feeding after tongue tie procedure - every three hours?

[pilsbury1]

DS (7 weeks) just had the snIp yesterday (caused bad nipple pain and poor latch) & at the hospital they said it was necessary to wake him every three hours day and night for next five days in order to work the muscle and help the healing/stop any regrowth of the frenulum. Normally he'd sleep for seven to eight hours over night though (yes, am v lucky!). I'm just wondering if everyone else followed this so strictly overnight as I've checked online and can't see any evidence that this actually makes difference....waking him through the night for a feed just feels very counter intuitive for me and a bit mean, though obviously if that's the correct thing to do for the next few nights then I'll do it.... love to hear the experience of others on this.... thanks!

Both my sons had tongue tie snipped, one at about 8 weeks and one at 5 days, at Kingston hospital in west London, nearly 3 years ago and in January this year, so not ages ago. We were not told that, just to feed as normal. Neither had the tie grow back. Maybe it's new advice/practice but I wouldn't be keen on waking a baby at night either!

My DD (6 weeks) had hers snipped last week & we were only told to keep poking our tongues out to her to get her to copy us. This is meant to exercise the area and prevent regrowth. We weren't told to wake her during the night. Not that I'd need to mind..!

My DS had his TT revised last year at Kings in London when he was around 9 weeks old. We were advised to do the same as you. I woke him up the first night to feed him but after that I let him (and me!) sleep. His frenulum didn't reattach itself and we've had no further problems. We did massage under his tongue for a few days and try to get him to copy us sticking his tongue out.

Thanks guys, I really really appreciate your responses... Our advice was from kings too and like you goodbyeyellowbrickroad, I agreed with waking to feed last night but am v tempted to leave it tonight, or at least wake him a bit less often... Was your lo sleeping for a decent period at night too?

He was sleeping pretty well. I'd feed him at 7ish then fall asleep. I then did a dream feed at around 10pm and he'd then sleep until 3am before needing another feed. That would then see him through until 7am or thereabouts. So in actual fact the longest gap he'd go without a feed then was about 4.5 hours.

Hope the TT revision has helped. I found it useful to go along to a breastfeeding cafe a couple of weeks later to get one of the lactation consultants that helped us with our referral to check DS tongue and latch.

If mumsnet teaches you nothing else it is: never wake a sleeping baby.

Hth

(In all seriousness I was just told to feed as usual and encourage tongue poking!!)

Thanks both. I was planning to wake him once rather than twice as I did last night but over managed to sleep through my alarm so I guess that's put paid to that theory!
He can definitely poke his tongue out much further than he could before but his latch is still pretty crcrappy so I need too work on that before the pain gets to much and I throw in the towel.... but am off to a breastfeeding cafe today so fingers crossed!