Expert breastfeeding and lactation support in San Antonio & Houston!
  • Home
  • Houston
  • Scheduling
  • About
  • Online Breastfeeding Class
  • Common Breastfeeding Issues
    • Engorgement
    • Sore Nipples
    • Latch
    • Milk Supply
    • Pumping Class
    • How do I choose the right doctor for my baby?
  • Breastfeeding TeleHealth
  • Prenatal Breastfeeding Prep
    • San Antonio Doulas
    • Post Partum Depression
    • Breastfeeding Resources in San Antonio
    • Breastmilk Donation
  • Tongue Tie
  • BreastReading Blog
  • Breastfeeding Education for Business
  • En español
  • Contact Us
  • Testimonials
  • Media, Advocacy and Special Programs
  • Breastfeeding Support Groups
  • Equity & Diversity Resource Page
  • Tongue-Tie-Learning-Center
  • For Professionals
  • Baby Scale Rental
  • Formula Shortage
  • Feeding-Emergency
  • Insurance Verification
Schedule Video-Consult

Home & Scheduling • Contact Us • Meet Us
Blog • Tongue Tie • Free Online Class



Tongue-Tie Wisdom

Picture
Photo courtesy of Jaye Simpson, CLE, IBCLC, RLC, CIIM, BT, BC


"Does my baby have a ​tongue (or lip) tie?"

If you're curious about whether or not your baby has a tongue or lip tie, you're in the right place for some words of wisdom from an IBCLC experienced in working with tongue and lip tied babies!

While IBCLCs cannot diagnose your baby with lip or tongue-tie, we can help you understand if the impact of your baby’s oral tethers can be mitigated with positioning/hold, or if the tethers are symptomatic enough to require an appointment with an expert assessor/diagnoser/treater of tongue and lip tie.

Tongue-tie outcomes are greatly optimized by working with a tongue-tie knowledgeable IBCLC before getting an assessment from a pediatric dentist or ENT (the two most common assessors/revisors of infant oral tethers.m). From knowing the local tongue-tie care landscape, to helping coordinate and strengthen baby’s oral muscles to help avoid a tongue-tie release or minimize procedure impact, to making the right referral to the provider that can best assess your baby (not al providers are versed in all types of oral tethers), seeing an experienced IBCLC (like yours-truly) before and after a frenectomy (release of tongue-tie) will help your baby heal faster, decrease a baby’s chance of reattachment, and will help families avoid unnecessary steps

Interestingly, some tethers aren’t obvious to untrained parents or medical staff, but an experienced IBCLC who listens to a parent’s report of pain, assesses nipple-injury patterns and watches baby’s oral and body movements at the breast can help families to form a game plan-and that game plan can range from helping a baby to loosen their whole body vía massage, helping a baby to strengthen their oral muscles, or the game plan could be see an expert and licensed expert on tongue and lip ties.

During an “investigation”, an IBCLC will help manage, stabilize and protect breastfeeding (latch, milk supply, etc.) so that once oral issues are resolved, original breastfeeding goals are still met.

Did you know that what may seem like a “tie” may simply be restricted muscles from a difficult birth?

Avoid taking shortcuts...
For the best outcomes, don't take shortcuts in tongue-tie care. Too often we work with families who only go to whoever is easiest to see, and skip visiting experts because they are out of network or have a cost. The end-result can be bigger eventual expenses from unaddressed ties, ties which were not properly released, and a continuation of symptoms such as nipple pain, decreased milk supply and weight issues with baby.

​Tongue-ties matter to both breast and bottle fed babies!

Because tongue or lip tie is something that a baby is born with, both breast and bottle-fed babies can be affected. Babies who nurse are able to stretch their tongues and lips to an extent with nursing, yet babies who bottlefeed don't always use the same vigor and work the same muscles. So while some may think that tongue tie isn't a big deal in bottle-fed babies since mom isn't being injured and her supply may not be at-risk, it's incredibly important (if not more important) to have a lactation consultant investigate your baby's mouth and feeding if you suspect that your baby may have a tie.

