When I had DD 3 years ago, we lived in the Midlands. She was diagnosed with posterior tongue tie at 4 weeks, but we were told that (a) the waiting list for revision was 8-12 weeks and (b) they wouldn't do her tongue anyway, because it was a posterior tongue tie so not a priority.
Never mind then, that she was constantly losing weight, that I was constantly sore, and that my milk supply was waning because she couldn't remove the milk effectively so it was a clear message to my breasts to slow down production.
We had the money to get the procedure done privately, but that isn't an option for many people. I still had to express milk and top her up for another 5 weeks before she was able to drink from the breast exclusively. It was a stressful time, and that was with all the support in the world from my dh, family and friends, plus top-notch advice from a local LLL leader who was happy to talk to me as I blubbed down the phone at her.
Fast forward to now, and DS is 5 weeks old. As soon as he was born I checked his mouth, and lo and behold he has posterior tongue tie as well. We are now living in the North West, and I accessed One to One Midwives for my pregnancy and birth. They put my name down for revision within their unit, and I happily only had to wait 2 weeks.
Today I took DS in for the procedure, and had a long chat with the midwife who explained how even though his posterior tongue tie didn't look "bad" from the outside, when she examined him it was clear that he didn't have full range of movement with his tongue and no wonder he has been so slow to gain. I've had to manage his feeds with breast compressions and topping up ebm as well, though it hasn't been as drastic as with DD because I caught it so early. (and yes, I had to diagnose him....)
I am frustrated with the lack of consistency across the NHS when it comes to TT treatment. If the NHS feels that "breast is best", why aren't they supporting TT revision then? And this isn't just about breastfeeding - my babies coughed, spluttered and choked at the bottle as well. TT can impact the ability to eat solid foods and cause speech impediments. It can cause dental issues.
Yes, the NHS is stretched, but a little snip at the beginning of a child's life can actually save ££ over the next decade or so.
I've learned a lot about tongue tie over the past few years, but I'm not a trained professional and don't know the inner workings of the NHS. Maybe I don't see all the nuances with this issue - but I'm still frustrated and feel like our situation is okay more due to luck and my bull-headed stubborn streak than anything else. There should be more support! Babies need tongue mobility to feed! Why isn't this a priority??
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To feel utterly frustrated with the NHS and tongue tie treatment...
54 replies
SerialReJoiner · 08/02/2017 13:04
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