeding and we ended up going to EP. I am still glad that I got it done because she is a little chatterbox and I would have hated for her to have speech issues because of it. I also hear that the procedure is much worse
    on an older child. 
  • Our daughter had tongue tie, and the ENT performed the frenectomy. Because we were referred to the ENT, insurance paid for it in its entirety. I was advised by someone that had the procedure as an adult that there is no pain involved whatsoever. (Just a little blood.) My daughter only cried because she didn't like the doctor's fingers in her mouth.
    On another side note, my aunt, who was a kindergarten teacher, and then a principal, and now a superintendent, says that this is one of the biggest struggles with kindergarten students. (uncorrected tongue tie) If tongue tie is bad, and speech is impaired, it can make it more difficult in school. 
  • Please, please, please make sure you sweep under the tongue several times a day if you have it done. It can grow back. I have a friend that was not told, and now (after 2 frenectomies,) her daughter has to have it surgically corrected due to scar tissue.
    (Still glad we did it for our daughter, though.)
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