Breastfeeding is more than just nourishment for your baby; it’s a journey of bonding, love, and connection that is unique to every mama and her baby. Approaching this journey with openness, determination, and patience is key, even when you’re faced with challenges. One such challenge that many new mamas encounter is a tongue tie, a condition that can significantly impact your baby’s ability to breastfeed effectively. In this blog, we’ll dive into what tongue tie is, its effects on breastfeeding, and the steps you can take to address it.
Understanding Tongue Ties
Tongue tie, or ankyloglossia, occurs when the lingual frenulum (the membrane under your baby’s tongue) is tighter, shorter, or thicker than typical. This condition can limit your baby’s tongue movement, making it hard for them to latch onto the breast correctly. Even with an adequate milk supply and letdown, a baby with tongue tie may have trouble maintaining suction, which is where you may hear your baby making a ‘clicking sound’ when they are feeding. Your baby may be struggling with a tongue tie but still be gaining weight and reaching milestones because your milk supply and letdown means they are still able to swallow milk.
The impact on breastfeeding
The restricted movement caused by a tongue tie can prevent your baby from achieving a deep latch, often resulting in your nipples becoming sore, cracked, damaged and flat. This is because of the shallow latch forcing your nipple to rub against the baby’s hard palate (rather than the soft palate achieved when baby has a deep latch), leading to discomfort and possible nipple damage.
The difficulty in achieving and maintaining a proper latch can be frustrating for both you and your baby. Not only this but is may possibly affecting your milk supply if your breast isn’t drained properly. While a clicking sound during a breastfeed is a strong indicator of a poor latch associated with tongue tie, it’s not the only sign. In some cases, if your baby does not have a tongue tie but is still making a clicking sound at the breast, addressing positioning and latch techniques can fix feeding issues without a tongue tie being present.
Diagnosing and treating tongue tie
If you suspect your baby has a tongue tie, seeking professional advice is crucial. A lactation consultant or someone trained to assess for tongue tie can look at your baby’s latch and examine them for tongue tie, usually through a physical examination focused on tongue movement and its effect on feeding.
If the tongue tie is restricting movement and effecting feeding, treatment may be needed. This typically involves a simple procedure known as a frenotomy, where the tight frenulum is snipped, often quickly and with minimal discomfort for your baby. This can significantly improve their ability to latch properly, offering relief to both you and your baby. Community specialists like Wendy Pratt from Baby Assist or clinics such as Border Medical Laser in Wodonga can perform this procedure, or you can get a referral to a paediatric surgeon from your GP.
Aftercare and support
Following the procedure, follow-up visits with a breastfeeding specialist are vital to ensure the improvement of your baby’s latch and the overall comfort and effectiveness of breastfeeding. Continued support from a lactation consultant (like me!) can offer the encouragement and guidance needed to navigate further breastfeeding challenges.
Support is incredibly important when dealing with issues like tongue tie. As a Mama Coach, NICU nurse, and a mother of four with over 4 years of personal breastfeeding experience, I am passionate about providing the necessary education and support to breastfeeding mamas. Whether you’re facing challenges with tongue tie, oversupply, a fussy baby, or simply need encouragement, support is available.
While a tongue tie can present significant early challenges in your breastfeeding journey, understanding and addressing this condition with timely intervention can lead to a more fulfilling breastfeeding experience. Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. With the right support, you and your baby can successfully overcome the challenges of tongue tie together.
Looking for a lactation consultant? At GROW, I offer support and education whether you want to breastfeeding, express and bottle feed, mixed feed or exclusively bottle feed.
With love, B.
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