"Clicking" while nursing -- tongue tie maybe?

[sewingmama]

I successfully breastfed my first two babies, but I'm wondering if this is normal and not a big deal, or if it's a problem I need to address. My baby is 2.5 months old, and for the past several weeks, I've been noticing a "clicking" sound when he's nursing a lot of the time, particularly on one side, but it happens on both sides. It's not the normal click of swallowing; I know what that sounds like. It's a clicking that means he's breaking suction, and he will sometimes start making more of a "chewing" motion than a suckling one.

Is it possible he is tongue-tied? I have read that that is one reason for breaking suction. He started out nursing beautifully; he was 9.5 pounds at birth and was back to his birthweight by 6 days old, and for the first several weeks, he was gaining very quickly. However, I'm a little concerned; it seems that his gain has slowed down from about 7 weeks on. He still looks great and is chubby, and of course, growth does slow down, but I want to catch a problem asap. The clicking concerns me; my other babies didn't do that. It's not just at letdown, but frequent throughout the nursing. I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with an LC to see if she has any suggestions, but does this sound like it could be TT? He can stick his tongue out, and when he's nursing, I can tell that it's out, but maybe it's not out far enough or something?

[inhomecare]

I wouldn't worry if he is still gaining some, has the right amount of wet/dirty diapers and you don't have any nipple pain. Sometimes babies just click. But seeing an LC wouldn't hurt anything.

[kalirush]

I've been looking into a possibility of tongue-tie with my son as well. You might check this out:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns...tonguetie.html

It has lots of links to useful information. Also, especially check these:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...full/110/5/e63
http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...l/110/5/e63/T1

They have information about a diagnostic tool for tongue tie. It is helping alot in my making a decision about whether to clip my son.

That said, though, I agree with the pp- if you're seeing a good number of wet/dirty dipes and aren't in pain, then it's like not to be a problem.

[chase_mommy]

I totally agree with the PP's. I just wants to add that my DD did a very distinct clicking while nursing when she was younger. She stopped doing it around 4 or 5 months. Could never find out what was causing it or why she did it. Some babies just click for the sake of clicking, atleast mine did.

[nataliekat]

I've known babies to click when the flow is fast and they're trying to keep up. My LO did it sometimes and it wasn't a problem. Are you in pain? The absence of pain might indicate it's not TT.

BUT, you're right to keep on top of it. If for some reason he's not draining your breasts effectively, you want to protect your supply.

[sewingmama]

Originally Posted by nataliekat

I've known babies to click when the flow is fast and they're trying to keep up. My LO did it sometimes and it wasn't a problem. Are you in pain? The absence of pain might indicate it's not TT.

No, not generally painful -- occasionally, if he slips down the nipple, but not normally. It could just be the fast flow; one of my babies would pull off and let it spray, and the other would try to keep up but end up choking, while this one actually does seem to be able to keep up with it, but maybe that's the reason for the clicking. It does happen more when the breast is fuller/flow is faster, but it seems somewhat random too.

Kalirush, thanks for the links -- will check them out! So far his diapers have been appropriately wet and poopy, and he's happy and satisfied by nursing, and he's meeting milestones, so it could just be that he's growing a little slower than my other two and is fine.

BUT, you're right to keep on top of it. If for some reason he's not draining your breasts effectively, you want to protect your supply.

That's what I thought too, especially since IIRC, 3 months is about when milk production switches to be based mostly on demand rather than hormones. I'm not ending up consistently engorged, but I do think it's worth having someone check everything out to be sure.

Thanks mamas!

[CHoney]

My DS started making clicking noises on one side when he was 2 1/2 months old. It was on the side where my breast is a bit smaller. I noticed that he didn't do it if that breast was really full and round. I think he was having trouble getting a good latch when it wasn't super full. So I had to cup that breast with a c-shaped hand to make it fatter (I have small breasts), and that helped a bit. A few weeks later he stopped making clicking sounds and hasn't done it since!

[jecombs]

My DD started making a clicking noise when she was 6 or 8 weeks old. I went to see an LC and that's when we figured out I had over-supply and over-active letdown. The LC felt that the clicking was DD's way of trying to deal with my super-fast flow.

[Emily's Mama]

Originally Posted by chase_mommy

I totally agree with the PP's. I just wants to add that my DD did a very distinct clicking while nursing when she was younger. She stopped doing it around 4 or 5 months. Could never find out what was causing it or why she did it. Some babies just click for the sake of clicking, atleast mine did.

DD also clicked from about 4 weeks old til about 3 months old. One day I just didn't notice it anymore. Like someone else said, maybe it's due to coping with a fast flow, as mine was at first. My supply and flow did drop down after that, so maybe that's why the clicking stopped. She also started off about 9.5 lbs and then her weight did drop a bit, but otherwise she is all normal and healthy, etc, so I haven't worried at all.

[sewingmama]

Thanks -- those posts do make me feel better. I think my biggest concern is that he's been gaining slowly for the past several weeks, and while it's not a supply issue, I want to make sure it's not a milk transfer issue. But it does sound like the clicking could be normal for the fast flow. I still think I'll be reassured by seeing a professional, just in case. My mama instincts are saying that it's better to know than not.

[Tizzy]

My DS2 clicked for several months, I think he finally outgrew it around 5 months of age. It was incredibly annoying, I tried everything I could to not stress about it while still attempting to correct his latch. He'd end up swalling a lot of air, and being an already naturally gassy baby, he'd end up gassier and getting burps out was paramount. Otherwise he'd be fussy, couldn't sleep very long and such.

He has a bubble palate which I think made the biggest contribution to the clicking. Does your child have a very steep palate? He also has a shallow gag reflex and doesn't take a bottle or pacifier due to that.

He's very well grown and healthy, always has been, it's just more an annoyance than anything. He also still has a pretty bad latch, it's not painful for me, but not "picture perfect". But I'm at the point where I figure if he's still gaining (which he is) and is nursing fine, I won't fix what's not broken. Hope that helps!