Getting tongue tie snipped somewhere near Blackpool (privately if necessary)

[ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave]

I have a friend with a 10-week-old who has classic (although not severe) tongue tie, and unsurprisingly is experiencing most of the classic symptoms (painful feeding, nipple damage, mastitis, poor latch, prolonged and frequent feeds, very windy and unsettled, etc.).

Her paediatrician says that he won't snip it because "she can stick her tongue out OK" and because they can manage a slightly-less-painful latch on one side [headdesk emoticon].

I've sent her the babyfriendly list of "locations where tongue tie can be divided", but does anyone have any specific recommendations for who she can contact? She's in the Blackpool area.

That is ridiculous... she can't possibly feed only on one side! Even if he thinks it is pointless, why not just do it anyway? God, I am for her. Can she ask to speak to a different paed? Or perhaps try the infant feeding specialist at BV if there is one? Or get her GP/MW/HV to speak to them?

She's seeing HV on Thursday and GP on Monday, so with any luck one of them will agree to refer her. But arrogance of paediatrician is mind-boggling...

Tell her to be arsey firm! How come she is seeing a paed?

Because her DD was born at 30 weeks and spent 4 weeks in SCBU, I think they have regular checkups with a paed.

Could she directly contact the Infant Feeding Coordinator/Infant Feeding Specialist (whatever the job title is) at NHS Blackpool? - phone the main switchboard and be asked to be put through. That person should be able to advise. Also I think BfN are quite active in that area so might be worth getting in touch with them?

Thanks! She's drawn a blank with the GP today (doesn't seem to care that feeding is agonising for mother so long as baby is actually managing to feed; where do they recruit these people?) so I've suggested contacting the Infant Feeding person. She is in touch with the BfN already (they've helped her out a lot with suggesting positions to make it easier to feed with the tongue tie) but I'll suggest she talks to them again specifically with reference to the "how can I get a referral" question.

I had the same response from my GP so I'm asking for a second opinion in order to get a referral. I'd be tempted to lie and say baby can't feed in order to press the issue.

Well, Blackpool is fairy near Manchester. Dr Patrick Sheehan is the ENT consultant at the New Royal Manchester Children's hospital and snips TT for them on the NHS. He also does private consultations at the Spire Hospital in Manchester and will snip for about £150 without a GP's referral as he assess each case himself. He snipped my sons TT 4 hours after we rang him and we were very pleased with the results. He will try to do it as quickly as possible especially if you're having BF difficulties. All his contact details are here: www.tongue-tie.co.uk/index.html