Attached frenulum or "tongue-tied" baby

[vespergirl]

Hi guys, little Connor is now 6 days old - even though he is otherwise perfect, he was born with an attached frenulum, or "tongue-tied" (the frenulum is the tissue that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth - when it''s too short or attached, the tongue can''t protrude forward over the bottom gums, which traumatizes the nipple during BFing).

There is no problem associated with this condition except that it makes it impossible to breastfeed without severely damaging the nipples even if you use nipple shields, so I have just been pumping all day and bottle-feeding him breastmilk. I have already seen several lactation consultants, who said that I need to bring him to a specialist to have it surgically corrected (it''s an in-office procedure that just takes a few seconds and heals very quickly).

However, I have never heard of this before, and I was just wondering if any other PSers had a tongue-tied baby, or know someone who has. Did you have the frenulum clipped? How were the results? Did it really help with breastfeeding, or not make much of a difference?

I am just so bummed because we had other serious BFing issues with Andrew, my older son - he had a recessed jaw and high palate, so we were never able to establish a latch, and I ended up using a nipple shield with him & pumping most of the time, then we got severe thrush that never went away, so I only ended up BFing for 3 months because it was such an ordeal. When the pediatrician told me that Connor was born with this condition that would make putting the baby to the breast almost impossible I just wanted to cry - all I want is to be one of those women who can just pop the kid on the breast whenever he''s hungry, instead of having the whole nipple shield/pump/bottle feed routine every time I want to feed my baby.

Anyway, if any of you have any advice or feedback on this issue I would really appreciate it - thanks!

 

[cara]

My friends had this procedure done on their daughter, though hers must have been mild as she was nursing fine. The specialists said they didn't have to have it clipped since there was no current problem if she was eating well but in the future it *might* cause her some pronunciation difficulties and she *might* not be able to stick her tongue out like other kids or something if they left it be. Anyway they agonized over the decision forever since she was nursing fine and finally decided to have the procedure done just so they didn't have to deal with it later and then said it was over in a blink, she had no recovery issues at all and they wished they hadn't stressed so much over it! Anyway, that was their experience. Good luck!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Tongue tie is a hot topic in pediatrics and you will have trouble finding a consensus. The info I am going to give you is my opinion from experience.

My friend (who was in my pediatric program) had a boy who was tongue tied. She had her newborn visit, and the only doctor who does the clipping saw her and recommended it. She allowed him to do it, and she said the difference in her ability to feed has been amazing. She states if it was not for the procedure, she probably would not have been able to feed for more than a few months. And I have to tell you, before she had it done, she was a septic. Most of the experiences I have herd are positive.

So if I had a baby and was having trouble feeding, and there was a tongue tie, I would elect to get it clip. The risks are low in the hands of an experienced provider (small risk of bleeding, infection like any other procedure). I would also work with a lactation consultant afterwords to help reestablish feeding after it was done.

ETA: Contrats on the birth of Connor!

 

[packrat]

Dr did it in the office once on a baby and I remember the mom coming back in and was super happy about being able to nurse!

 

[vespergirl]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for your replies. I had never even heard about this until last week, and even though I made an appt. with a recommended ENT as soon as my pediatrician suggested it, I just wanted to get some feedback from others before following through.

It sounds like all of your friends who have had the procedure done on their kids found it to be really helpful, so I''m feeling much better about bringing him in now.

 

[Black Jade]

I had three tongue tied babies. My husband is tongue tied and clearly it is a dominant gene.
But it must have not been to the same extent, because they all nursed (each for about a year) and there were no issues.
the two oldest never got the frenulum clipped, I was kind of anxious about the idea, and they weren''t having any major issues (#2 did have to have speech therapy, but the therapy alone worked). #3 had some other dental issues and as part of another operation, they clipped his frenulum and it turned out to be a VERY minor operation. So I say, if you''re having trouble nursing, go ahead and clip, because nursing has so many benefits if you can manage it.
My son was about 8 when we had it done though so check if it would be different for an infant. But if they are recommending it, I would guess not.

 

[sunkist]

Our doctor said that my DS has a slight tongue-tie, but it never kept him from latching or getting enough food so we didn't do anything. In the early days of BF, I attributed some of his gas/colic to his tongue-tie because maybe he was sucking in air because his latch wasn't "perfect".

