Tongue Tie & Bottle Feeding

[MumNoah]

Hi, My first child (now 4 years old) was born with a tongue-tie (which we did not have snipped), he could not breast feed, so he was bottle fed. Bottle feeding was OK and he put on weight fine, but he was very messy and very slow. I am about to have my second baby and was wondering if anyone had found any bottles which had helped and tongue-tie baby feed.

My DD had a tongue tie. She had it snipped at 3 weeks and was in and out in 30 secs with no problems so if your next child does have one, you could consider getting it snipped? It was really easy.

DD is mixed fed but was totally bf until after her tongue tie so not sure about any bottles. I was really lucky as she was still able to feed with the tongue tie.

Is there a particular reason why you chose not to snip that would affect your decision for the second?

We had the same experience as pudding25. Ds2 was diagnosed with tongue tie at around 3wks old and we also had it snipped straight away. For me it's a total no brainer and I noticed the difference in his feeding straight away (offered him the breast as soon as the consultant left the room, prob less than 5mins after the snip, which as pudding said, takes around a minute to do).

With hindsight I suspect my first was also tied too. Un- and mis- diagnosed tongue tie can cripple a breastfeeding relationship so if it's something you do want to do then I'd encourage you to think about having a tie divided early on if it's diagnosed. As for bottles, my first happily, if v slowly, took ebm from standard Avent bottles and teats.

We did not have No.1's tongue tie snipped, as it involved taking him into hospital for a minor operation and this would have exposed him to infection.

Now that I do understand. Part of the very reason we had two homebirths was to avoid being in hospital unecessarily. But I was also pretty bloody minded about the bf'ing too, and wasn't prepared to run the risk of it failing. I knew that the surgery would be outpatient based and therefore we wouldn't be admitted, or even see the inside of a general ward. We went to the 'Oral and maxilofacial surgery' dept at Bedford hospital. We went straight into their reception and it was beautiful, as were the surgery room and 'recovery' room. I think because of the type of surgery (facial, and for TT is outpatient based) there was a minimum risk of infection, so for us it was owrth it.

Hopefully you won't need to make the decision at all, but good luck whatever you decide

If you get the tongue tie sorted before 9mths, you don't need to have an operation. DD got taking into the theatre but they just cut it with scissors. Surely no more risk than getting injections? Probably less risk as there are no known side effects from getting it snipped so early on.

Aside from the breastfeeding, I was more concerned about the possibility of speech problems or just the basic fact that there was a good chance that it would not stretch and she would never be able to stick her tongue out, clean her teeth with her tongue etc.

we had it done at the Royal Free in London.

I think what annoyed me most was that it was not discovered at the hospital when she was born, the midwives did not notice it or check for it and just by chance, a week after dd came out of hospital, I went to a local bf group and they spotted it immediately. IMO, it should be automatically checked for when the baby is born.

I agree pudding. Having fed my first pretty well I knew there was something not right with Ds2 and it wasn't just latch issues. At 5 days midwife says Hmm not sure, pop into the HV BF support clinic. I duly do so to be told, oh it's nothing really, come back in a month. I refused and insisted on a referal there and then, which to be fair they did without issue. It came through for about a week later. Surgeon says "oh very severe, lets get that sorted immediately!" As an aside, Ds1 seems to have a slight lisp and doesn't always form words properly, but then I'm not yet sure if that's just a developmental stage as yet.

MumNoah - when I say surgery above, it's almost overstating how quick and easy it was, and how little evidence of pain he showed - none imo. It literally was as quick as taking the sterile scissors out of the pack, popping two (gloved) fingers in his mouth to open it, and then two snips with the scissors, and we're out the door to feed in the next room. There was no blood and as I say no pain I reckon. We were less likely to pick up and infection there than waiting in the doctors surgery for jabs, I agree.

So if you would get a tie divided at some point, I would urge you to consider doing it as early as possible. I really do feel it's the best option for a child because as pudding says, you then avoid the need for a bigger operation later on. I hope some of this helps.

FWIW DS2 is TT - not picked up until he was 9wks and he has never had a problem with BF'ing.

x

"If you get the tongue tie sorted before 9mths, you don't need to have an operation" -

That depends on your consultant pudding.
I had to wait till my dd was 13 wks old because the consultant paediatrician refused to do it without a general anaesthetic (this was Alder Hey in Liverpool).

OP - my dd had an operation at 13 wks to release a tongue tie - it was really straighforward and easy ...no problems at all and really nothing to worry about. hth.

Sorry, should have said that i have no specific information re bottle feeding. Dd was breastfed.

ds3 had a tongue tie snipped at a few weeks old. took seconds, not in hospital but tiny country birth unit and he didnt even cry. or bleed. absolute piece of piss. and then he fed easily and painlessly from there on in.

Before my dd2 had her partial tongue tie snipped bf was agony and the milk squirted out everywhere from a bottle.

She was 14 days old and it took 30 seconds I would recommend it to anyone.