Update on sore nipples - Tongue Tie - and thanks

[EllieLock]

Firstly wanted to say thanks for all the wonderful support on this board, it's been fab and it's so nice to be able to come on here for some comfort when feeling down, and to know others have been there too and got through it.

It turns out Nyah has a tongue tie.  The original lactation consultant thought it was so slight it shouldn't cause a problem, but she got a second opinion today and the new lady said that the tongue tie, combined with a high palette and tightness where the top lip attatches to the gum would cause a problem.  This would account for the clicking sensation of the nipple that I feel when she's feeding, and hence the pain.  I've been referred to southampton and they're hoping we can see someone to get it sorted next week.  I feel so relieved that there is light at the end of the tunnel, as I was beginning to despair.  Just a bit worried that it's the best thing for Nyah, but it seems a relatively minor procedure - anyone else had any experience of it who could reassure me?

Thanks again all,
Ellie & Nyah
xx

[Gareth - Harvey & Theo's Dad]

Close friends of mine had similar problems with a tongue-tied lo.  They were also referred to Southampton and it was extremely quick.  It made a huge difference to his latch and feeding and cleared up the problems that they were having.

More than that I cannot offer, the decision itself of course is yours to make, I just wanted you to hear a success story.

[annamum]

Oh, I hope everything will go smoothly for both of you. Good luck!

[webfoot]

I know that Rachel (noah/calebs mommy) had a similar issue with Caleb. I'm so glad you've gotten quick treatment for this. I used to teach middle school and I had a boy who wasn't diagnosed with being tounge tied until he was in 6th grade.  :shock: The cause was easy to fix but he had sever speech impediment. The sadest part is for years the parents had asked both teachers and the pediatrician about it and they all said it wasn't an issue, finally the 6th grade teacher was like "this is an ISSUE!" and refered him for speech testing.  Not to be a wet noodle, but I'm always amazed at what gets overlooked.  Hang in there, hope you get in the groove with some treatment.

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Ellie, I'm SO glad that you have some direction now!  It's never nice being told you child has to have surgery (as minor as this is!), but it should make a huge difference.  One of the women at my breastfeeding club had this done for her child and things improved really fast. I just wish it had been caught sooner so you wouldn't have had to go through all that you did!  It's a very very minor procedure - she'll probably be fussy for a couple of days, but I think it heals quite quickly.  And then things should start looking up! 

[Judy]

DD#2 was tongue tied. It didn't affect her breastfeeding but we still chose to have it fixed.  We saw a surgeon who said we could do the surgery then (a year when we went) or wait till she had troubles speaking etc.  Well we didn't want to wait and then have to fix speech issues. 

It was very obvious that she was tongue-tied and the procedure took 15min and while they said she may be in pain for a while and have a hard time eating we didn't notice any of that.  She wanted a few more cuddles right after but that was it.  Hardest part for me was letting them take her away and put her under anesthetic.  :cry:

To be honest I was so relieved we didn't wait - she was too young to be scared going in and too young to be traumatized by it all.   I couldn't imagine taking a young one to hospital for a procedure when they are 2 or 3.

[jordansmommy]

Can someone please tell me what the issues and symptoms are of a tongue-tied baby?
Can you see it in their mouth and tell?
Thanks,
Mia

[EllieLock]

Hi there,

Tongue tie is caused when the frenulum (the membrane which connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth) is either too short and or too far forwards.  Wrt breast feeding it means the tongue can't milk the breast properly.  A classic sign is if baby can't extend the tongue past the bottom lip.  My daughters one however is very slight, and you can see it best when she cries and the tongue forms a heart shape where the tip can't raise as high as the sides.  She was diagnosed because my nipples are still sore 5 weeks on, I can feel a clicking sensation when she sucks cos she can't keep hold of the nipple properly, she often loses suction during feeding, my nipple comes out squashed and she had poor weight gain for quite a while.

HTH,
Ellie

[Veronique]

You should absolutely have the procedure.  You and your LO will be better off for it.  I had the same problem when my DS was 2 months old.  By that time, I had 3 cases of mastitis and my nipples were severely cracked/sore/bleeding.  I was determined to breastfeed, though.   I had gone to a Dr. about my son's tight frenulum and HE said that my DS had a good suck and that this was not causing my problems.  I wanted to let me LO latch on to his nipples and see if he still felt the same way.      Anyway, I got a second opinion from a female Dr. and she assessed my son and determined that it indeed was affecting his feeding and did the procedure right then.  It was tough to see him in pain for that brief period, but he was nursing within a minute of the procedure.  And BOY did it make a difference immediately.  I have been breastfeeding ever since and have not had any more mastitis or sore nipples.  As for his pain, his first set of shots were more painful than this procedure.

Hope this helps!

Vickie

[jordansmommy]

Veronica, Glad to hear about your story.
Can you tell me what type of woman doctor finally diagosed this for you? Was it a pediatrician?
Thanks
Mia