I keep trying to get him to copy me and stick his tongue out of his mouth and I don't think I"ve seen him do that yet... makes me worry a tiny bit. But the doc keeps saying to wait until he starts to talk and if it affects his speech then we'll do something, since it doesn't seem to have a bad effect on him now.

I'd ask the advice of your doctor. I read online about it and a lot of people had great experience and could nurse immediately afterward, where they couldn't before! But I also heard stories where they made too big of a clip and honestly that scared me a little. But I think it would be a good idea if your doctor recommends it. Good luck!

ETA: Oh! and congratulations on little Connor!

 

[luvinlife]

Vesper

I was born with an attached frenulum. My mom had mine clipped as a baby. I did not require speech therapy and speak English, Spanish, and French fluently.

Goodluck with you decision.

 

[TravelingGal]

Vesper, I don''t know much (if anything) about this condition but wanted to say I''m glad it''s nothing too serious and I hope you find the right answers when it comes to deciding if there is anything that needs to be done.

 

[JSM]

My middle sister is tongue tied and never got it fixed. For the longest time we didn''t even KNOW! My mom bottlefed all four of us (she didn''t get ANY maternity leave and had to go back to work pronto after birth) so there was never a feeding problem.

She is unable to stick out her tongue, or move it at all really, but otherwise has no ill effects. No speech problems (the stinker spoke in full sentences at 17 months and hasn''t shut up since!

) or other issues. I''m not sure if she''ll ever get it fixed, by now she is afraid it would change her speech (she''s 21).

 

[Dannielle]

Date: 5/4/2010 10:34:54 PM
Author: jsm
My middle sister is tongue tied and never got it fixed. For the longest time we didn''t even KNOW! My mom bottlefed all four of us (she didn''t get ANY maternity leave and had to go back to work pronto after birth) so there was never a feeding problem.

She is unable to stick out her tongue, or move it at all really, but otherwise has no ill effects. No speech problems (the stinker spoke in full sentences at 17 months and hasn''t shut up since!

) or other issues. I''m not sure if she''ll ever get it fixed, by now she is afraid it would change her speech (she''s 21).

I am also tongue tied.. I didn''t know until I was 16 and went to get my tongue pierced. I went to the doctor and they said they could cut it.. and I said no way! (biggest fear of pain)

I can''t stick my tongue out, it barely goes past my lips.. and I get a slight lisp when I am tired, or had a few to many wines.. apart from that no troubles!

ETA: I was bottle fed

 

[doodle]

My little sister had hers clipped around age 2 or 3, I think. I don''t know whether she had feeding issues as an infant, but I do distinctly remember her speech being severely impaired, which was why my father and stepmom finally agreed to the surgery. It was amazing how quickly her speech changed (and she had been in speech therapy for a while before finally having it done). It pretty much fixed her speech overnight.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Mela Lu has her son''s tongue clipped and it changed her BFing life! She is not around much but I think she is glad she did it.

 

[RaiKai]

A late BF of mine was born with a tongue tie. He never had it clipped but his mom bottle fed all her kids anyway. He had no speech issues (my tongue is fine and I needed speech therapy!) He could not stick his tongue out (and it was hilarious when he tried) but he did not want to bother to get it cut as it really was not a big deal for him.

Sounds like it is more pronounced for Connor though maybe? If it affects feeding, I would be inclined to get the tongue released.

 

[vizsla]

vesper!! congrats! can't wait to see you on the newborn thread!!

and secondly.. YES!!! my DS was tongue tied and it made BF almost impossible! the first 2 weeks of his life were so full of tears b/c he couldn't latch properly - and when he did it hurt... bad! i saw 3 or 4 lactation consultants during that time and i can remember crying each and every time i tried to get him to latch b/c he just couldn't. it broke my heart. i also did not want to supplement so instead i was pumping every hour, having DH feed him, sterilizing and repeating.. all day..... it was, probably, the toughest time of my life.

we then got DS to latch with a shield, which was such sweet relief, but it didn't solve our problems... he ended up chewing me into hamburger meat... literally.

