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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Tongue tie

71 replies

lookout · 15/10/2011 11:50

Following on from my other thread, can anyone share their experience of tongue tie division? Ds has a slight one, feeding is horrible, the pain is driving me to tears at most feeds and we've been offered the snip if we want to.

I was all for it until the mw explained the risks of not being able to stop the bleeding and having to cortorise (sp?), and infection. Just wondered if people could tell me about both feeding with a tt, and getting it snipped.

TIA.

OP posts:
organiccarrotcake · 16/10/2011 22:08

That was also in my decision, rika, because as we had got so far we "could" have carried on, despite it being horrible, but I was also worried about potential speech problems later.

pearlgirl · 17/10/2011 00:38

3 of my 4 have tongue ties and it was only with ds4 that it affected feeding - his was the slightest and was spotted by a friend who is a breastfeeding counsellor, as I was struggling to cope with the soreness of bf him, he fed very frequently and it hurt each time - I knew something was different - we also had real concerns about his very slow weight gain. We had an appointment with the consultant in our Nhs trust to get it cut - but he didn't deem it serious enough to divide. Luckily we were given the details of a consultant in another local trust and she did divide it at 9 weeks. It took less than 2 mins and then he fed and it was so much better. We are still happily bf at 18 months.

DS3 has a tt and had weekly speech therapy for 2 years as he struggled with certain sounds but of course we will never know if that is affected by his tt - ds1 has a huge and noticeable tt - spoke clearly from the start and bf fine.

Original poster
lookout · 18/10/2011 13:22

Thanks so much for all these positive stories. We are booked in for the division next Tuesday morning. Another week of battling through but at least I have something to focus on now. My sore nip is healing and I even managed a feed on that side during the night, so feeling a bit more hopeful. Just want to get this cut done so the poor boy can feed to his heart's content!

OP posts:
EmpressOfTheZombieDucks · 18/10/2011 13:24

That's great, lookout. Let us know how it goes and good luck.

Thzumbazombiewitch · 18/10/2011 13:32

Hope your nip heals ok, lookout - try to limit the feeding from that side if you start to feel really sore again, just in case it starts to bleed again.
Good luck for next Tuesday and I hope it makes all the difference - it should. :)

RightUpMyRue · 18/10/2011 19:48

Good choice lookout. Best of luck.

TitaniaP · 19/10/2011 06:50

My DS had a posterior TT snipped at 3 months about 5 weeks ago. It went unnoticed for ages and as I wasn't sore don't think anyone thought of it. It was only by posting on here (low weight gain, constant feeding, never coming off breast looking satisfied, clicking noise when feeding) that made me push for someone to have another look. His feeding has got better since the snip and he didn't seem to be in loads of pain afterwards. In fact I would say that his jabs upset him more than his TT snip.

Obviously this is only my experience though and you need to make a decision based on your situation. I hope whatever you decide it works out for you.

TitaniaP · 19/10/2011 06:51

See what happens when I don't read to the end of the thread.. Good luck - hope all goes well.

Milliebow · 19/10/2011 08:24

Just wanted to add. Me and my brother both have Tongue ties. Nether of us had problems with speech or feeding. Neither got it snipped. Whilst at uni I slipped with the toothbrush after a little too much Wine! Cue lots of blood but surprisingly little pain. Only difference it seemed to make was the French kissing was a little easier! To add context dd currently 2 weeks, has Tongue tie. Does not seem to make any difference to feeding. In fact she has latched on with ease and no nipple pain since day one. I'm not getting it snipped as outcomes can be so variable and she is fine feeding. Good luck OP though and I hope it helps with bf - I'm enjoying bf, at least during the day, hope you get that too. Nothing better than my daughter gazing up at me whilst feeding.

Needakip · 19/10/2011 14:37

Hi- just to respond to the question from lookout, we went to the Royal Free in north London. As I said, I really regret it, traumatic, two stitches under the tongue, struggling majorly with breast-feeding afterwards (whereas it was just painful before, and the GOSH doctor suggested they can grow out of that as their mouth gets bigger) etc, buy I tried really hard to be balanced in my earlier post and it's clear on this thread that there are lots of positive experiences and success stories and I wish you the best of luck.

