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Infant feeding

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Original poster

Posterior Tongue tie

41 replies

WilliamItWasReallyNothing · 09/12/2010 21:54

Ds is 3 weeks and bf has been hard going due to issues with cracked and very sore nipples. I've seen several BF councillors and taken support and help on positioning but I'm still sore and things don't seem to improving. Yesterday a BF councillor told me Ds has a posterior tongue tie and said this could be contributing/causing the problems.

Ds seems content between feeds and is gaining weight, plenty wet dirty nappies etc. The only issue is the pain I am experiencing. I'm confused and don't know whether it is worth having the TT divided or if I'm clutching a straws and the issues are just because I'm rubbish at BF:(

Has anyone had a similar experience and the latch improved following a Tongue tie division? Anyone had a DC Tongue tie divided and it made no improvement?

Thanks

OP posts:
lainey1981 · 09/12/2010 22:44

Hi William

No experience yet, but Just wanted to say am currently going through the same as you - DS is 10 days old and we have been struggling with BFing since day one and my nipples are horrendously painful and cracked too.

midwife last week spotted his tongue tie and I have now been referred for procedure next week.
I am putting all my hope in things improving after this - as everyone keeps telling me the pain will go and DS will be more content.

good luck with your decision
FWIW I am going through with the division regardless of whether it will improve things as no real pain for DS and AFAIK could prevent potential speech problems in the future (might be wrong)

Smile
blackcurrants · 09/12/2010 22:50

Get it snipped!
I was having problems due to PTT - he was doing okay but feeds were unbelieveably painful for me. I got it snipped and it was better immediately after the proceedure (literally within 1 minute, as they have you feed right there in the doctor's office to calm the baby after the little cut) - god the difference it made! Instantly amazingly better!

Get it snipped! I realised for me, I was never going to keep BFing if it hurt that much - and you know what? It was the TT making it hurt, and once it was fixed, all better!

DS was happier too, cos he got more food (and he does like his food) - so yes, do it, do it, do it! Lots of mums are all "ooh well what if I'm hurting my baby for me and .."

DO IT. Then you can breastfeed him happily, and that's a great thing to do for you son. Wincing every time you pick him up is just not sustainable!

Did I mention - do it?

:) Good luck.

MistressMaker · 09/12/2010 22:52

Do it now!

I left it too late to get DD2s sorted (15 weeks) and within a week she decided that she preferred the bottles I was topping up with.

blackcurrants · 10/12/2010 01:33

Oh - I should add DS is now 19 weeks, doubled his birth weight by 16 weeks, and is a happy chomper who feeds every 3-4 hours, early on milestones etc... Feeding got EASIER and BETTER at once.

(and then more so at 6 weeks, and was positively easy at 12 weeks, but that's newborns for you. The point is, it shouldn't HURT and it doesn't need to for you.)

Get it done! Xmas Grin

MoonUnitAlpha · 10/12/2010 07:52

I had my ds's tongue tie snipped, although it hadn't been affecting feeding (wasn't causing me any pain). It's a very simple 2 minute procedure when they're tiny, but if it causes speech problems and you have to have it done when they're toddlers it can be a major thing with sedation/anaesthetic used. I decided it was better to have it done as a newborn for that reason alone.

I've also met someone whose child had an unsnipped tongue tie and it caused her problems with moving food round her mouth when she started solids.

beachavendrea · 10/12/2010 09:15

Get it snipped! I did it and it helped us and I'm pretty sure it wasn't very bad for ds and he was happily sucking away a few minutes after.

Also my nipple wounds had no chance of healing if he was still tongue tied.

Original poster
WilliamItWasReallyNothing · 10/12/2010 09:54

thanks for sharing your experiences:) lainey1981 I know exactly how you feel - bet you can't wait for next week.

Did all of you have the TT divided on the advice of a consultant or did you just go direct to a private lactation consultant? Can a consultant confirm a posterior TT is causing problems or do you always have to do the division and wait and see?

Part of my confusion is because this has only been noticed by one BF councillor - previously a midwife and a HV have said there was no TT (although I can see the membrane myself).

Sorry for all the questions but I currently feel like I'm in BF hell:( I'm crying every feed but desperate not to give up as I had to with my DD and I have always regretted this

OP posts:
treehuggermother · 10/12/2010 10:25

Having been through 2 tt divisions I would say that as long as you have someone experienced doing the division you have nothing to lose in doing it, so would urge you to get it done asap via whichever route can be done quickest.

Many many health professionals have little to no knowledge about tt so do not let that put you off. If there is any degree of tt it could potentially cause problems.

Good luck. I was where you are a couple of weeks ago and dreading latching on is no fun :(

MistressMaker · 10/12/2010 11:54

William - my m/w said DD didn't have tongue tie when I asked her to check at 10 days.

It was only at 13 weeks that I realised she might have it. I went to a drop in with a lactation consultant who then referred me to the surgeon and it was snippped less than a week later.

Where abouts are you in the country? I can give you the details of the one I went to in Luton - you DON'T need a HV or m/w referral. They will check the tie, check the latch then refer you if necessary. Lots of HV's and m/ws are crap at this stuff and should just give no advice at all if they don't know what they're talking about.

Ealingkate · 10/12/2010 11:56

Hi - whereabouts are you in the country??