after a month of tears we ended up clipping his tongue.
the actual process took only about 3 mins, but it wasn't the easiest thing i've ever done. there were tears from DS, DH and myself. i had to cover my ears at one point b/c i physically couldn't bear the crying. not to scare you, just to prepare you. after the procedure they handed me DS to nurse (with his little bloody mouth

but he latched on RIGHT AWAY w/out pain!!! and immediately stopped crying.)

had i not gotten an abscess/surgery from the aforementioned destroyed nipple we would still be happily BF today.

i guess my take away is.. if you are passionate about BF then i would get it done sooner rather than later. and apparently having their tongue clipped when they are older is much more painful - not to mention possible speech problems.

i'm here if you have any questions or concerns. ((hugs)) i know this is a tough decision, especially when you LO is still so so so young.

 

[vespergirl]

Date: 5/5/2010 8:28:32 AM
Author: vizsla
vesper!! congrats! can''t wait to see you on the newborn thread!!

and secondly.. YES!!! my DS was tongue tied and it made BF almost impossible! the first 2 weeks of his life were so full of tears b/c he couldn''t latch properly - and when he did it hurt... bad! i saw 3 or 4 lactation consultants during that time and i can remember crying each and every time i tried to get him to latch b/c he just couldn''t. it broke my heart. i also did not want to supplement so instead i was pumping every hour, having DH feed him, sterilizing and repeating.. all day..... it was, probably, the toughest time of my life.

we then got DS to latch with a shield, which was such sweet relief, but it didn''t solve our problems... he ended up chewing me into hamburger meat... literally.

after a month of tears we ended up clipping his tongue.
the actual process took only about 3 mins, but it wasn''t the easiest thing i''ve ever done. there were tears from DS, DH and myself. i had to cover my ears at one point b/c i physically couldn''t bear the crying. not to scare you, just to prepare you. after the procedure they handed me DS to nurse (with his little bloody mouth

but he latched on RIGHT AWAY w/out pain!!! and immediately stopped crying.)

had i not gotten an abscess/surgery from the aforementioned destroyed nipple we would still be happily BF today.

i guess my take away is.. if you are passionate about BF then i would get it done sooner rather than later. and apparently having their tongue clipped when they are older is much more painful - not to mention possible speech problems.

i''m here if you have any questions or concerns. ((hugs)) i know this is a tough decision, especially when you LO is still so so so young.

Viszla, thanks so much for your reply. That is EXACTLY what''s going on with us - after a few days, even the shield is not protecting me, so I''ve just been pumping, bottle-feeding expressed milk, and sterilizing around the clock. It''s such a drag.

Connor also has a bit of a recessed jaw (overbite) but not as bad as his older brother, so I''m hoping that the tongue-tie is going to be the only issue, and once that''s fixed, we''ll be able to BF without any further problems.

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - I really appreciate all the feedback!

 

[vizsla]

a DRAG with a capital D! the shield helped C nurse, but not latch correctly OR prevent the pain. although, i did learn thru this process that i have flat nipples

and that certainty didn''t help anything
.
our regular pedi did the procedure for us. she was only comfortable clipping "X" amount. and if she needed to clip more would have sent us to an ENT. the bleeding stopped immediately after he started nursing.

that was another bummer about having him tongue tied... we never got that immediate boob only experience and i was so fearful he would never learn to nurse. that wasn''t the case but i can remember very vividly that fear. i wish BF would have worked out better for me so i can completely empathize with ANYone going thru difficulties associated w/ BF.
((HUGS))!!!

 

[ponder]

Vesper,

This procedure can also be done by an experienced pediatric dentist. It also does not have to be done with a scapel. It can be a completely pain free.

Our pediatric dentist does fillings and soft tissue cutting with a laser that also numbs the tooth or the soft tissue, no anesthetic (shot) is necessary. He routinely does frenectomys on babies, especially ones that are so tongue tied that any feeding is difficult. Alot of times he is contacted by the hospitals within hours of birth to address the problem when bottle feeding is not an acceptable option.

