Tongue and Lip Ties: What are they, and how can they affect breastfeeding?
/See if this sounds familiar… you have planned to breastfeed your baby, you have taken classes, done research, talked to friends, watched videos, and before you know it your baby has arrived and your breastfeeding journey begins. You begin latching your baby in the hospital and by the 2nd day, your nipples hurt, and your baby is losing weight. Your nurse vaguely mentions something called a “tongue tie”, and like every millennial mom, you hop on Google and start reading about it. You search things like:
How do I know if my baby has a tongue tie? Which leads you to–
Should I get my baby’s tongue tie clipped? Which leads you to–
10 Potential Complications of Tongue Tie Revision Surgery, and now you’re in a downward click-spiral, panicking.
Pause, breathe, and read on to learn more about this fairly uncommon diagnosis (it affects only about 5 percent of newborns!)
What exactly is a tongue or lip tie?
Have you looked under your tongue lately? A tongue-tie is a band of connective tissue — almost like a small string — that connects the upper lip to the upper gum (lip tie) or the base of the tongue to the floor of the mouth (tongue tie). When the tongue is tied, this tissue is so short it can limit the natural movements of the tongue needed to latch on to the breast, maintain adequate suction, and pull out adequate milk to stimulate mom’s milk supply and help the baby gain weight. When the tongue does not move freely, a baby may use their gums to hold on to the breast, or break suction often to help them feed. This can cause nipple pain and skin breakdown for mom.
Some signs that your baby may be tongue or lip tied:
A notch in the center of your baby’s tongue
Your baby’s tongue making a heart shape, or an inability to stick their tongue out past the lower gum line
Making strange noises or clicks when feeding
Milk leaking out of their mouth when feeding
Weight loss or difficulty gaining or maintaining weight
Nipple pain or cracking that gets better, and then gets worse again, and never completely goes away
Your baby is fussy or squirmy at feedings and comes on and off the breast frequently
What can it affect?
As a newborn, it can affect your baby’s ability to breastfeed effectively, or cause mom nipple pain or breakdown. Later, if significant, it can affect speech, eating, or tooth positioning.
Who can help me tell if my baby is tongue or lip tied?
A pediatrician, family doctor, ear nose and throat (ENT) doctor or Pediatric dentist can help diagnose this physical condition. While they can diagnose it, they may not always be best suited to determine if it is a problem with breastfeeding. Lactation Consultants can help to determine if a lip or tongue tie is interfering with effective breastfeeding.
What can be done if a tongue or lip tie becomes a problem?
If a tongue-tie is suspected to be the cause of your baby’s latch issues or your nipple pain, doctors may suggest a tongue-tie surgery, which has been reported to improve both issues.
Performed with scissors or a laser, this quick procedure — also called a frenotomy — removes the connective tissue. This essentially frees your baby’s tongue for a broader range of movement and, hopefully, an easier time latching.
What are the risks of this procedure?
While a tie revision done in early infancy is generally considered low risk, there are potential risks to the procedure which can include bleeding, poor feeding, airway obstruction, scarring, or damage to the saliva ducts.
Will it help my baby breastfeed better?
There’s a chance the procedure will ultimately not help improve breastfeeding. In general, though, more parents than not report an improvement in pain and latch following tongue-tie revision surgery.
What should I do before I decide if my baby needs this surgery?
Talk to your baby’s doctor about possible ties and how they may impact your baby now and later. See a lactation consultant for an exam, weighted feeding, and latch assessment.
BE WARY of anyone who looks in your baby’s mouth, says they have a tie, and recommends revision without eliminating other more common breastfeeding issues first. Other more common causes of pain or breastfeeding difficulties may include: improper feeding positioning or latch, oversupply or undersupply, breast anatomy, or parental infection. These issues can be corrected by working with a lactation consultant to improve latch or manage underlying issues. If this does not lead to improved breastfeeding effectiveness, infant weight gain and moms comfort, an evaluation for possible revision may be warranted.
If you are having breastfeeding problems, reach out for help sooner rather than later, because nipple pain, difficulty latching, and poor weight gain are among the most common reasons moms stop breastfeeding! Remember, Momentum Lactation is here for you, mama!