The difference knowing about tongue tie before birth makes...

[bronya]

DC1 - tongue tied (75%). Couldn't latch properly on the breast or bottle, lost too much weight, struggled to gain, didn't grow properly, screamed all the time from hunger, jaundiced etc etc. Snipped at 2 weeks old and turned into an easy, happy, ebf baby.

DC2 - similar tongue tie to DC1, snipped at one day old (feeding was painful, short bursts, she was too sleepy etc). She has been a lovely, calm, happy, gaining weight baby ever since. I can't believe how much she grew in the early days (given that DC1 didn't!!), and watching her nappies change as my milk came in, seeing how things should be, was really lovely.

I just wish midwives looked in a baby's mouth at birth. All these appointments based around feeding and gaining weight, yet no one ever looks in their mouth! A friend of mine had a baby with a cleft palate - it wasn't until baby was seriously struggling to feed that anyone even noticed!!!

They did with my second and spotted it.

But they told me it was minor and sent me away. No one had a clue when I did start to have problems and told me it was my positioning of dd which was the issue (the midwives and bf counsellors). In the end out of desperation I spent £100 on a private lactation consultant who spotted it in five minutes and snipped it. This was after 12 weeks of hell.

So yes I agree but all of the medical profession need training on this. I also remember seeing my gp who didn't believe me.

4 months of hell and worry for us. NNext time I'm going to get as many people as possible to check.

I agree. DS1 was TT, I expected it because DH is. It was missed by 3 MWs who did a visual inspection, and only picked up by the lactation expert, who ran her finger under his tongue and said "yes, TT, I can refer you now or you can wait a bit and get a referral then if you need it, as it's only a partial".

I opted to wait - 2 days later the visiting MW, also a lactation expert, said "it needs to be snipped, here's the referral". It was done within 2w, I was extremely lucky that the paediatrician at my hospital had a particular interest and was doing a rough survey of type of TT and benefits of having it divided, so he did it no problem. Pretty instant improvement, feeding time reduced from 2h to 45mins in a few days.

DS2 - I guessed he'd have it too, and tried to get it organised to be done before I left hospital, but thanks to general cock-ups and the paed being away, it didn't happen. Didn't get done til he was 5wo because of stupid system (argh!!) by which time he'd picked up bad habits and it took much longer to get him to improve his latch. But it worked out ok-ish, because by the time I had that appt, DS2 had developed the same inguinal hernia that DS1 had, so he got seen for that at the same time, and an operation date booked for a week later. Otherwise he'd have had to wait for yet another appt, and then again for the op etc. etc. So I suppose it all worked out for the best in the end.

Dd1 - TT diagnosed at 7 weeks and cut at 8. 14, 16 and 26 weeks! It was 7 months if hell.

Dd2 - I spoke to midwives during induction to get her checked after bothy but thankfully no TT this time.

DC checked day after birth by MW who said there was one and she will snip the TT if we wanted. DC was feeding well, but I was so paranoid about it because others have had such horrendous experiences with TT, that I agreed at five days old. Made no difference and neither improved not impeded feeding thereafter. So sorry Moresnow about your experience and glad it didn't bugger my DC's feeding like yours. :( Maybe midwives should check, give it a day or two and if it continues to look like it is causing a problem, then snip. But agree always worth checking sooner rather than later.

DS wasn't feeding well from the beginning. Two midwives checked for TT in the week after birth and said he was ok. Breastfeeding counsellors at a support group in week 2 didn't check at all. PTT finally diagnosed and cut by lactation consultant at 3 weeks, but no improvement and had reattached by 7 weeks (or earlier). Cut again by laser at 9 weeks. Now 11 weeks and still waiting for an improvement.

Due to frustration/breast aversion DS has been mostly bottle fed ebm from 6 weeks during the day, and breastfed during the night.