This is a link to his website to view a laser frenectomy of a four year old. There are also numerous videos on youtube of laser frenectomies if you would like more info.
http://web.mac.com/jonpwheeler/Jon_P._Wheeler,_DDS,_PA/laser_technology/laser_technology.html

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Hi Vesper- congrats on your new son! If I recall correctly, you and I had the same due date (I ended up having my son early on 4/11). My son also has a frenulum problem, which resulted in the same issues that you''re having. In fact, I saw 3 lactation consultants and the last one said that when people talk about sore nipples, they haven''t seen mine and that she thought I was very brave to let him anywhere near my breasts. We also considered clipping but in the end, decided against it (with the possibility that we can do it later if the tongue tie becomes a real problem). My kid also had a hospital stay due to jaundice and excess weight loss (b/c my milk came in late and also due to the tongue tie), so we were told to supplement with formula. So I pump and bottle feed him about 90% of the time, and then at night, he gets formula.

I felt really guilty at first b/c I also wanted to be the kind of woman who can put baby to the breast with no problems, but reality dictates otherwise. I''ve made peace with pumping (though a total pain) and this actually works out better for my family, including not only my son, but my husband and toddler too. So, I don''t really have any advice other than to commiserate and say good luck!

 

[MMMD]

Congratulations on your new addition. Both of my daughters (as well as my sister and I) were tongue tied. I never breastfed so that wasn''t an issue. But we were conflicted on what to do. Especially with my youngest who is now 8. Her tongue barely moved. Every expert we went to gave us a different opinion. Our pediatrician, and at the time every pediatrician, was deadset against clipping. Clipping is associated with excessive bleeding in newborns. My husband and I decided to clip if and when either of them had speech problems or social problems. Neither of them ever had any issues and an occupational therapist worked with them (tongue exercises!) and now both have pretty normal reach with their tongues at 8 and 11 years old.

Good luck with your decision. I laugh about this issue now but how I cried when they were little and I didn''t know what to do. But I''m sure you and your DH will make an informed decisions and your son will be fine.

 

[mayachel]

A friend of mine just had the procedure done on her 5 week old son, yesterday! He immediately was able to latch better and the mom is feeling so much more relief with the breastfeeding process. Ditto to those have said it is a super quick and easy procedure. Congratulations to you and your family on your new little one.

 

[PrettyBlues]

Hi Vesper,

I haven''t had time to do anything other than occasionally read on here in the past few weeks, but I had to respond to this.

Miles was born with tongue tie, although it wasn''t spotted until he was almost three weeks old (my first appointment with the doctor was delayed, due to his stay in the NICU).

By the time I saw her, I was completely exhausted and at the end of my rope. At the time, I was breastfeeding him, then supplementing with a cup feed, and then pumping after to get/keep my supply up. The whole process could take 2 hours, and he was eating every 3. I was just about ready to give up and throw in the towel when I saw the doctor.

The day after the procedure, the latch got SO much better. And within a few days, he was eating completely from the breast, no supplements needed. I also slowly cut down the pumping, which I now do only a couple of times a day.

It was sad to be there for the procedure, to hear his little cry, and there was blood for a few minutes. We gave him infant tylenol a couple of times, but besides that, he seemed to be fine.

You need to make the decision that is right for you, obviously, but for me, it was SO WORTH IT.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[redfaerythinker]

My future sister-in-law has a son who had an attached frenulum. They left it attached until he reached talking age, around a year, and when it was determined that it would affect his speech they had it corrected. It was really no big deal to get it done.

 

[lizzyann]

Hi Vesper! Congrats on the new baby! Hope you aren''t having too many sleepless nights!

My friend was tongue tied and didn''t get hers clipped until she was 5 or 6. Her son was born with the same thing and it hurt her so bad when bf''ing that she had to stop. She is debating on when she wants to have the procedure done on her son but he has taken to his bottle and is eating foods just fine.

Sorry to hear that bf''ing isn''t working out for you with your new baby. I applaud you for pumping and feeding your newborn with breast milk though. I bf''d my son till he was 8 months and I also had to use a shield which was a pain in the you know what. I tried to stop using it but he got so used to it that I had to use it the whole time.

Hope you are recovering well and are enjoying time with your new addition to your family.

