V v angry/upset - because no-one would listen to my concerns re tongue tie, now requires GA

[arthymum]

Sorry, this is a rant! Spent 8 weeks trying to get a tongue tie diagnosed in my ds, very sore BF - fobbed off by MW, HV and GP. I finally get a referral and go to the clinic today and they can't do it properly because he is too big and wriggly at 14 weeks. I have to go back on Thurs and if they can't do it again, they are suggesting doing it under general anaethetic. The thought of putting him through that (and the attendant risks) makes me feel sick. It seems like a big thing to do for something that may or may not even cause future problems. I would rather carry on for a while longer with sometimes sore nipples, as long as his weight remains okay.

But I am so mad that no-one would listen to me. I guess this is my first lesson on mother's intuition and being more pushy.

Oh Arthy, that's awful.
Did you enlist support of a breastfeeding counsellor? Dob't assume MWs and HVs and GPs know what they are on about.Good list of them on the right here.

Here

No advice but wanted to send sympathy and support. You are right about that lesson on MI and being pushy for your little one.

Here's hoping that they will be able to treat him on Thursday without the need for the GA. In the meantime, you can follow up MD's link and be forewarned, ready to tell them what you have decided.

for you.

totallyunderstand. i had the same thing. struggled to bf in hospital. i don't believe they spotted it. Then theyed that they had seen it but didn't want to 'worry' me . Was in hospital for a week, struggling to bf, jaundice and thick blood, all becasue not feeding properly. now i know why. came home. hv immed spotted it. phoned mw at hosptal , who insisted I was wrong and it wasn't that serious. finally got it snoipped at local hospital. but they didn't snip it enough. and I had to get referal at different hospital and beg and sob to have it snipped agin.
still struggling to bf, because of poor latch, now 6 weeks.

totaly unserdtand. sympathy. i am surprised that tey are insisting on GA. I would have thought it was stil possible at 14 weeks. Shame.

arthy

You have to write to your PCT and remind them of the NICE guidance on this:

www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/IPG149

Yes, Moondog, it was a breastfeeding counsellor who eventually made the referral after watching him feed for about a minute - but seems it was too late. The doctors today were talking about giving a GA to a baby as if it were nothing but the thought horrifies me - especially seeing as they said that they only treat tongue tie if it causes problems with BF and that it doesn't usually cause other problems with speech. So how can I put him through it if it's only to make me feel a bit better (as he's gaining weight okay at the moment)?

Hurray! Very clever lady surgeon snipped it this morning - he didn't even cry and when they brought him out he was smiling at the nurses even with blood running down his chin! My brave boy! (Just proves that women are better than men, seeing as two guys couldn't manage it on Monday!)

Perhaps the dream of non-sore nipples is a bit closer now...