Tongue tie help

[_Meep_]

That is a great amount of milk! Especially considering a pump is way less efficient than a baby at transferring it.

With a posterior tie, you will need to do stretching exercises for about a week, as they can reattach. Hopefully whoever cuts your son's tongue will tell you how to do this. If not, you can probably look it up online, or ask me if you like!

Hopefully he won't need any further intervention and will get the hang of his new tongue on his own, as he's still so little, but if not, a lactation consultant can work with you to correct the problem pretty easily.

I know what you mean - I knew all along too, despite repeatedly being told her tongue was fine because she put on weight and didn't cause me pain - that was all very well, but she would scream and refuse to feed unless she was asleep!

I am confident your son will learn to nurse normally after his tongue is revised. Please keep us updated on how he gets on tomorrow!

 

[yazzy]

Thanks Meep, maybe my supply isn't low then. I had no idea what a normal amount of milk I should be expressing but I manage that without giving formula. I also hand express because I cannot get on with the pump lol!

It does say something about the tie possibly reattaching so they do a few follow up appointments. Happy to do any tongue stretching exercises if it will help...I would love to just breastfeed painlessly and with him transferring plenty of milk.

I will let you know how we get on later today and thank you for the offer of help, really appreciate it

 

[_Meep_]

You hand express all that? Haha! Seriously, that is amazing.

If he is happy, content, peeing, pooping, gaining weight etc. on around seven 4 oz bottles a day, then your supply is just fine.

That's good that they will follow up. Sounds like they know what they are doing. The stretching exercises are pretty simple - we just used to make it into a game.

I am sure he will be able to breastfeed once his tongue is in tip top condition! It might take a little while to get it right, but it will come.

Good luck today! I am still getting over the hand expressing comment. I am sure you would do anything for your son, but that is truly admirable - most would just give up.

 

[yazzy]

Ha ha yes Meep I only hand express lol! It does give me an achey hand though!! The health visitors keep saying they are amazed I hadn't given up already.

Well tongue tie was snipped yesterday lunch time. It went well and he has been feeding every 2.5 hours since then. It definitely isn't pain free but he is feeding a lot better. I'm not sure if it's sore because I had a couple cracks from before or if it's because he's learning to use his tongue again?! Probably a mixture of both. Obviously going to try my best to give it a good shot and see if it becomes more comfortable.

 

[_Meep_]

That's so great. He's obviously eager to nurse and isn't experiencing any aversions, which is wonderful news.

I think you are probably right that the discomfort is a combination of both factors. Since he hasn't properly fed from the breast for a while you probably have virgin nipples again lol! Mine were sore when LO was very newborn but soon 'toughened up' so to speak. A good nipple cream like Lansinoh or something might help.

I think perseverance will pay off for you. There were days when I really wanted to just give up when LO kept striking and seemed terrified of my boob, but I knew I was way too lazy to sterilise and make bottles up all the time, so I just kept on going. I DID want to kill myself at times and I KNEW it wasn't ever going to get better, but I somehow continued.

I am so glad I was proven wrong.

Yes, it took about two months following the procedure for me to feel confident the strikes were over, and another four months for us to be able to feed anywhere other than lying side by side in bed, but now I have a boob-loving addict who keeps me up at night by crawling all over me, breastfeeding. Sometimes she asks for 'boo' just so she can sit there and look at it, or cuddle it. And I wouldn't change a thing.

You can do it. You can. Don't hesitate to see a LC if the pain doesn't improve - it will be so worth it.

 

[rwhite]

I have heard that cranial osteopathy and/or chiropractor can help baby once they have had a tongue or lip tie revision - it's meant to help relax the baby's jaw muscles and could help bubs open their mouth wider and get a bigger latch

Also, this is a good website for information on aftercare post frenotomy (the stretches etc)
https://www.drghaheri.com/aftercare/

If you're on Facebook, there is a support group for parents of tied babies called Tongue Tie Babies Support Group.

All the best x

 

[_Meep_]

Ours saw a cranial osteopath before we had the tongue tie confirmed - she loved it. She turned into a total jelly, and it really helped her posture and positioning, but obviously her feeding didn't improve because the tie was still there. I absolutely believe it would help a baby who has just had the procedure though - it was amazing.

We saw a craniosacral therapist after the revision and that was also amazing - we had a little jelly baby once again! And she never had another nursing strike. These people use incredible techniques. I ended up going to this therapist myself on a regular basis to help me with my anxiety over everything that had happened and it really helped.

I would highly recommend both.

 

[yazzy]

Maybe I should contact a cranial osteopath, there is a lady who does this in town and specialises in newborns. I never would have thought tongue ties can cause so much trouble!

 

[_Meep_]

Unbelievable trouble. Mine didn't stop frequently coughing and spluttering when drinking from a beaker until about two months ago.

