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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

Please tell me your experience of tongue tie

12 replies

Diamondsandpears · 18/02/2017 06:26

How was it diagnosed? How and who treated it? Did it solve feeding issues and prevent speech problems?

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newroundhere · 18/02/2017 06:44

Diagnosed by the midwife during home visit (day 3 I think) and referred via GP to local hospital. After 2 weeks we hadn't hot an appointment through so we had the procedure done privately by a midwife as feeding was so painful I couldn't last any longer.

When the nhs referral finally came through it was for nearly 3 months after birth - I would never have managed to keep up breastfeeding until then so it would have been pretty pointless.

Can't comment on speech (DS is 6 months old) but feeding did improve afterwards - although it isn't a silver bullet and we had to work hard with the exercises they give you to do. Feeding remained painful and still does but more bearable.

Why?

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Gobbolinothewitchscat · 18/02/2017 06:51

I had 3 tongue tied babies.

My husband who is a dentist diagnosed it after I was fobbed off by midwives etc

You need a trained tongue tie practitioner to diagnose. Some are very obvious but posterior tongue ties are hard to spot

My DH has now done the course and is an accredited TT practitioner. Look on the Association of Tongue Tie Practitioners website and you can search for a practitioner in your area. He has a private practice and carries out consultations and separations at babies' homes. Not many of them do but worth trying to find someone who can in your area as it means it can be sorted very quickly

The other alternative is to ask for a referral to an NHS practitioner. There tends to be clinics at your local hospital. However waiting times are between 1 - 6 weeks and quite a few won't separate a posterior tongue tie so it's worth checking if your NHS one will.

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Diamondsandpears · 18/02/2017 06:52

Thank you. There seems to be nobody trained in diagnosis here so they don't bother looking for it. Same breastfeeding pain and trying to find someone who can help. Going private seems to be the quietly suggested option by the nhs.

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Gobbolinothewitchscat · 18/02/2017 06:53

Ps - there can be speech and oral health issues if a tongue tie is not separated. But, again, get a trained practitioner to assess and advise. There is a lot of information/misinformation flying about.

There are only two universities in the country that you can train at. Ask whomever is giving you advice where they did the course

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mailfuckoff · 18/02/2017 06:56

Please can you get it done if possible. I am married to a man with a tongue tie and he can't kiss or eat properly. His speech is fine but as an adult it's far too late to do anything about it .

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Diamondsandpears · 18/02/2017 07:07

Thanks. Just checked the association of tongue tie practitioners. Nobody listed for private and one NHS in the whole country! Dire! Feels like the issue is ignored and they just wait until you can't cope with the pain any longer and give up. So many kids need SALT for food and speech problems and I suspect many have undiagnosed tongue tie. Why won't the NHS deal with it???

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Diamondsandpears · 18/02/2017 07:11

Thank you so much for your responses. Gobbolinothewitchscat you have a good point. As desperate for help as many of us are we don'the want to encourage the untrained to 'have a go' even if they are paediatric surgeons.

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Gobbolinothewitchscat · 18/02/2017 07:13

Is there anyone in the next county/region who will travel? Where about are you?

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Diamondsandpears · 18/02/2017 07:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 18/02/2017 07:42

My DH sometimes does a Scottish clinic. I'm not sure if we can DM about this though as it might be selling goods and services or something.

If you want any more info, it might be worth checking with MNHQ if it's OK for us to discuss this and DM me as I'm happy to pass on info but don't want to breach any guidelines!

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jimijack · 18/02/2017 07:46

My 2 both had it, diagnosed at about 8 days I think.
I was lucky, had no problem breast feeding both without issue and without any treatment
Ds 1 screamed his head off one day at about a month old and I noticed he had ripped it, it was a mess but soon healed within a couple of days, again no problem with feeding.

I had never heard of it but once pointed out it was obvious.