Anxious about 12-week-old baby's tongue-tie division - will it be painful/traumatic?

[womanofthesun]

Hi, all. My 12-week-old DS was recently diagnosed with posterior TT and we’ve arranged to have a division done on Wednesday. We began having some breastfeeding difficulties around the time my milk supply regulated and my breasts became softer and less full, as he appears to since be struggling to get the milk out as well as he did when my breasts were fuller. I’m finding that I’m feeling quite... guilty? Guilty for arranging to put him through a scary, potentially quite traumatic experience? I’ve also come across a few articles that question the need for posterior TT divisions (referring to them as ‘deep surgical cuts’), suggesting that such procedures are fads that lactation consultants/dentists/osteopaths etc are using to make money... onviously, this doesn’t make me feel any better about it. I can’t help but view it as some kind of mutilation or modern intervention that goes against nature. I know these are just my irrational, over-emotional mum feelings, and that he would almost certainly benefit from the procedure (he’s suffered quite a lot with our recent feeding dificulties), but I’m really struggling with these feelings. I guess I’m just looking for some reassurance that I’m doing the right thing. Every time I look at his innocent little face I feel so guilty for arranging for him to be cut, unbeknownst to him. I think I especially feel this way as the procedure will take place in our home - somewhere he feels safe. Can’t help but feel that I’ll lose his trust or he’ll resent me. All very irrational feelings, I know...

Is there any way of avoiding or reducing possible pain/emotional trauma?

I intend to buy some arnica from a local homeopath today.

I just know that the procedure will cause him a lot of distress - even just being held down in a restrictive position.

I know a lot of people will say that their baby of a few weeks old handled the procedure well/"barely noticed it",
and I think that might've been the case if DS would’ve had it done in the first few weeeks of life. However, he’s got so much more of a personality now and is a lot more reactive to things than he was in earlier weeks. He’s also a lot more stubborn and likely to resist/get distressed!

Does anyone have experience of a slightly older baby having the procedure, who can offer some useful or reassuring words?

Thank you!

I’m sure that having TT has been linked to speech impediments in later life as well as feeding issues earlier, so I definitely think you’re doing the right thing.
Could you give him some calpol prior to the appt and maybe even some anbesol/bongela in the area? What advice has the person carrying out the procedure given? I’m sure they may know the likely reaction and recovery time?
I was really worried before DS had his cut and he was only days old so I have a lot of sympathy for you as I can imagine it must be a lot worse at 12 weeks.

My DS has his done last Friday at 2 weeks. He cried briefly but really briefly. They'll bring your baby straight to you to feed as that helps the wound heal - applies pressure to it etc.
I was warned he would be really grumpy for 24 hours after, he was a bit whingy but not too bad.
I honestly think it was more traumatic for me than for him but having come through it I can say it literally was life changing for him.
We are now at the having to relearn how to suck stage as tongue tie babies suck differently. It's a challenge and currently the shields are back out but hopefully with breastfeeding supporters in, we will get there!!
Good luck! Xx