Ealingkate · 10/12/2010 12:00

I had my son's tongue done at 5 days old (I think, it might have been 6). We went straight to a private clinic at Kingston Hospital - it cost £80 but you can claim it back if you have health insurance.

It was a maxillofacial surgeon who did it, and it does take seconds (supposedly in France, midwives just tear it themselves)

You may get it sorted more quickly this way, but it may be next week now before you can get in.

Good luck

Ealingkate · 10/12/2010 12:29

It definitely made a massive difference, almost immediately and my nipples cleared up in a couple of days. I had been on the verge of giving up even though he was my 3rd child and therefore I knew what I was doing.

KSal · 10/12/2010 12:42

I'm in herts and you have to get a referral from the GP and they will send you to Bedford hospital. there's not many NHS places that do it as far as i understand.

I had so many differing opinions re my son's TT, basically asked every HCP i came into contact with. The most useful advice was from a midwife/lactation consultant at a health authority run breastfeeding drop in. She advised me to push for a referral and to be very forceful about it, emphasise the difficulty you are having with pain and weight gain if that is the case. GPs will be a bit resistant because it eats into their budget and some are just not that familiar with it/don't recognise that its a problem.

I got my son's snipped at 4 weeks (having seen it myself in the delivery room!) and could tell the difference immediately (literally). He was taking more of the breast into his mouth. It takes seconds and he cried for about a second before he was handed to me to feed.

I was also worried about speech and trouble with solids - INHO its definitely better to do it now when it is simple and relatively painless, then later when it is a much more disruptive procedure requiring a general anaesthetic.

KSal · 10/12/2010 12:43

IMHO oops

KellyBronze · 10/12/2010 12:48

there was a recent thread on here about posterior TT. will try to find it for you.

I have no personal experience with it but echo what others say that most health care professionals do not know what it looks like or understand how it impacts breastfeeding.

as everyone says do it asap. With Christmas coming around, i'd say book it and then take the time to look at the information surrounding it as you'd hate to have to wait till after new years to get it done.

KellyBronze · 10/12/2010 12:53

this is the thread

it has 3 links on there. 2 by foxytoxin Smile and one by Truthsweet. all 3 are very good information. Truthsweet's is especially informative about tongue tie and breastfeeding and how TT is divided.

Foxy has one about where to get it done (the babyfriendly link) in the UK. You will need a referral from a GP, Midwife, HV (i think) or a breastfeeding counsellor. Good luck.

xMrsSx · 10/12/2010 13:03

I had my DS TT snipped at 8 days, I wasnt sure it was causing the bf problems we were having, but the definately improved after. This could of course be a coincidence, but I couldn't see a good reason for not doing it and figured ruling it out as a complicating factor (and the fact it can cause other problems later on) made it worthwhile.

My mw referred me to the max fax consultant at my local NHS hospital (not a large teaching hospital or anything - so I think most hospitals provide this service) who snipped it within 3 days of referral.

DS is now a proper milk monster at 6 weeks old Grin

Good luck with whatever you decide.

treehuggermother · 10/12/2010 13:46

No need for referral if you have it done privately. Going rate seems to be around £150.

bunnymother · 10/12/2010 15:10

I had DD1's posterior tongue tie snipped at about 6 weeks and the difference was instant. Sadly we had thrush (my nipples, her mouth) so BF was still painful and didn't go so well, but the snip was well worth it. I also heard that TT can affect their speech so was keen to get it sorted for that reason, too.

Snip was done at King's College in London under NHS, and I think referral was from health visitor (can't remember!).

PhoebeLaura · 10/12/2010 19:27

EalingKate - can I ask how you went about getting it done at Kingston and who did it for you? Trying to find a surgeon who can do it privately for us.
sorry for hijack!

Original poster
WilliamItWasReallyNothing · 10/12/2010 20:03

Hi everyone - thanks for all your comments. I have booked to have TT divided next Friday (earliest appointment available) with a private lactation consultant. Hoping very much this is the cause of the pain and that I can grit my teeth and bear it until then. Nice to hear all your positive stories - hopefully we will become one too:)

OP posts:
Ealingkate · 12/12/2010 11:43

Hi I just called the surgeon's office, he had a private TT clinic on a Wednesday or Thursday. Graham Smith did our www.grahamismith.com. His secretary's number was 02083354506 (Pam Thomson)

We had it done in May 2008 for £80.
Good luck

Ealingkate · 12/12/2010 11:44

Actually I just checked his website the contact number is different but it is still £80.

molejazz · 13/12/2010 03:10

My DS had his done at 21 weeks - quite late. We were pressed for time so saw a lactation consultant.

It has most definitely improved things but it was not immediate as being nearly 5 months he had strong sucking habits. What has made the difference is starting solids via BLW - I think it's really helped to strengthen the muscle.

I would say do it, as soon as possible, but my advice would be to read as much as you can about the specifics of Posterior ties. They are not as easy to cut as other ties and can bleed more. My DS fed straight away after the procedure and then went on strike for 12 hours. That stressed me out considerably, but he was back to his usual smiley self the next day.

HTH

Original poster
WilliamItWasReallyNothing · 13/12/2010 14:54

Ealingkate thanks very much for this info - it's very thoughtful of you to look it up for me

molejazz thanks for the warning about posterior ties bleeding more & feeding strike. Will definitely be asking about that at the consultation.

OP posts:
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