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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

To snip tongue tie or not

30 replies

anotherbitofcake · 11/03/2014 17:54

Hi
My 8 week old has tongue tie. The midwife and hv don't seem concerned as he initially fed ok. He's not feeding amazingly well now but is getting enough and roughly putting on enough weight and latches on ok and I'm not sore. So should I get it cut or not? I don't know if it will help him feed better? He tends to latch on ok but then will fall off at times and often cries out in frustration. He also sometimes can't latch on to begin with and I have to shape and shove my boob at him!

OP posts:
Forgettable · 11/03/2014 18:07

Yes do get it done, TT can impact on not just feeding but speech, language, general health

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 11/03/2014 18:13

My DH has tongue tie and he's 50. Its never bothered him. Admittedly he was born in an era when bf wasn't fashionable though, so that may not have been an issue.
It certainly doesn't bother him in adult life though.

JustPretending · 11/03/2014 19:28

Same dilemma here: minor tongue tie so marking place. Hard decision - is the discomfort inflicted outweighed by the improvement in feeding? Especially if I'm unsure if I will bf far past 3 months ...

rosiedays · 11/03/2014 21:21

Fixing tt is very simple. I'd have it done, dds' was cut at 4 weeks. It made a huge difference to her latch.

EmpressOfJurisfiction · 11/03/2014 21:27

Snip. My tongue tie wasn't diagnosed until I was 11, after years of speech problems. I had it snipped in hospital under GA then had to have lessons to more or less learn to use my tongue from scratch. It's just not worth not doing it IMO.

WillYouDoTheFandango · 11/03/2014 21:28

I have a tongue tie, loosened now but it was 100% at birth. It's really uncomfortable and I mispronounce my "Ls" if I'm not careful.

I had my DS' cut at 4 weeks and it was a revelation. He ate so much quicker, could cry louder and didn't fall asleep as much when feeding.

changeforthebetter · 11/03/2014 21:43

Hmm, MWs and a BF counsellor told me the "severity" isn't always a guide to how much impact TT can have i.e. a baby can have a moderate tie but significant difficulties. It does sound as if your LO is struggling (and you are managing it brilliantly - if that doesn't sound patronising Blush) Have you looked at www.kellymom.com. FWIR that was good on TT.

angryangryyoungwoman · 11/03/2014 21:44

My dd had a tongue tie and having it done made breastfeeding 100% better for us. It was over very quickly and I have no regrets as it has improved her latch incredibly and didn't cause her any pain

Mondaybaby · 11/03/2014 21:50

All the research shows that snipping can only help. No adverse affects. Other posters above absolutely right to say that the severity is no indication of the impact it can have on feeding, speech etc. I would get it done asap. My dd had her posterior tt snipped at 7 weeks. My only regret is that I couldn't get it done sooner than 7 weeks. Breastfeeding improved immediately. Good luck.

Doodle1983 · 12/03/2014 02:47

Formula fed baby here but waiting for a referral to get tongue tie snipped. He's almost 6 weeks. Hoping it won't be long. He has some reflux symptoms I gather can be associated with TT to so hoping to see an improvement

lucy101 · 12/03/2014 03:05

Honestly, get it done now. Sadly very few people are really knowledgeable about tongue tie and it is a tiny and easy fix at this point with no drawbacks that I can see (my son had it done next twice and I am having a tongue tie expert check my new baby on day 1 this time)

OhPuddleducks · 12/03/2014 07:17

I would get it done but be aware that it isn't always a magic fix. My DS had his done at 5 days and then stopped latching on. I didn't realise at the time, but apparently sometimes they have to relearn to bf as the new tongue flexibility has no muscle memory. I was given v bad advice from my midwife and ended up exclusively pumping for nearly three weeks before I managed to get him back on the breast. I posted on here at the time and someone wisely said "the procedure is the beginning of the solution, not the solution". Don't mean to scare anyone, but thought it was worth adding aso you could read up if necessary.

qumquat · 12/03/2014 13:37

Having dd clipped has made no difference whatever to feeding (she still can't latch on properly), and Massaging the wound twice a day has caused her pain. I regret doing it, although of couse I wasn't to know it wouldn't help bf. The surgeon noticed that I also have a tongue tie, I have never had any problems with speech, kissing or anything else, which adds to my regret.

whodrankallthemilk · 12/03/2014 13:41

i would but only because i know a 12 year old who did not have her tongue tie done when she was little

she is very embarrassed about it, but is too aware and worried to do anything about it. it makes me sad for her that she cant have the simple joy of licking an icecream cone because she cant stick her tongue out.

