Around the time my newborn daughter was 5-6 weeks of age, I started to worry about my milk supply.
Every evening she would get so fussy and frustrated at my breast. I knew what they said about ‘witching hour,’ but that didn’t ease my concern.
I grew increasingly nervous night after night that her growing frustration was because she was hungry and I didn’t have any milk left.
So I made the recommended appointment to see a lactation specialist. And I am SO glad I did because she helped me realize I was not having a supply issue, but rather my baby was having a latch issue (which I learned is very common).
But here’s the not-so-great part… she spent about 5 minutes analyzing my daughter’s latch, pointing out what was wrong with it, and then started referring me to a tongue-tie specialist and going into detail about the procedure and aftercare.
Woah… my daughter is fussy before bedtime, and we’re jumping to surgery??
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My daughter was at a healthy weight, and her weight gain wasn’t an issue at all up to this point. The consultant did weigh her before and after a feed and determined she was getting about 2 oz (which was a below-average amount and could explain why she wanted to eat literally every hour for the first months of her life- another problem I was a bit exhausted over).
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Here’s the even more ‘not so great’ part… I saw the tongue tie specialist. And he spent even less time with my daughter than the lactation consultant did. He examined my daughter’s mouth for about 2 seconds and determined she had the “anatomy for tongue tie surgery.” What does this even mean?? I’m still not sure I know…
So for any mama’s out there who are as unfamiliar with this mysterious “tongue tie” concern as I first was, here’s a quick breakdown.
What is Baby Tongue Tie?
A tongue tie is medically known as ankyloglossia, which means that the thin piece of tissue (frenulum) that connects the bottom of your baby’s tongue to the floor of their mouth is shorter than it should be. When it’s too short, the movement of the tongue can be restricted.
Of course, there is no one size fits all, so tongue tie concerns can vary in severity and type, with some babies experiencing mild restrictions while others face more significant challenges. Some babies have both lip and tongue ties, some babies have a posterior tongue tie, and some babies have no tie at all, yet are sent off to get the surgery anyway!
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What is Tongue Tie Surgery?
A tongue tie surgery, or what is sometimes called a tongue tie release (or frenotomy, or frenulotomy… lots of fun names) can be performed by a pediatrician, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, or a specially trained dentist or lactation consultant. They use a specialized pair of scissors or a lase to snip or cut the restrictive frenulum on the baby’s tongue.
It’s supposed to be quick and easy, but it is a form of surgery nonetheless.
Visiting the Chiropractor for Tongue Tie in Babies
Thankfully, my lactation consultant gave me another recommendation to look into before jumping to a tongue tie surgery (which I am so grateful for). She recommended we see a chiropractor. Since I’ve always been a fan of the chiropractor myself, I was very much looking forward to hearing what they had to say.
The chiropractor said something that I 1000% appreciated- she said, “Let’s start with the least invasive approach first.” This just made absolute sense to me. We were dealing with a baby, after all! Why did the tongue-tie doctor not recommend this route first? Why did he jump so quickly to surgery?? I found that off-putting, to say the least.
Now is a good time to say that I am NOT suggesting that tongue-tie surgery is never a good route to take. I was seriously considering it myself at one point because I did NOT want to see the breastfeeding journey come to an end. And if this is the route you take, there is no judgment here. In my case, I was in a great position to give the chiropractor route time to work because my daughter was at a healthy weight.
After about one month of chiropractic adjustments, my daughter’s latch issues practically disappeared. We never did the surgery.
Now… My daughter is 11 months, and we’re still breastfeeding. She’s still at a perfectly healthy weight, and she doesn’t have any latch or even tongue issues, for that matter. She sticks that tongue out and wiggles it around with no problem- which is, of course, the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
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If you find yourself here, considering your options and worrying about what to do – I wrote this post for you because I remember the anxiety and stress involved in the whole process.
Tips for Considering Tongue Tie Surgery
Hopefully, the pointers below can support you in your decision-making process.
- Explore multiple options.
- Do not think that surgery is your only route. Know that there usually is at least one other option to consider.
- Get a second opinion.
- I decided I wouldn’t make a decision on the surgery until seeing the chiropractor. I also spoke with my daughter’s pediatrician to get their opinion. This gave me a much more balanced perspective and confidence in my decisions moving forward.
- Trust your gut.
- If things seem a little weird, question that. Lean into that. And know that no one is better at making decisions for your child than you. The strangest thing for me throughout the whole process was how systematic and EASY it was to do surgery on my 2-month-old. Like, I could have done the surgery the SAME day I had my initial appointment with the tongue-tie doctor. I know they do this all the time, but the nonchalance of their approach didn’t sit quite right.
- Take the least invasive approach first.
- The least invasive options can sometimes seem insignificant, but give them a chance; they’re more powerful than you think. If you do end up needing more invasive routes such as newborn tongue tie release, you can feel good about knowing you did your due diligence and can follow through with confidence.
Looking back- I am beyond grateful for this approach. Because it turns out I didn’t NEED to do surgery on my 2-month-old daughter, I got to skip the aftercare routine from hell, and I still got to maintain my commitment to breastfeeding her.
Alayna
Hey there! I’m Alayna – wife, mom, and former analytical chemist turned health coach. I gave up my career in the lab to embrace motherhood and pursue my passion for health, wellness, and helping others. I love helping moms and wives pursue a better quality of life for themselves and their family using the power of diet, lifestyle, and nutrition. My ultimate purpose is to inspire hope that you CAN eat well, live better, and harness your own power as a wife or mom to influence your family to do the same. Be sure to follow my health tips on my Instagram page, or reach out for more information on my health coaching services!
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