Posterior tongue tie or bad latch?

[CBB2021]

Hi

im wondering if anyone has experienced similar?

DS is 6 days old and I previously EBF my DD for 8 months so know what comfortable BF feels like.

I saw a lactation consultant on Sunday due to a painful latch on one side. They were sort of helpful in showing me different positions and basically using the flipple technique. They said that they suspected a posterior tongue but couldn’t fully diagnose. DS feeds beautifully on the right side, latches on with no pain at all but on the left side, he struggles to latch, he is on the nipple and is constantly slipping off. These are all signs of posterior tongue tie but he feeds so well on the other side that it’s making me question it.

the left latch is really hit and miss 😞

Also just to add, his weight loss was 5.8% on day 5 so not too bad

My 1st couldn't latch on one side. We saw a cranial osteopath and she fixed it. After that session he could latch fine on both sides. It seemed the birth had hurt his neck somehow and he had had some kind of muscle spasm.

I don't know if there's an evidence base for cranial osteopaths, but that is my experience.

It is possible to try massaging the frenulum to release tongue tie, might that be worth a shot? Some other suggestions here:

www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/tongue-lip-ties/

I had 3 different people (a health visitor, midwife and Bambis breastfeeding lady) all say my baby had a posterior tongue tie and that’s why he couldn’t latch properly. After referral to Alder Hey Children’s hospital to get it sorted, so experts in this sort of thing, we got told he doesn’t have a tongue tie and there is not enough evidence or research to say posterior tongue ties are even a thing and that cutting into the submucosal lining is a lot riskier than the standard classic front tongue tie and they’ve had to “fix” babies who’ve had the procedure done elsewhere and it’s not gone right.
Unfortunately I ended up having to stop breastfeeding for other reasons but I would recommend trying other things first like the osteopathy and massage before resorting to a more invasive procedure that may or may not work.

Thank you these are really helpful. Interesting how some consultants are so focused on tongue ties and the nhs position is totally different

My son's posterior tongue tie was snipped by the NHS at a week old and it made the world of difference.

Have you tried rugby hold on the left side so he is in the same position as the right, just further over? This sometimes fools them if they have a preference.

There is no need for tongue tie surgery. Just gradually cut down the number of feeds on the left side until he is exclusively feeding on the right side. If you don't mind being a bit lopsided that is.