Clip tongue tie even if the baby is nursing fine?

[quelindo]

My infant appears to have a slight tongue tie, but nursing seems to be going okay. It was painful at first but now it's mainly fine. He was back to his birth weight at one week.

However, I'm worried that maybe somehow it *is* affecting nursing and I just don't realize it, or that the tongue tie will cause a problem down the line. OTOH, I've *heard* that it could resolve itself and he could grow out of it.

Should we at least have a consult with an ENT? The tie was first "diagnosed" by me and then confirmed by his doctor, who said it was "slight."

[Youngfrankenstein]

I am no expert but my gut says to let it be.  If he is gaining and having enough wet AND soiled diapers, and you aren't in any pain, it seems like it would be fine.

[tanyalynn]

Some people have supply issues later, even several months later (when it's harder to clip), due to tongue ties, and it can cause other digestion issues as well, plus in my son (and I think in others) it can cause subtle dental issues.  Plus I think it's related to my son's articulation problems--which we've fixed other ways, but I think clipping early on would've negated the need to find workarounds for all the subtle stuff that it's causing.  I'd clip. 

[raqi]

We saw a lactation consultant about DD's tongue tie, which was more than "slight," and after meeting with, her we decided to do it.  She was nursing well, but I was in so much pain!  The possibility of future dental or speech problems was a major factor.   There's an older ped in our doctor's office that did the procedure (young ones don't know how anymore!), so we didn't have to go to a specialist.  It took a couple of days for her to re-learn how to nurse with her new tongue (which, admittedly, was hard to watch her go through!), but everything turned out fine and she just loves sticking that tongue out now!

[livelovelaugh]

DD1 had tongue-tie and the docs were pretty casual about it, didn't really recommend doing anything about it, but we decided to do it in the end because of the potential rsk for speech issues.  We were told it would probably resolve itself, but I just couldn't believe that when I looked at her little tongue when it was extended.  We did it at 3 weeks, I nursed her the second after, and it was fine.  Glad now that we did it! 

[Abraisme]

Speaking from experience..  All of my siblings, my mother, my nephew, both of my children and myself were tongue tied.  Two of my sisters and I had our tongues clipped at birth, which worked out fine.  Then when my youngest siblings were born the thought was that it would "fix itself later"..  It did NOT fix itself and both of my youngest siblings had to have it done when they were 4 and 7.  It was causing their teeth to be crooked and one had a speech issue.  Also, my mother had to have hers done when she was 13 and she said she had to learn to talk all over again!

I choose to have both of my kids done as infants.  My DS was eating just fine, but had torn off my nipples, which made the first 6 weeks HARD!  My DD I did at 3 days old because I wanted to avoid the pain I experienced with the first.

I say, DO IT NOW. 

Good luck.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by tanyalynn 

Some people have supply issues later, even several months later (when it's harder to clip), due to tongue ties, and it can cause other digestion issues as well, plus in my son (and I think in others) it can cause subtle dental issues.  Plus I think it's related to my son's articulation problems--which we've fixed other ways, but I think clipping early on would've negated the need to find workarounds for all the subtle stuff that it's causing.  I'd clip. 

I've seen it mess with supply much later - at 9 months even.  I'd clip too.

[mamakims]

My oldest (now 14) was tongue tied when she was born and she was me easiest to nurse! We had zero problems at all for feeding but it became a problem later on when she was starting to talk, it would make pronounciating words difficult. So when she was around 2.5 years, we had it clipped. And when that healed, she began pronouncing her words much better.

I'm a big believer in not doing anything unless there's reason to. If nursing is going fine, why get it done now? I'd worry that the pain from healing would interfere with breastfeeding.

[LISSA~K]

My youngest two (3.5 and 10 months) have it and have had no problems at all.

[oaktreemama]

 I'd worry that the pain from healing would interfere with breastfeeding.

Not an issue with us at all-they used a quick acting local that was simply painted on and my son cried for a few minutes and then nursed happily. Secondly, it is very delicate when the babe is young and gets tougher and becomes more difficult to clip later. I would do it now.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by oaktreemama 

 I'd worry that the pain from healing would interfere with breastfeeding.

Not an issue with us at all-they used a quick acting local that was simply painted on and my son cried for a few minutes and then nursed happily. Secondly, it is very delicate when the babe is young and gets tougher and becomes more difficult to clip later. I would do it now.

This is what I have seen too - baby is more upset with swaddling and a finger in the mouth than the clipping.  I have never heard of a nursing strike or reluctance nursing from a simple (typical, anterior) tongue-tie clipping.
 

[Abraisme]

Originally Posted by mamakims 

I'd worry that the pain from healing would interfere with breastfeeding.

This was not the case for me.  Both of my children, my siblings and my nephew nursed just fine after having their tongues clipped.  I've never heard of it interfering with breastfeeding at all.

[2xy]

DD1 was tongue-tied. I knew next to nothing about it and took the pedi's advice to just leave it alone as long as he was nursing fine, which he was.

However, when he got older the frenulum would occasionally get stuck between his bottom teeth and become injured. He wound up with ENT surgery when he was 13 for other issues, and we decided to just snip it while he was under anesthesia. He's happier.

[faeriecurls]

DD has a very slight TT as well, we had some latch issues early on and I was in a ton of pain, but we are past that now and have decided not to clip it unless it impacts something (nursing, speech etc) later on. I question the decision sometimes based on the "what ifs" but overall I am much happier not intervening medically.

[Peony]

I'd do it now. It is a very minor, easy procedure for a young baby, the older the child gets, the more blood flow to the area and then it is not an easy office visit. There are correlations between tie tongues and dental/speech problems later, maybe he would be fine and it would never bother him, but if it were my child I would clip now.