Original poster
anotherbitofcake · 13/03/2014 17:55

Thanks. I think I'm going to get it done. Am aware I have to do the massage after and he may go backwards and have to relearn. Urgh wish they had just done it at birth. I don't know of it will make a difference but I hope it will. Feeding is a bit of a nightmare - thanks for pat on back. I am trying to feel proud of getting this far. It's been really hard though! I really want to carry on bf if poss but its tough when he screams at me Hmm will take a look at kellymom. I could get it done asap private or go through nhs free but will have to wait. Any thoughts?

OP posts:
Original poster
anotherbitofcake · 13/03/2014 17:55

Thanks. I think I'm going to get it done. Am aware I have to do the massage after and he may go backwards and have to relearn. Urgh wish they had just done it at birth. I don't know of it will make a difference but I hope it will. Feeding is a bit of a nightmare - thanks for pat on back. I am trying to feel proud of getting this far. It's been really hard though! I really want to carry on bf if poss but its tough when he screams at me Hmm will take a look at kellymom. I could get it done asap private or go through nhs free but will have to wait. Any thoughts?

OP posts:
AtiaoftheJulii · 13/03/2014 18:07

My teenagers have TT and weren't cut at birth. They had no problems feeding, speaking, eating ice creams, etc, but our dentist now is saying it would be really good to have it done as they can't run their tongues round all their teeth, and it would be better for their dental health.

superbagpuss · 13/03/2014 18:15

my dh never had his done

it talks differently to other people and can't stick his tongue out which means no French missing etc Blush

for the sake of your future dil please get it done

minipie · 13/03/2014 18:33

Yes I'd definitely get it done.

I know at least 2 people who were told not to bother as the tt was "minor" but then had real problems BFing later on and ended up switching to FF much earlier than they would have chosen.

Even if there are no problems now it could cause problems in the future eg when they next have a growth spurt (DD was TTd and my nipples were only ever sore in growth spurts). Or even later - problems with speech, dental issues etc.

The snip is so minor at this age - it takes approximately 3 seconds of snip and 30 seconds of wailing.

The relearning and exercises aren't always necessary btw - DD's TT was snipped at 16 weeks (so pretty late), we never did any exercises/massage (surgeon said no need) and she didn't have any problems BFing after the snip. It took about a week for feeding to improve, in the meantime it just stayed as it had been pre snip.

If you can afford private I'd get it done asap rather than waiting since uncut TT also affects how his mouth and jaw develops.

Sorry I know I am a bit one sided on this! Just can't really see a downside and lots and lots of upsides.

Helenc19 · 14/03/2014 06:11

NHS or private?
If you are not in lots if pain and thunk LO can manage ok I would say get a referral for NHS and see how long it will be but find someone who you can go to privately ready incase you decide you no longer want to wait for the nhs.
My DS's Tt was not picked up by midwives, doctors and breastfeeding support despite me asking as he wasn't able to breastfeed at all for the first 3 weeks. Got him privately assessed at 8 weeks but he was doing ok so decided to wait and see. It got loads more painful and he wasn't gaining much weight, gp wasn't intersted so went private at 5 months. Was so much better and I wish I had got it done sooner. He also has an upper lip tie which I think is still affecting his weight gain so if your LO has a lip tie too and you are are near enough to London or huddlesfield consider getting both done privately, these are the only places where there are specialists who do lip ties

magichamster · 14/03/2014 07:15

My DS had a tongue tie that was only spotted by the dentist when he was 3. He bf's without problems and the only symptom was a slight lisp, which lots of 3 year olds have anyway.

We left it for about a year. during that time his lisp was getting worse and he was having problems pronouncing the phonics sounds. I took him to the gp who referred us to the local hospital. About 2 months later we went to the hospital and the consultant did the operation as a day case under GA. This was on the NHS.

He came home the same day and didn't even need any calpol for the pain. He did need some speech therapy, just to finish things off, but 4 years later his speech is so much better - we didn't realise how bad it was.

There are a lot more issues around tt than just bf. If you can get it done I really would do.

PorridgeWithHoney · 14/03/2014 08:37

Had it done for ds. 2 seconds, cried less than four a nappy change, and a noticeable improvement in how efficiently he feeds. Weren't told to massage anything,, but then he was literally says old. It's really no big deal when they are so young.

PorridgeWithHoney · 14/03/2014 08:37

Days old, duh...

Original poster
anotherbitofcake · 23/03/2014 14:36

I've had it done. It's made no difference Shock other than his cry is louder! I've been given conflicting advice on whether to massage wound or not so a bit confused. Still happy got it done. He didn't mind at all though was v unsettled yesterday. Does it hurt them afterwards?

OP posts:
EmpressOfJurisfiction · 23/03/2014 14:41

I seem to remember mine was sore for a day or two but that was it.