Foe No Mo!: Frenulum or Foe Update

This post is an update to my previous post, Frenulum or Foe, regarding my discovery of my twin sons’ tongue tie issues.

Let me start off with a big “Phew!”. (hit easy button here)

It’s been a little over two weeks since I took both Cole and Luke to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor to see if they have tongue tie. I first thought maybe they did because I was experiencing a lot of pain when trying to breast feed, and they were not latching on well and sucking efficiently. Our visit to the doctor confirmed that my suspicions were correct and they did indeed have tongue tie. Their tongues were connected all the way to the tip of the tongue.

I had done some reading before we went, so I had a pretty good idea of what the procedure would be like to correct it. Both boys did extremely well, and didn’t cry anymore than they do when they get shots at the pediatrician’s office. The doctor first clamped the small thin piece of tissue under their tongue to numb it, he did not use a local or general anesthetic. I help the baby in my arms while he did this, and after it had been on for 10 seconds, he had a tiny pair of surgical scissors that he used to make a small incision that released the tongue and allowed it to move more freely in the mouth. I tried to nurse in the room after they had it done, but I think they were a little sore and trying to figure out the new freedom.

I had to take Luke back for a revision a few days later. He had the same procedure repeated, but the doctor just went back a little farther this time. After the second procedure, the doctor said that his tongue sprung free. I waited for a couple days before trying to get him to nurse because I knew he needed some time to heal as well.

A couple days later, I decided it was time for them to start nursing. Because the boys were latching on so much better, I felt comfortable cutting out the bottles cold turkey. After a couple days getting the hang of things, I decided to try to nurse them at the same time. It was awkward at first, but we’ve finally settled into positions that work (double football hold) and they know what to expect every time they eat now. It is so great!

If you think your baby or child may be tongue tied, I highly recommend talking to your doctor about it. It is an easy fix and the earlier you catch it, the less painful it is for the child. Tongue tie can cause problems with eating and later on it can cause problems with speech. The best way to tell if you baby is tongue tied is to look under their tongue. If they can’t move it around freely or stick it out, they are most likely tongue tied.