She's finally got the hang of it though. I tend to give her an adjusted oral age lol, like they do with premies. I imagine her as being orally 4.5 months behind everyone else.

 

[noon_child]

Unbelievable trouble. Mine didn't stop frequently coughing and spluttering when drinking from a beaker until about two months ago.

She's finally got the hang of it though. I tend to give her an adjusted oral age lol, like they do with premies. I imagine her as being orally 4.5 months behind everyone else.

It's intersting you say that. My LO has TT ruled out but from what I've heard since, she was examined incorrectly. Breastfeeding became pain free after 3 months so I assumed it was something other than tongue tie, but to this day she frequently coughs and splutters when drinking (she's nearly 5), but then again she never had any problems handling solid food

 

[_Meep_]

Weird! Maybe she has a submucosal posterior tie like mine did that was never picked up???

Mine took ages to chew properly but is doing it now and has been for about a month. All of it absolutely worried me to death, so I called a SALT helpline and they very kindly sent someone out to see her straight away. The SALT couldn't find any problem and my LO just got the hang of it soon afterwards.

She occasionally gets a drink 'wrong' still, but maybe once every couple of days now as opposed to every single time.

She has quite a high palate and a little lower jaw from having the tie in utero, so I think this has played a part in her mild oral motor delay, but these things should correct themselves as she grows up untethered.

If your daughter isn't suffering anything like frequent chest infections/pneumonia, though, the coughing probably isn't a big deal.

 

[pixxi]

Just wanted to post a little update as things are still not resolved with my LO. After his first procedure things improved for a day or two but then reverted to the norm and since then have actually got worse. During the day every feed is awful - he latches terribly despite my attempts to correct, clicks, gulps air, chokes, splutters, bobs on and off through out the feed and it culminates - every time - with him getting upset, arching away, squirming and screaming until we have to end the feed. At night he is more settled for the feeds themselves but will wake up the moment he is removed from the boob and we've had 2+ hour screaming sessions after feeds, mostly I think due to his persistent awful wind issue. He's never slept more than 3 hours straight so far as he will squirm, wriggle and occasionally trump himself awake every time and it's really starting to take its toll on us all.

He had a second procedure just before Xmas (they found the front of his tongue was still 50% tied) and I was really hoping things would improve but yet again he was a bit better for a day or two and then went back to the usual hell. It was a strange visit as I was repeatedly asking about a posterior tie and the woman kept reassuring me that they'd found the problem at the front.

We are lined up to visit a different tongue tie clinic with posterior specialism so I'm hoping they'll be able to do a thorough check to ensure nothing has been missed and snip any bits that need snipping.

But I'm just feeling very down about it all at the moment, it feels like we're stuck in this awful rut with no way out and I've all but lost faith that these "experts" know what they're doing after 2 procedures and no improvement. I'm currently on a dairy/egg/soya exclusion diet to rule that out as the cause of LOs constant discomfort and I feel like we've exhausted every other route. Hoping someone might have a story of hope!

 

[_Meep_]

I would imagine a posterior tie will be found. Mine definitely clicked/gulped/choked until hers was cut.

I would also recommend seeing a lactation consultant after the cut (if he ends up having one), as LO may need a little help adjusting seeing as he is that bit older now.

Saying that, we worked it out on our own by eventually finding a position that was comfortable and gradually working towards nursing any old way.

It CAN be done. No story of hope to offer other than that which I already have. It took so much time, but there is no issue there now at all.

What position do you feed in? As babies grow, they often start to find old positions uncomfortable/unfavourable and it might take a little exploration to find one that is better?

 

[noon_child]

It was a strange visit as I was repeatedly asking about a posterior tie and the woman kept reassuring me that they'd found the problem at the front.

We are lined up to visit a different tongue tie clinic with posterior specialism so I'm hoping they'll be able to do a thorough check to ensure nothing has been missed and snip any bits that need snipping.

Ive read that if there is a tie at the front it will include a posterior tie also.

I also agree with seeing a (good) lactation consultant - so IBCLC, not just someone who calls the self an LC.

 

[mrssat]

Yep my boy had it done asleep in his car seat! Doc snipped he opened his eyes then nestled down & went straight back to sleep again.
We had problems feeding resulting in a very painful lipstick shipped nipple. I hired a hospital grade pump to ensure he got my milk but still offered the boob all the time he just got frustrated from falling off all the time.
It was tough. After the snip he had become too accustomed to a bottle & wouldn't really nurse unless he was sleepy. We carried on with the bottles in the end. I'm defo glad we had it snipped even though bfing didn't work out. He had a 75 % tie which I'm sure would have effected his speech.
GL with it all huni baby will do great no matter what x