 

[drk]

Kara had a minor tongue tie and was probably borderline for getting it clipped. Since we were having weight gain/supply issues and I wanted to do everything possible to make BF work, our family doc did the frenulotomy when she was about 2 weeks old. I didn''t find it too traumatic to watch (though I am a doctor), since most of the crying was from being annoyed to have her head and hands held down. There was one additional little shriek right when she clipped it with a pair of scissors, she blotted a couple droplets of blood, and the w nursed and the crying stopped. She was back to normal after that, no tylenol or added crying at all. I think the latch got a bit better (like I said, it wasn''t a terrible tongue tie to start with), and her tongue movements are way way better now. Like she can get the tip of her tongue practically to touch her chin.
Supposedly after 1 year, they need a general anesthetic to have the procedure done, and leaving a bad tongue tie unfixed can lead to speech problems and the need for orthodontics later in life.
I''d definitely recommend getting it done!

 

[Sparkly_Not_Gaudy]

Re:

Date: 5/4/2010 10:34:54 PM
Author:

I am also tongue tied.. I didn''t know until I was 16 and went to get my tongue pierced. I went to the doctor and they said they could cut it.. and I said no way! (biggest fear of pain)

I can''t stick my tongue out, it barely goes past my lips.. and I get a slight lisp when I am tired, or had a few to many wines.. apart from that no troubles!

ETA: I was bottle fed

You can get your tongue pierced, but can't handle the little clip of your frendulum? It is not that bad. Seriously.

We had our 2nd son clipped at 6 days old and it took all of 5 seconds and he cried once and then latched on and has been 100% fine ever since. He turns 16 this summer and has zero speech issues. Everyone I know recently who has had their children clipped has expressed a similar experience to what took place in 1995 with us.

 

[MustangGal]

Re: Attached frenulum or

My friend's son was tongue tied too. She didn't breastfeed, but it also caused issues with switching him to solids, so they had it clipped around 7 months with no problems. I'd get it done now when he won't remember the pain, and save your nipples the torture.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Re: Attached frenulum or

My daughter, now 4 months old, was born tongue-tied. Hers was pretty severe - severe enough that she was having trouble bottle-feeding and despite the fact that she had no sucking reflex or suck/swallow/breathe when she was born. Shortly after she was discharged from the NICU we were referred to a pediatric dentist by our pedi and had it clipped. The procedure was short and simple. The area was numbed with a topical gel and the dentist clipped the frenulum with a pair of surgical scissors. She cried, but no more than she does when she gets shots and it only bled in the office for about 10 minutes. She eats soooo much better now and is not nearly as fussy as she was previously. Congratulations on the birth of your son!

 

[packrat]

Re: Attached frenulum or

Dr. has taken care of it in the office for several babies, snip and it's done. Minimal crying that I've noticed and the moms are always thrilled to pieces afterward b/c the baby can nurse properly.

 

[Circe]

Re: Attached frenulum or

Reviving an old thread to add my bit and see if anybody has any further experiences/advice: my kiddo was born with a tongue-tie, but it wasn't properly diagnosed for quite a bit. I spent the first two days at the hospital wincing every time I BF'd, just figuring this was the "it takes a while for you to toughen up" that I'd read about ... until the hospital lactation consultant saw my boobs and said, "Uh, they're not supposed to bleed." So at that point I started pumping and using a nipple shield until we could figure out what was wrong.

The first consultant thought it might just be a short tongue: the pediatrician couldn't tell, and referred us to an ENT: the ENT said it wasn't a tongue-tie, and we should see a second lactation consultant: the second lactation consultant spent 5 minutes with her finger in his mouth, diagnosed him with a posterior tongue-tie, and sent us to a second ENT; the second ENT clipped it on the spot; minimal bleeding, not particularly traumatic as regards the operation (but we're supposed to massage the area at each feeding for a week to keep it from reattaching and so, I feel like The Worst Person in the World for a couple of minutes every day). Unfortunately, the second lactation consultant, whom I LOVED had to go out of town: she referred us to THIRD LC, who seemed nice, but not as skilled. She had me try BF'ing in every position known to man before shrugging, recommending a different bottle, giving me a few exercises to do with the baby, and telling me to practice.

Sigh. I am looking forward to it being Friday so that, a) we can stop doing the horrible Torturing Our Baby thing, and, b) so I can call the second consultant again to hear her thoughts on how the frenulumectomy has healed and what our next step should be ....