And finally...
Before continuing your Google-journey, we invite you to read our blog post "5 Myths About Tongue-Tie" to help you understand what is and isn't important about ties.

What is a tongue tie, and how can it affect breastfeeding?
  • Mayo Clinic's tongue-tie page
  • National Institutes on Health's Tongue-Tie Page
  • Breastfeeding USA's page about tongue-ties

​Common reasons to have a tongue or lip assessed for ties*:

Baby:
  • Difficulty with latching to breast or bottle
  • Hovers over areola but doesn't draw in nipple
  • Tires easily
  • Slow weight gain, or weight loss
  • Clicking when feeding from the breast or bottle
  • Clamps mouth on nipple, collapses bottle nipple
  • Low milk transfer from breast or bottle
  • Prolonged feeds
  • Persistent or frequent thrush
  • Unable to hold in a pacifier
  • Reflux and excessive fussiness; sounds "wet" in throat or gurgley when swallowing
  • Gags a lot
  • Issues accepting solid foods
  • Future speech issues
  • Cavities

Mom
  • Very sore, cracked, raw or bleeding nipples (sometimes doesn't have soreness)
  • Compressed-looking nipples after latching
  • Low milk supply over time
  • Bacterial and fungal breast infections which fester after tongue tie injury
  • Early weaning and feelings of disappointment in mom

Online Resources
  • Dr. Kotlow's Tongue and Lip Tie PDF
  • Dr. Ghaheri explains lip tie
  • KellyMom's Tongue-Tie Resource Page
  • La Leche League's Tongue-Tie Resource Page
  • Breastfeeding USA's tongue-tie page

Remember, for tongue/lip-tied breastfeeding infants, it's recommend to have a consult with a board certified lactation consultant experienced with tongue-tied babies prior to and after having a tongue/lip frenelum released in order to gauge and track symptom improvement, healing and reattachment.

Picture
Photo courtesy of Jaye Simpson, CLE, IBCLC, RLC, CIIM, BT, BC www.BreastfeedingNetwork.net
Picture

Breastfeeding Housecalls & Lactation Clinic, LLC
(210) 209-1002
San Antonio, TX

The services offered by Breastfeeding Housecalls do not replace medical advice;
please consult your healthcare provider if you suspect you or your child are not well.


As does every healthcare provider, Breastfeeding Housecalls has a legal obligation to report unsafe conditions.



Our Affliations
​

Breastfeeding Housecalls adheres firmly to the World Health Organization's Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and only participates in activities or conducts business with organizations who are free of ties from manufacturers of artificial baby milk (infant formula).

Website and all content © 2022
Breastfeeding Housecalls & Lactation Clinic LLC


Breastfeeding Housecalls will take legal action against any person, company or organization who/that takes or uses as theirs any content or original concept from this website.

Breastfeeding Housecalls, LLC's ​Privacy Practices
  • Home
  • Houston
  • Scheduling
  • About
  • Online Breastfeeding Class
  • Common Breastfeeding Issues
    • Engorgement
    • Sore Nipples
    • Latch
    • Milk Supply
    • Pumping Class
    • How do I choose the right doctor for my baby?
  • Breastfeeding TeleHealth
  • Prenatal Breastfeeding Prep
    • San Antonio Doulas
    • Post Partum Depression
    • Breastfeeding Resources in San Antonio
    • Breastmilk Donation
  • Tongue Tie
  • BreastReading Blog
  • Breastfeeding Education for Business
  • En español
  • Contact Us
  • Testimonials
  • Media, Advocacy and Special Programs
  • Breastfeeding Support Groups
  • Equity & Diversity Resource Page
  • Tongue-Tie-Learning-Center
  • For Professionals
  • Baby Scale Rental
  • Formula Shortage
  • Feeding-Emergency
  • Insurance Verification