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Have you seen this? Petition to get tongue-ties cut within 3 days of birth

29 replies

Purplelooby · 18/01/2013 23:48

TT petition I'm so pleased that someone has done this - it is an issue that is very close to my heart, since my DS was unable to BF due to a tongue-tie that wasn't corrected until he was 14 weeks old, 12 weeks after he was first refered. It is also likely to be responsible for his silent reflux.

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colafrosties · 18/01/2013 23:52

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cleoowen · 18/01/2013 23:54

Sounds good to me.,was having trouble bf my baby after the birth in hospital they noticed tongue tie and cut it straight away. Bf improved afterwards but not sure completely down to that.

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KentuckyFriedChildren · 19/01/2013 00:36

Brilliant. Dh still has a tongue tie and it does bother him. They should do this I don't get why they don't already. I will sign.

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blonderthanred · 19/01/2013 00:47

Signed, my DS just had his cut at 11 wks after slow weight gain/ftt. Was checked at birth and several times subsequently but missed as posterior. Would have made a massive difference to his start in life.

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NatashaBee · 19/01/2013 00:47

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Arseface · 19/01/2013 00:52

Had similar probs with DD. Such a miserable start for something so simple. Have signed, thanks Grin.

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Purplelooby · 19/01/2013 12:26

blonderthanred DS's was posterior too and relatively minor, but the effect on his feeding was huge - with posterior they often snap their tongue back so that both gums are exposed to the nipple and the tongue pushes against the end of it. Oooo thinking about it still turns my toes... Did it help your DS? Unfortunately, it also caused problems with DS's bottle feeding and they didn't improve when it was cut, which the midwife said could happen because it was cut late.

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showtunesgirl · 19/01/2013 12:34

I think this petition doesn't go far enough and concentrates too much solely on breastfeeding. TT can affect speech later on in life as well as host of other problems. Mawbroon will be able to elaborate on this.

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EauRouge · 19/01/2013 12:58

I would like to see it routinely checked by someone trained to do so. I have heard of so many mothers that have been told by MWs and HVs that their baby definitely does not have tongue tie, only to discover after weeks of problems that they have a posterior TT or one that is hard to see.

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blonderthanred · 19/01/2013 13:25

I was going to add that eau. We had DS checked at birth and subsequently but it was weeks before his ptt was found.

Purple it was only done a week ago so early to tell but his latch seems a lot stronger. I had to start topping up with ebm and formula as well but hopeful I can phase them out if my supply increases.

I think it is an issue that really needs a strong response as it could make a massive difference to bf rates. Right now you have to fight for it and that can't be right - and many new mums will not have the energy or confidence to do this.

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wewereherefirst · 19/01/2013 13:37

DS2 had 100% TT as does DS1 and myself. We fought for a referral to get his TT cut and it makes a difference! With DS1 we didn't know about TT its only now that it's becoming more commonplace to discover a TT that we realised.

If it makes a difference to one baby, ff or bf, it's worth sorting it young.

Signed and shared with friends/family.

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roundtable · 19/01/2013 13:40

Same issue here with both my dc. Ds1 would never latch on, was checked by a few midwives but not found because they didn't put their fingers in and actually check so I had to bottle feed him. Ds2 latched on but within two days my nipples were shredded and bleeding. Again, nothing found by midwives. A friend, who is an independent midwife, came round to support me and had a feel and spotted his posterior tongue tie straight away. He's now been snipped and I got them to check ds1 at the same time as I had a feeling and surprise, surprise posterior tongue tie found.

It should be checked when they are born imo and sorted immediately but not just by looking. They need to actually have a feel.

I am now (ds2 is three weeks old) successfully feeding from the breast, but I wouldn't have been if it wasn't discovered and sorted.

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Purplelooby · 19/01/2013 17:21

Lip-ties are also very common in babies with TT and this can also affect BFing, but at the moment this is not corrected unless there are problems with the teeth coming through in later life. DS also has a lip-tie which is very extensive - it completely changes the shape of his top lip and it always stopped him from flanging his top lip over the breast, which caused him to take more air in.

