Milk & Honey Lactation Counselling
39 Selkirk Place T9E 0L4 Leduc, AB, Canada

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At 4 days old my baby, my 8th breastfed baby, had corrective surgery to release a tongue and upper lip tie (frenotomy). It sucked. Why would we choose for our ...newborn to have this painful procedure done? For both immediate and long term health. The immediate health concern was breastfeeding. The long time health reasons ranged from feeding solids to breathing and sleep (tongue tie often leads to mouth breathing and sleep disturbances that in turn can impact brain development, focus, and behavior) to dental concerns. But it was the immediate concerns that made us move quickly. She was starving. I saw the frenulum restriction under her tongue while still in the birth tub. Within 24 hours my nipples were bright red and chapped and within 48 hours I had small wounds on my nipples. Her lips were blistered and peeling from a poor latch, she was losing weight (some weight loss is normal- she lost more than 10% of her birth weight and since I had no IV fluids during labor that weight loss couldn’t be accounted for), and she struggled to stay awake long at the breast as it took too much energy for her to feed well. Her latch looked good from the outside but I could tell she couldn’t hold it for long and her tongue wasn’t positioned correctly on my breast. Breastfeeding hurt me and wore her out. It was clear we were struggling with feeding. Her weight loss was alarming. We assessed the risk. Many babies with oral tethers go through revision and bounce back quickly, feeding well. Sometimes babies develop feeding aversions and refuse to feed. It could go well or it could be a new obstacle. Ultimately, we had to do something and the sooner the better. She was losing weight far too fast. Handing my days old newborn over to have laser surgery was hard. I cried. It was harder to watch her struggle at the breast, to see her losing weight rapidly, and to know we were headed for hospitalization if things didn’t turn around quickly. I felt it was necessary for her health and wellbeing. Thankfully, our doctor was amazing and the procedure was quick. I’m glad we had the tongue tie release done but it wasn’t the magic bullet I had hoped it would be. Initially, she didn’t want to feed at all. She refused the breast completely for 8 hours before finally latching. Even with me giving her drops of milk directly in her mouth, begging and pleading for her to take my breast. I can’t tell you the relief I felt when she finally latched and fed. The difference was noticeable but not drastic at first. She struggled with low energy and lost a good amount of weight, not getting back to her birth weight until 4 weeks and then gaining much slower than any of us would want (normal newborn weight gain is 5 - 7 ounces a week). The stretches and exercises to prevent reattachment and to strengthen her oral function were difficult and upsetting for both of us. Feeding was still work but at least now her tools were working properly. Now 10 weeks old my baby is back on her growth curve. She’s so much happier and loves to breastfeed, able to complete full feeds. Huge grins light up her face and my world. Some signs of tongue tie or other frenulum restriction Baby: Difficulty latching Sliding off the nipple Tires quickly during feeds Significant weight loss Difficulty gaining weight Blistered or cobblestone lips Jaw tension and gripping the breast with gums Dribbling milk at the breast Frequent coughing and gagging at the breast Clicking sounds while feeding Acts uncomfortable at breast Mouth breathing when not congested or sick Digestive issues such as reflux and excessive gassiness Colic Lactating parent: Pain with feeding Nipple tissue damage Pinched or "lipstick tube" nipples after feeding Milk supply issues (low supply and sometimes oversupply) Breast infections such as mastitis and thrush Prolonged engorgement Slow transitioning of milk from colostrum to mature milk It used to be believed it was just when the frenulum tissue ran to the tip of the tongue restricting tongue movement from extending out of the mouth and causing the tongue to appear heart shaped. Now we know that’s just one way tongue tie can present. Ultimately, having a frenulum is not the problem; compromised tongue mobility and functionality that cause problems for the mother and/or baby are the problem. Read more about the basics of tongue and lip tie here https://bit.ly/3mfGxum (Thanks to Melissa Cole, IBCLC and Dr. Bobby Ghaheri) ********************************************** Was this helpful for you? Consider giving back by joining our circle of support. The education and support The Leaky Boob provides is free and we want to keep it that way. Help us keep going join The Leaky Boob circle of support and be a part of helping us share information, support, and community around baby feeding, pregnancy, birth, and parenting. As little as a $1 a month helps us keep the lights on and continue supporting other families. Become a TLB patron and get access to exclusive content including livestreams, video on demand, articles, and more: https://bit.ly/300FPrL

Couldn’t have done better if I did it myself.