Tongue tie - to treat or not??

[Bails123]

My baby is 5 months old now and still having issues with breastfeeding. Things are much better than they use to be but he is still a little unsettled at the breast , coming on and off frequently and also has a LOT of wind which I can hear going in when he swallow the milk. He is constantly sick after feeds and unsettled. I think he has a tongue tie but no one ever checked him for it, or if they did I wasn't told if he did have one or not! I have noticed the tip of his tongue pulls in to make sort of a loveheart shape when he lifts his tongue up towards the roof of his mouth.

I'm wondering if it is a tongue tie is the treatment horrible? It 5 months too old to get it treated? Did it help your little ones?

Thanks xx

Here is the NHS page https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tongue-tie/

It says treatment is not usually needed if it is not causing problems, but also that you should speak to your GP if you think your child may have tongue tie.

Just make an appointment and ask the question.

All 3 of mine had tongue ties, my older two had theirs snipped as babies, the 3rd one wasn't affecting feeding so much so we didn't get it snipped.
However she was the smallest of the to three, gained weight slowest, couldn't use a dummy and later needed speech therapy so in retrospect I wish we'd had hers snipped too.

I would go and see a tongue tie specialist for advice. My daughter also had the heart shaped tongue, and she was assessed. They check to see how the baby can move their tongue before deciding what to do.

We had my daughter’s snipped early as I was struggling to feed. We had some exercises to do afterwards as they are not used to extending their tongue.

Even if feeding is okay there might be a problem later with forming some sounds. I think d and t. My daughter does actually have a bit of a lisp still which we are trying to address.

this is the person (luci lishman) we used but of course there are lots. www.chilternbreastfeeding.com/

My eldest has a tongue tie,we didn’t snip as it wasn’t that severe and I didn’t breastfeed him for various reasons. My youngest also had a tongue tie and I could not successfully breastfeed her because of it so hers was snipped at 5 weeks old. It is a very simple procedure and was over in seconds. I held her they snipped. Never had any issues with speech. My husband has a tongue tie which is much more severe than my children’s, he doesn’t have any speech issues.

https://ground.news/article/their-baby-dies-at-the-dentist

I wouldn't if I were you. An extreme example but a baby recently died in Canada from it

Just to add, the website says 6months is the cut off. We had it done privately which cost about £100 at the time (it’s literally just a snip, in fact I was told in the old days, midwives used to leave their little finger nail long to cut ties there and then!). We didn’t use the nhs as there was a 5 week wait time and I was struggling to feed.

I wouldn't bother op, your baby will be starting to wean soon, why inflict pain when it really won't be of benefit?
If it will help to reassure you, I've never encountered speech sound difficulties being caused by a tongue tie, and I've been working as a paediatric Speech & Language Therapist for over 30 years. Lisps aren't caused by a tongue tie.

I think a baby died after having the procedure but the article doesn't say that the procedure caused it. It says the exact cause of death is unknown because the coroners report hasn't been released.
It was also a laser /water method in this country they literally snip it with scissors.

My son is nearly 5 months old. I'm hoping to get a tonguetie correction for him soon so can report how it was at this age if youre interested.

He didn't gain enough weight at 2,5 mo to that's why we started to look for reasons and only the chiropractor was able to identify the problem. Was a bit disappointed as I think wisting nurses and breastfeeding support staff should be able to check this too.

Hi everyone, thank you all for your comments, help & advice! I'm not going to get it treated as probably through the worst of the feeding issues now and nearly onto solids! Xx

The NHS don't check for tongue tie, unless you ask for support.

I had my baby's done at 10 days old, it saved our feeding journey. We are still feeding now at 16 months.

We saw a private IBCLC who did the assessment and cut it. I see you said you're not going to get it done, but if you happen to change your mind, I highly recommend seeing one as they are thoroughly and holistically trained in infant feeding.

The NHS is less than useless for diagnosis and treatment of tongue tie. Go to a tongue tie practictioner, and have your baby assessed. 5 months isn’t too late for treatment, and could save potential trouble in later years with speech issues/snoring issues etc. If you can afford to see a specialist, definitely do that.

@Derbee thanks for you comment, following your advice I've booked him into see a specialist, I think it will be worth just having him assessed! Thank you x

@NatureNorth how did your littles ones tongue tie procedure go?
My little one has just been assessed and they confirmed he has a posterior tongue tie, I'm still on the fence about what to do with regards to treating it or not!! He is still so fussy when breastfeeding and my nipples are constantly sore 🙄 xx

Posterior tongue tie really should be snipped. Aside from the feeding aspects, in later life breathing, snoring, speech etc.

@Derbee it's been done! He is like a different baby!!! He is so happy and calm, he is enjoying feeds now and not being sick all the time. And sleeping through the night where as before he would wake every 2 hours! I really can't believe the difference! Xx

Fantastic! It made such a difference for us too! Congratulations, and enjoy your new life!