It seems very unfair that they tell us how important BFing is, which is the 'cheap' way to increase BFing, but don't then work to help us to do so (which of course needs more professionals and costs more money...).

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stargirl1701 · 19/01/2013 17:32

Signed.

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tacal · 19/01/2013 17:37

signed, my ds is 4 and sill has a tongue tie. Breast feeding was too difficult so gave up. DS has always had problems eating certain things but GP told me he did not think it was because of tongue tie. Only now I think there are speech problems is my GP willing to refer DS to a specialist. If it had been cut not long after birth, maybe I could have breast fed and maybe ds would have a more varied diet and I would understand what he is saying all the time. I feel a bit sad about it.

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Purplelooby · 20/01/2013 20:33

hugs tacal

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DreamySleepyNightySnoozySnooze · 20/01/2013 21:08

Signed.

My 4 month old Ds2's posterior tongue tie and lip tie (missed by NHS Lactation Consultant) is causing me agony. Fortunately, he's gaining weight well and is a happy baby, but I'm fucking miserable with the pain! We're having to get it sorted privately, which is expensive so it's taking ages to jump through all the hoops for the insurance company.

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preggersshock · 20/01/2013 23:29

Pleased to see this, DD had tongue tie, finally found by cranial osteopath at 6 weeks despite 4 different midwife & 1 HV check... She could not latch on, was desperate to BF however after tie sorted was unable to successfully get her to take the breast. Awful midwife & post natal care to blame, feel cheated out of being able to bf.

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Ariel24 · 21/01/2013 17:17

I've signed now.

DD didn't have TT but frankly I find it ridiculous that it's not checked for in hospital at birth, it would save so much pain and upset for mums and babies if they did check for it.

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Cookiesandcoffee · 21/01/2013 18:39

Signed. Have never done anything like this but is a subject close to my heart. Both DDs (and myself) had at least 90% TT and wasn't spotted. Didnt persist to BF with DD1. With DD2 kept on and on to check if she did too. A senior MW said she didn't have one, and the baby doc said a possible 50%. Had to keep on persisting/begging/nagging. If I hadn't I am so sure BF wouldn't have worked out. I now am tinged with guilt that I've BF DD2 and not DD1.
I had mine cut in later life and my god it hurt! So quick easy and simple to have it done in first few days, & I believe would help BF rates. Agony of trying to Bf a TT baby is up there with torture!

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McBaby · 21/01/2013 21:28

Signed. DD had both anterior and posterior ties. Finally cut at 8 weeks but it healed and had to be recut at 12 and 14 weeks!

Still in pain feeding now at 23 weeks as age doesn't use her tongue fully but she also can't suck a bottle. So struggling to work out how to feed her especially as teeth are due soon!

Purple how did you solve it in the end?

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NippyDrips · 22/01/2013 15:50

I was lucky in that ds tt wad spotted by chance hours after birth but waiting a week to get it snipped was agony for my poor boobs. I also think it should be checked and snipped as part of the birth examination or at least before discharge from hospital.

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Purplelooby · 22/01/2013 20:11

McBaby That sounds awful. DS is a similar age - 22 weeks - and his bottle feeding has actually got worse recently. He takes in a huge amount of wind and gulps, plus dribbles lots of his milk out. He cries in a pain a lot on his bottles (silent reflux) and at his worse refuses to drink, but the only thing we can do is give him Gaviscon to try to treat the reflux... In fact, the GP finally agreed to put him on Omeprazole next week after we've tried a higher dose of Gaviscon (hoorah!).

However, what I'm really hoping will help is moving him onto a sippy cup. I've been training him to take it using water since he was 3 months and he's not quite there yet (he swallows it around 50 % of the time) but when he is, the bottles are going in the cupboard for good!

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peanutdream · 22/01/2013 20:17

signed, ds1 had tt and it was awful. i can never understand it when people get given an appointment for it weeks in the future. what on earth is the point of that??

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/01/2013 22:45

eau you can add me onto your list.

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