Adrienne’s Story–Tongue Tie and Beyond

This is a story from a former client. She wants to encourage other moms to aggressively seek help for breastfeeding challenges. She wants you to know that if you’re having trouble, it’s not your fault! And, finally, she wants you to know that you and your baby don’t have to suffer and struggle in order to breastfeed

20131224_140733By the time I saw Renee, I’d already been to 4 lactation consultants and I was losing hope I’d be able to breastfeed my baby girl for even another month, let alone her first year. We were on week 9 of pain, frustration, and tears. When Renee said my girl had a tongue tie, I didn’t quite believe her for a moment. Then I wanted to cry, I was so relieved to have a concrete, fixable solution. Continue reading

Twenty Things You Don’t Know about Tongue Tie

Anterior tongue tie

Anterior tongue tie

The medical term for tongue tie is “ankyloglossia” which literally means “anchored tongue.”

Most health care professionals and many lactation consultants do not know how to evaluate for ankyloglossia.

Obvious does not mean severe. “Obvious” simply means the frenulum is attached near the tip of the tongue making it clearly visible.

An anterior tongue tie refers to attachment near the tip of the tongue. Posterior tongue tie refers to attachment at the base of the tongue.

If the frenulum is attached to the back of the tongue (posterior) it can cause even more restriction than if it’s attached to the front of the tongue (anterior)

There is no such thing as a mild tongue tie. Usually if someone says the tongue tie is mild, that means that the person doing the evaluation isn’t sure if it’s causing a restriction.

Tongue ties affect much more than breastfeeding.

Where the frenulum attaches at the floor of the mouth can have as much or more impact than where it attaches to the tongue.

Frenulum attached to lower gum ridge causing trough in tongue.

Frenulum attached to lower gum ridge causing trough in tongue.

Sometimes the frenulum can be attached to the back of the lower gum ridge as well as the floor of the mouth.

The frenulum does not stretch.

No one “grows out of” ankyloglossia.

The procedure to revise the frenulum so the tongue can move properly is called a frenotomy. It’s also commonly referred to as a revision. (It may be called different things in different parts of the world.)

The frenotomy can be done in about 2 seconds by clipping the tissue. If laser is used, it’s a little longer. It is never too late for a frenotomy!

The frenulum is NOT part of the tongue—the tongue will not be clipped during a frenotomy.

The frenulum usually has few nerves and blood vessels.

You can’t tell by looking if baby needs frenotomy.

A frenulum can not “grow back” once it’s clipped. It can, however, heal in such a way that it continues to restrict the movement of the tongue. It is important to keep the wound open during the healing process.

The frenotomy is often just the beginning of the path to full tongue function. Body work and time to learn new skills are often necessary.

There are no documented reports of any complications from a frenotomy.

In some parts of the world, ankyloglossia is commonly remedied with a long fingernail!

See also, “Squeaker: A Story about a Tongue Tie Release.”

Erin’s Story: A Tongue Tie with a Happy Ending

IMG_1691This story was sent to me by an incredibly determined mom. Thank you, Erin B. for sharing with the world!

My daughter had been nursing exclusively until she was 4 months old. She was always colicky, hard to nurse, and would arch her back and scream during feedings. My nipples were constantly sore. She was diagnosed with acid reflux and put on medication, but it never really helped. We had to start her on solids early at 4 months because she always seemed hungry. Then, at 5 months, she flat out refused to nurse. This time, I knew it was more than just “reflux,” and decided to go digging.

I searched high and low and came across some information regarding tongue ties and lip ties.  I immediately made an appointment with our pediatrician to have our daughter checked. He told us that she did not have a tongue tie, and that her lip tie shouldn’t affect feeding, but I had a gut feeling about it and talked to other moms and eventually found Renee–an experienced lactation consultant. (IBCLC)  

Even though Renee practiced in another city, an hour away, I made an appointment and went to see her as she has experience in identifying ankyloglossia (tongue tie). It was a wonderful experience.  Finally someone listened to me!  She was able to identify my daughter’s lip and tongue ties, and help me figure out how to nurse her comfortably, without pain, while waiting to have her ties revised. Renee also contacted my OB and our daughter’s pediatrician to fill them in, and helped us find a wonderful body worker (Michael Hahn) to take our daughter to after her revisions.  (Note: Body work is often needed after the ties are revised to resolve any residual tightness in the jaw and other areas.)

We had both the tongue and lip ties clipped. We saw an immediate difference. A few days after the procedure we took our baby for a session of body work with Michael which helped our baby even more.  I can’t even begin to describe the difference in my baby since her ties were released, but the short of it is that she is a much more settled, content, happy baby who is gaining weight and growing much more efficiently. For the first time, I have seen her content to nurse and know what “milk drunk” looks like. Her reflux and spitting up have also vanished.

I am forever grateful to have found someone to listen to me and help me figure out how to continue to breastfeed my sweet girl. I will not hesitate to seek help again with any breastfeeding issues, and when we have our next baby, I am absolutely hiring Renee to come to the hospital!

Note from Renee: I refer most of my local clients to Dr. Chenelle Roberts for tongue and/or lip tie releases. If you’re not local to Seattle, that’s ok!  I can help you identify tongue tie with a virtual consultation and can locate a provider local to you for the release.

 

Bodywork for Baby (Guest Post by Michael Hahn)

Newborn loving his time with Michael!

I often recommend bodywork for the babies of my clients. As a lactation consultant, it is my job to look at the entire baby–not just the mouth–to get to the underlying cause of any breastfeeding challenges. When I see structural issues that may cause a problem for breastfeeding or overall function, I refer to someone I trust. Michael Hahn is one of those very special bodyworkers who I rely on to help me help my clients. Here is what he says about working with infants. Continue reading