Can you ask MW at delivery to check for tongue tie ?

[Fibilou]

Pretty much as per the title - I'm going to a unit where they have a 90% success rate in establishing BFing (compared to the 58% at the DGH - I do realise there are a lot of factors involved in this though). WIll they check for tongue tie as a matterof course or if I ask them to or does a GP have to do it ?

Yes of course- first time i didn't know anything about it but had it diagnosed at day 5 so when ds1 and 2 were born i insisted that they be looked at. Do you have a reason to want to check?

they prob won't check as a matter of course, but do ask if you're worried
i asked them to check ds3 when he was born because my first 2 were tongue tied and i wanted to be referred for it to be snipped asap if he had one.

they both had a feel and said they didn't think he was TT but neither of them felt they knew enough about it to be absolutely certain.

Ask the midwife to check (she should have a look anyway) and if she thinks there is one she'll get you referred immediately ususally (up here anyway) within a day or two. The paed who does the baby check before you leave hospital will also check for it.

Just thought that it might be easier to get it done straight away - then if there is a tie it can be dealt with then and there rather than struggle on with it and fail to establish BFing because of something easy to diagnose

Frazzled, I'm going to a birth centre so no paediatrician to sign off going home

fibilou - You are so right about getting it dealt with immediately and bypassing any potential issues it may cause.
I made a big fuss about getting my third child checked for it straight after birth having struggled horrendously with feeding DD2 - who was diagnosed with it at birth but not deemed severe enough to be snipped. (it was and she should have been it turns out). Anyway I made sure everyone knew in advance I wanted it checked and snipped immediately- and it turns out that he does have a very slight tongue tie but it wasn;t snipped as it is too slight (was checked and re-checked by midwives and senior midwife and paed in hosp then by consultant at referral clinic the following day - she would have snipped it there and then if required) and it hasn't caused any feeding probs at all.
Anyway sorry am wittering - if you are concerned just make sure they are aware and if there is a tongue tie it should be possible to have it snipped within 24 hours (or it certainly is where I am). - I am in Scotland by the way.
Enjoy your baby x

Oh and fibilou I imagine you'll get your baby check from the GP after discharge from the birthing centre?

Dd2 wasn't checked for tongue tie but did have it. I had a lot of problems establishing a good supply, but as her latch wasn't painful it wasnt diagnosed until much later. She had hers snipped a couple of months ago when she was just over 1. It's made quite a difference to her, she immensely enjoys sticking her tongue out and has finally started babbling. So do ask them to check, and insist that they snip it.