I never thought I would see the day but I do actually have a child now who is tongue-tied...literally. Our visit to the pediatrician the other day confirmed my suspicions that the little bit of stuff under her tongue is attached a bit too far towards the front. Technically speaking, she has a tight frenulum. There is a minor procedure that can be done to correct this within the first year - it just involves snipping it back. As she grows a little older the same surgery will involve stitches. I'm a bit torn about what to do about this. After dealing with major speech issues in this household I'd like to just do the procedure now and hope for the best with her nursing and speech issues. She nurses well enough to get plenty of nourishment but I had noticed that her nursing habits are a bit...different and occasionally frustrating for me, although she's never complained. Now I know why. Anyone else have any experience with this? I'd sure appreciate hearing about it!By the way, since my camera is still on the fritz, that is *not* Tali's tongue - I lifted that photo from www.breastfeed.com
5 comments:
My nephew had this done when he was a new-born. They didn't do it quite enough, but it was a lot better. It is much easier on kids when they are younger. I would do it sooner rather than later. JMHO
Lily had a tight frenulum as well. We noticed it pretty early on b/c she was not nursing well and was jaundice. In fact for the first 3 months I pumped and only nursed for bonding b/c she wasn't getting enough milk from nursing alone. At 3 months we had her frenulum "clipped" at U of MD. It was literally a 2 second thing, there was no bleeding or discomfort (seemingly) and immediately nursing improved! Go for it. -Tina
As a speech therapist, I'd say do it sooner rather than later. The oral mechanism is prepared for speech (strength and coordination) by feeding...so get her into a good groove early to avoid problems later on.
Laura (from Holy Cross)
My friend from your church, Ann K asked me to look at your question. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I would suggest you have the frenulum clipped. It can be done in your pediatrician's office. The baby cries because she is being held down. The procedure itself is not painful. I have talked with adults who have had it done. If you wait, they anesthetize the child. For a baby under 3 months, they just hold them still. It is quick, painless, and you can nurse the baby immediately after the procedure. If you want to call Ann for my phone number, she would be glad to give it to you.
My oldest had the procedure done at a dentist's office when he was about 1 1/2 weeks old. He never did become a good nurser though, so at least you're already good in that department.
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