Ameila Writes:
“My midwife noticed my baby was severely tounge tied after I described the excruciating pain I had with feeding him for his first night. She viewed my torn up nipples and suggested it was just a bad latch. She held him while I went to the loo and she looked in his mouth thinking that perhaps he had oral thrush. She noticed his tounge tie immediately. He was so severely tounge tied that he was unable to lick his lips or put his tounge over his gums.
Checking for tounge tie is not routine in the newborn check and can be inherited or not. It can affect the ability to speak, eat and effect ear health.
We were still in hospital and my midwife went to the NICU, the paediatricians discussed the matter with the Dr who was there and he was of the opinion snipping my child’s tounge would not help with breast feeding or impede his speech.
My midwife suggested we wait until the next day to see a more approachable Doctor. Onto the express breast pump machine for me and onto a spoon/syringe for my boy. After being told of possible complications (bleeding, cutting the tounge/lip, needing blood products etc) I was very keen that Baby have his tounge snipped as I definately wanted to breastfeed him and this was an option to try.
All that was required was sugar syrup (for anaesthetic) and a pair of surgical scissors and my son was ready and waiting. Snip. No blood curdling screams, no gushing blood, no tears, nothing horrible I had imagined happened.
Except now my son could feed from me. No pain, no more blisters, cuts, grazes or blood… whoohoo!
Sometimes gaining another professionals opinion is worth the hard work and pain for your baby, in fact I am sure alot of mothers would do just about anything for them.
p.s. there are degrees of ‘tounge-tiedness’ and many medical professionals are unsure as to whether the snipping does any good. Over the age of 3months in NZ proper anaesthetic is required I think.”
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