Tongue tie - not sure whether to snip

[mumwhoruns]

Hello
Had huge issues with ds1 Tongue tie. Eventually got sorted at 4 months and his feeding improved dramatically. He would fuss and scream and I would get really stressed feeding in public.
Anyway now have ds2 and I think he has tongue tie. He is 7 weeks. It looks short and he doesn't stick out tongue much. It's not heart shaped though. His feeding is nowhere near like ds1. In fact if it wasn't for ds1 I probably wouldn't have known or think there was an issue. However I don't know what is normal feeding for a newborn. He does have trouble latching and will fall off quite a lot. He gets windy too. I have to shape my boob for him. But there is no wailing and he feeds ok, nappies, putting on weight.
So should I get tongue tie done?? Will his feeding improve anyway? Or will he get worse? I have a appt next week and am stressed at thought of getting it done if don't need to but then if not latching etc not normal perhaps I should anyway? Help!

[goodenoughmum88]

Both mine had tt and although ds2 was feeding really well I still had it snipped as advice around here is that it can cause problems when they're bigger (4-5 months) and you can only have it snipped by nurse up to 12 weeks (maybe different where you are by your post).

Get referred and see them and ho from there? It's a simple quick procedure and made all the difference to both of mine. And if they don't think it's needed you've lost nothing (apart from the faff of a hospital apt with two small children?!?!) x

[RainyAfternoon]

lots of info here //www.chilternbreastfeeding.co.uk - if you are close by the free clinic is fab. If not you could ring to discuss options over the phone. Our last baby had her tongue tie snipped – it was assessed on two different scales at this clinic. I can't remember exactly how it was done, but the heart shape is only one indicator, it's also to do with the amount they can stick out that tongue, whether or not it can curl, how good the latch is, whether Bfeeding is painful, it's quite a complex assessment. Good luck

[FurryGiraffe]

I've had 2 with tongue tie too. DS2 is nearly four weeks and had his snipped on Monday. Like yours he was feeding ok and gaining, but he was faffy with latching, bobs on and off, very windy, leaks milk from his mouth. Lots of small issues basically- I suspect if he was my first I'd have just assumed this is how BF is. The lactation consultant who did his snip said that for second time BFers, supply is often plentiful and let down fast and this (Lola's knowing what you're doing a bit!) compensates for the poor latching etc- second babies don't need to work as hard at it basically. But as PP said, it can deteriorate later on. Also there are non feeding reasons to snip such as speech development and dental issues (my DB had an undiagnosed tongue tie and had both of these) so I didn't want to leave it. We've definitely seen a latch improvement since it was snipped four days ago: he's leaking less milk and faffing less.

[FurryGiraffe]

I have no idea who Lola is! Should say that it helps to know what you're doing!

[RedCrimson]

Breastfeeding issues aside, if it were one of my DCs I would get it done anyway, my cousin has a tongue tie that wasn't snipped and it had a huge impact on his speech. He's an adult now with a family of his own and you can still hear the difference in his speech, but as a child he really struggled and was picked on terribly for it.

Although I suppose it depends entirely on the severity of the tie.

Either way, I hope breastfeeding improves for you. But it sounds like it's working fine as it is especially if he's getting plenty of wet nappies and gaining weight. Some babies are fussy feeders, others tend to stay latched on forever. I would try and speak to a lactation consultant anyway to see if there's anything else that you can do to try and help the latch. And see what they say at your appointment. But I wouldn't be worrying yourself, he's doing well anyway, even if there is a tie there.

Hope all goes well.

[mumwhoruns]

Thanks guys ok I was going to leave it but now going to follow it up and go and see someone and get it done if they support it. Yes yes he leaks milks and is quite windy too.

[minipie]

God yes do it.

[SlumdogMummy]

Ds had tongue tie, diagnosed due to weight loss early on. MW said it wasn't a severe tongue tie BUT when we went to the (only local) MW who could snip it she said while it wasn't tight, it went very far forwards and definitely needed to be snipped.
I would go and get an opinion by the person who snips the tongue ties in your area. When they're tiny it is a very simple procedure (more traumatising for us than him!)
Best of luck!

[Plantpot83]

DD was diagnosed with posterior tt when she was a few days old. We didn't get it snipped, reasons being that her feeding/weight gain/latch were fine, had the midwife not said anything we wouldn't have known about the TT. However when she got to around 5/6 weeks it became clear that she was a really really slow feeder. Breastfeeding supporter said that she thought TT might be the cause so I expressed in addition to feeding. By 12 weeks her feeding was much quicker and I stopped expressing everyday. in hindsight I'm not actually sure that tt was the cause I wonder if she was just really hungry. I didn't get it snipped because I didn't feel that it was affecting feeding enough, had she had latch problems etc we would have done.