A bit of help with my gorgeous, tongue and lip tied 6 week old

[4isstillnighttime]

Hi!

This is my 3rd baby so you would think I would know what I am doing, but I'm struggling a bit with my little boy. He had a severe tongue and lip tie diagnosed at 2 days old, and the TT divided at 3 days (lip tie is still there). He has slowly got better at BFing but is a bit fussy - will feed cradle hold on left side, rugby on right, and needs a few goes to latch. He also clicks a lot when he is feeding and swallows a LOT of air. He is putting on weight and doing well really....but he is still feeding very frequently, is still pretty sleepy and will usually only take one side at a time.

I have tried lots of positions but he is a creature of habit and is stuck in this pattern! I've been to a BFing counsellor when he was tiny but she didn't really have much to suggest, and said he would grow out of it.

I'm v prepared to hear that I just have to persevere! But I would like to try and help him feed without gulping so much air as if I don't get it all up he gets v uncomfortable. I also think that he is finding it very tiring and i will struggle to get him to feed for longer and so to go for longer between feeds (and to have any A time!) unless I can help him with this.

The other trouble is that I don't remember the newborn days with the others that well so I am probably comparing him to feeding a toddler, which probably isn't fair! So if this is fairly normal, then i would be very glad to hear that too!

[*Ali*]

How often is he feeding? It's usually 8-12 times in 24hrs at this age.

Was the lip tie considered too minor to treat?

Did you check out our FAQ? Information on Tongue Tie in babies and children

[C&B&E]

Hugs. I've had two lo's with bad tongue ties and it was hard going  . One thing that helped was doing ' laid back feeding' where you sit semi-upright and basically let themselves latch on. Google it for more info.

[4isstillnighttime]

I looked for ages for a TT FAQs - sleep deprived! Thanks a lot, will peruse during one if our many night feeds!

The lip tie is severe but I couldn't find anyone local to deal with it (getting his TT done was hard enough and cost us a fortune as NHS waiting list was massive). I'm sure it is still affecting his feeding as that top lip can't curl out to make a fish mouth - with my daughter (no lip or tongue tie but a dreadful feeder) I used to flip her lip out if she curled it in but I can't with this one and the midwive said that it wasn't important. I'm not sure I agree but we don't have the resources to take him to a private dentist in London for lasering.

I'll try that laid back nursing - do you support their heads or literally just let them sort themselves out?!?

WRT frequency of feeds etc - we haven't tried any kind of routine yet, I feed him when he wakes up from his sleeps but he spends a lot of time in the sling or pushchair (toddlers rampaging around and I am struggling to cope!). He also rarely takes both sides at a feed but will take the second side 20 mins or so later. At night I can usually settle him in his cosleeper cot initially but because the night feeds take so long I inevitably fall asleep during them and wake up an hour later with a hungry windy baby who then screams the rest of the night. Am working on this!

Is it ok to split his feeds like this? Also, we cosleep after 4 am and for our afternoon nap and he dozes off latched on and snacks for an hour or so - I know it isn't a great habit but I have to survive! We are persevering with a dummy but he isn't doing well with it - is this a lip tie thing?

Thanks again. Feel much less alone and stressed!

[*Ali*]

I think for now you just need to do what you need to do to survive. It will get better!

[C&B&E]

I'm on my phone so struggling to post links, but have a look at a few sites about the laid back feeding as it is probably easier to see some pictures than to have out described to you. You worth together as a team, so if your lo looks like they need their head supporting then you do, but they often latch on with their faces facing straight onto the nipple, so need less support. I used to have my arm last next to my ds head, so she could rest her head on me.

Is there abf clinic our support group you could go to for more advice? Or the NCT helpline?