As more mothers breastfeed, tongue-tie is appearing on the forefront of breastfeeding medical research once again.
Most of us have a small stretchy band of tissue between the tongue and the floor of the mouth. This is called a frenulum. In some babies, this appears to be tighter than it should be and is restrictive. In some babies, it does not appear to be causing any problem. Some are easy to see, and some are more hidden.
As an IBCLC, I have become aware of the impact of tongue tie on breastfeeding (as well as other functions) and have seen many cases, where the pain for mom, the low or no milk transfer by baby can cause much misery. Latching becomes quite difficult and baby and mom become more frustrated and often give up.
Having studied exhaustive research on this topic, I feel comfortable examining and observing the characteristics of your baby’s use of tongue in breastfeeding (along with the symptoms) as I have in thousands of babies. Although I do not “diagnose” within my scope of practice, I can suggest excellent specialists who can both diagnose and treat. The procedure is extremely simple and quick and can make a world of difference.
Observing a tongue tie is part of an entire consultation that includes assessing your baby’s weight gain, intake, breastfeeding, etc. I do not feel that simply “checking your baby’s tongue for tongue tie” is serving you well or professionally. Although tongue is very common, it is also only a “part of the big picture”
One of the top experts and authors on this topic and who I learned most of what I know now from, is Cathy Watson Genna, BS, IBCLC, RLC and her information can be found here: