Picture courtesy of Sarah Stead
(taken after feeding immediately after division)
Only around half of all baby's with a tongue tie will need division (Griffiths and Westcott) some will go on to breastfeed without problems, other mothers and babies will see an improvement to symptoms with adjustments to their positioning and attachment.
Some babies do have impaired tongue function, in these instances tongue-tie division (frenulotomy) can improve the symptoms experienced by the mother or baby.
Before offering to do the procedure, I will always take a full feeding history, undertake a full assessment of the babies tongue appearance and function. I will explain the risks and benefits in a way that you understand and give you time to ask questions and make the decision of whether to proceed or not. In some instances I will not offer to undertake the procedure, such as unusual oral anatomy, absence of feeding difficulty or where the feeding difficulty is not associated with tongue-tie
The procedure is relatively simple. Whilst the baby is swaddled and held gently by a parent or friend, a finger is inserted under the tongue to lift it, when the frenulum can be seen clearly it is snipped with a pair of sterile curved scissors. A finger is used to sweep under the tongue to ensure full release has been achieved and in some instances more than one snip will be necessary. Once I am happy the tongue-tie has been released, sterile gauze is applied and your baby is offered a feed immediately.
There is usually very little bleeding and withen 24-48 hours there is usually a white / grey area under the tongue, this is normal and part of the healing process. This usually lasts 7-10 days
Here is a link to a parents-eye-view of "What to expect on the day"
Contact Details
Vicky Jordan
07593 454869
Email: vicky.jordanIBCLC@gmail.com
Some babies do have impaired tongue function, in these instances tongue-tie division (frenulotomy) can improve the symptoms experienced by the mother or baby.
Before offering to do the procedure, I will always take a full feeding history, undertake a full assessment of the babies tongue appearance and function. I will explain the risks and benefits in a way that you understand and give you time to ask questions and make the decision of whether to proceed or not. In some instances I will not offer to undertake the procedure, such as unusual oral anatomy, absence of feeding difficulty or where the feeding difficulty is not associated with tongue-tie
The procedure is relatively simple. Whilst the baby is swaddled and held gently by a parent or friend, a finger is inserted under the tongue to lift it, when the frenulum can be seen clearly it is snipped with a pair of sterile curved scissors. A finger is used to sweep under the tongue to ensure full release has been achieved and in some instances more than one snip will be necessary. Once I am happy the tongue-tie has been released, sterile gauze is applied and your baby is offered a feed immediately.
There is usually very little bleeding and withen 24-48 hours there is usually a white / grey area under the tongue, this is normal and part of the healing process. This usually lasts 7-10 days
Here is a link to a parents-eye-view of "What to expect on the day"
Contact Details
Vicky Jordan
07593 454869
Email: vicky.jordanIBCLC@gmail.com