FrauHolle · 19/10/2011 14:59

all my babies had tt and we had it snipped immediately. first one at 7 weeks after much agony trying to bf. the second after 3 days and the 3rd one after 3 days, too.

a tt can later impair their speech and we thought it best not to run the risk later as when they are older they need a ga to cut it.

The bleeding each time was v minor and as others said your midwife was being overly dramatic.

Have it snipped and your LO will be a dream to latch.

Original poster
lookout · 27/10/2011 17:40

we're on for tomorrow, 7.15am. fingers crossed it will be ok and the end to our problems. thanks for all the replies and reassurance.

OP posts:
metalelephant · 27/10/2011 17:57

Dd had posterior tongue tie, got snipped 2 days ago when she was 12 days old and it made a massive difference straight away. The bleeding stopped almost immediately, and breastfeeding is no longer excruciating . In fact, I'm going to get her latched checked tomorrow at the breastfeeding cafe because the lack of pain makes me worry something may be wrong.

I wish she had it earlier, because of the pain and savaged nipples I was unable to breastfeed her as long as she needed and now my supply is low Sad.

See if you can get it done earlier, good luck with everything x

metalelephant · 27/10/2011 17:59

Oh I just realised you're on for tomorrow, that's great!

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 29/10/2011 23:47

Hope it went ok, lookout.

Original poster
lookout · 30/10/2011 07:38

Op went fine but it hasn't made the slightest bit of difference to feeding. I still can't get a good latch, ds is still falling asleep after a few minutes, he will only feed for a few minutes on the shields before dropping off and i'm in so much pain. He has fed every 1-2 houurs since the op and I am exhausted and sore. I'm at the end of my tether and just don't know what to do. It wasn't supposed to be this hard.

OP posts:
EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 30/10/2011 08:39

I'm sorry Sad. Bumping for you, hopefully someone who knows more about this will see it.

MightilyOats · 30/10/2011 10:56

Hang in there lookout, he might just be a bit sore and wanting comfort for a while, DS was quite sleepy for the next 24 hrs or so and wanted feeding everytime he woke up. Which shields are you using? I've found the softer boots ones to be better than the (admittedtly too small) medela ones I got. Remember he will also have to learn how to use his tongue. Big hugs though, I've had a few hard days this week too x

MightilyOats · 30/10/2011 10:56

Hang in there lookout, he might just be a bit sore and wanting comfort for a while, DS was quite sleepy for the next 24 hrs or so and wanted feeding everytime he woke up. Which shields are you using? I've found the softer boots ones to be better than the (admittedtly too small) medela ones I got. Remember he will also have to learn how to use his tongue. Big hugs though, I've had a few hard days this week too x

Original poster
lookout · 30/10/2011 11:36

Thanks both for replying. I am doing my utmost to hang in there but it is really hard. We are using the medela shields which were working fine all of last week. Am I supposed to try and get him to latch properly even with the shield or is that impossible becuase of the size and shape of them? It's been over 48 hours now and I was told to expect some change within 2-7 days. It is very hard work, and I envy those people who feed their babies with no problems. I feel like I'm failing Sad

OP posts:
RandomMess · 30/10/2011 14:18

With my dd who had her tongue tie divided it was never completely pain free, she just didn't want to change her latch and refused to feed if I took her off every time it hurt. The snip did make it less painful though. With all 3 a trip to the cranial osteopath really helped , they all had really tight temples (I think) which restricted them opening their mouths wide enough.

Worth a shot?

Original poster
lookout · 30/10/2011 15:43

He has a really good mouth actio though, according to the bf mw. Its just he either won't go on properly or slips off once he's on. I am really hoping it's gonna get better over the next few days otherwise i will admit defeat and turn to bottles. i feel like i've tried everything i can

OP posts:
RandomMess · 30/10/2011 15:44

are your boobs engorged at all?

RandomMess · 30/10/2011 15:46

If you have plenty easy flowing milk I wonder if he is getting ample without being latched properly? I know that was part of the issue with my first - she was getting well tanked up at my expense!

Original poster
lookout · 30/10/2011 16:28

randommess, not engorged anymore, no. and i wouldn't know about your second question. i think i really need to see someone to get some help, but it will have to wait til tomorrow i guess.

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