Why just a tongue (and/or lip) tie release isn’t likely to save your breastfeeding journey.
Signs Your Infant Might Have a Tongue or Lip Tie:
Difficulty latching onto the breast
Slipping off the breast while nursing
Poor weight gain or slow weight gain
Clicking sound while nursing
Gassiness or colic symptoms after feedings
Short feedings or feedings that take a long time
Nipple pain, damage, or distortion after feedings
Fussiness or frustration at the breast
Inadequate milk transfer during nursing
Difficulty staying latched during nursing
To find an IBCLC who is knowledgeable about oral restrictions, start by asking for recommendations from your local moms groups - trust me on this - your pediatrician isn’t likely to know the difference between one IBCLC and the next, and it is our training that set us apart, especially with oral function. When contacting potential IBCLCs, inquire about their experience and training specifically related to oral restrictions, such as tongue tie and lip tie. It is important to find a lactation consultant who is well-versed in this area in order to receive appropriate support and guidance for feeding challenges related to oral restrictions.
Dr. Richard Baxter’s Infant Tongue Tie Symptoms List
It is about so much more than just a referral for the release.
Your baby needs to be ready for this procedure, and tongue and lip tie releases are rarely and UGENT matter. So, what IS urgent?
ensuring that baby is gaining weight and well fed
making sure you are optimizing your milk supply
preparing baby’s body for the release with bodywork and fascial release like cranial sacral therapy, chiropractic care and infant massage
getting the family ready for the aftercare and the baby used to someone being in their mouth for wound care and strengthening exercises
What makes me uniquely qualified to care for you and your baby?
As I said before, an IBCLC might not have many experiences or much education about oral restrictions - just holding the title of IBCLC doesn’t equate a skilled provider when it comes to this complex feeding challenge. As a mom of tongue tied babies myself, I was aware of how life changing this process can be when done correctly - so I went to work acquiring any and all education that I could about the topic. I shadowed our local pediatric dentists who specialize in releases and tie diagnosis (as an IBCLC I identify that there is a functional issue, but do not diagnose oral restrictions).
Mostly, I got HUMBLE and open to learning.
I studied Dr. Baxter’s book Tongue Tied.
I took Dr. Ghaheri’s course Untying Ankyloglossia (the fancy work for “tongue tie”)
I read every book I could on infant sucking skills, but my favorite is Cathy Watson Genna’s Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants
How I did it with my kids 5 and 2 years ago is not how I encourage families to handle it now. And it has nothing to do with making you see me more (I do my best to coach parents to do as much of the prep work for their baby as they can! This is YOUR baby, who better to support them than YOU?)
I have taken specialized training in Cranial Sacral Therapy for the Infant to support better breastfeeding, release fascial tension and overall be more prepared for if and when a release might be needed.
I know our local chiropractors and body workers who I consistently refer parents to when parent-led bodywork is not enough for a family or baby.
And most importantly my care is never “cookie cutter” care - every baby and family is different. So the care that they get is just as unique as they are. It is a large part of why my tag line is what it is:
