Tongue tie just diagnosed...

Hi Kirsty
My boy has a tongue tie which sound similiar to your wee kaitlyn. It never caused any problems with feeding (bfing or solids) and his speech is fine.
Really the only time you'd need to get it cut is if it was cuasing bfing problems as if it doesn't cause a problem at that point it is very unlikely to cause a problem later.
My boy can't poke his tongue out well but other than that there are no problem. They actually usually get better as the child gets older anyways.

As above, unless it is interfering with early feeding and latching it is fairly unlikely to cause issues down the line. Tongue ties don't tend to affect speech as much as people think they might - and only then if it was a very severe one - which your daughter's perhaps isn't if she has got this far without any issues.But I can understand if you are concerned so perhaps a referral for peace of mind and a chance to discuss it further would be a good option.

Hi, my DS was tongue tied and we had it cut at 6 days old.  I had b'feeding problems in the first few days with bleeding nipples etc and luckily one of the nurses at Birthcare picked it up when he was crying.

 

My local Dr happens to specialise in tongue tie procedures and snipped it while we waited.  She assured us it causes no pain as although its fleshy looking, its similar to cutting nails, no nerves etc.  My DS didn't even cry.   The procedure (plus some b'feeding advise as she's also a lactation consultant) was about $150 max.

 

We choose to go through with it as I was too scared to put him back on the breast due to the incredible pain.  

Hi, my DD just had it done about 1 month ago, so she was around 9 months. We didn't really have an idea, it wasn't until my SIL pointed it out when she was about 3 months old (as her daughter had had one too).

I went through a lot of pain breastfeeding at the start - now I know why - kept reading on the internet that the pain may be due to tongue tie, but drs,plunket or midwife had never said she had one so just thought I was doing something wrong!

We left it for a while deciding whether we would do anything about it. So about 8 months we went to the doctor who refererred us to a paediatrician. He told us we could either do it 'now' or wait until she was about 1 - but he didn't see it rectifying itself - and same comment re the icecream. My husband LOVES icecream and couldn't bear the fact that she couldn't lick an icecream with him lol!

Anyway... we got it done privately thanks to insurance - about $1800 or so all up though. Yeah it was done under general anaesthetic, something I freaked out about, but it was fine, she just drifted off.

All in all I am glad we got it done, it only took about 20 minutes all up and after she woke up - she had a feed (she was starving due to fasting) and was flirting with the nurses and didn't seem to have any effect on her.
If you have any questions just PM me. I know I had a million questions before we did it!

both my kids were FF from real early on cos my milk never came in and when DS2 was readmitted into hosp they realised he had a tongue tie and DS1 more than likely did as well. It was cut quite early but i have never bothered with my oldest. it caused feeding issues but no others so i dont see much point. when they did DS2 they just held his tongue and snipped it with scissors, no anesthetic or anything but i dont know the deal with older kids im afraid.

DH still has a wiked tongue tie. his tongue still looks forked when he sticks it out and he has no problem with speech or anything,

Thanks guys - interesting to hear that it doesn't usually make a difference if it hasn't affected their feeding. I've had a look online and it looks like there's a whole list of other potential issues like cavities & gum problems since they can't spread the saliva around their teeth properly, does anyone know how likely this is?

I guess my thinking too is that if (even if it is a slim if) there is a chance of her speech being affected, then that affect would actually be starting now while she's in the babbling stage even if we can't tell until much further down the track when she's really talking. Does that make any sense?

Woah... $1800 yikes! Makes me wish we had medical insurance I guess as soon as they have to involve an anaesthestist (sp!) the dollars skyrocket.

Was just given the number to contact a local GP who snips tongue ties, but they told me (not surprisingly) they only do it for babies under 6wks old. Am seeing my doctor this morning to find out more, and I guess to get referred into the system?

Please do keep the stories coming, they are interesting to hear :)

I think if she is feeding fine then I would probably leave it be for now, and then when she starts babbling more and talking etc, see about then, as you may not need to do anything about it.

Like Cadens, it looks bad, but other than a wee lisp he is fine and we wont snip it unless he has more problems as he gets older. Its a lot of money if its not really really necessary.

There are 4 levels of tongue tie apparently and they can snip levels 1 & 2. Levels 3 & 4 aren't as easy to deal with and can need plastic (?) surgery. I was told DS had level 4 tongue tie at 3 weeks and that there wasn't much we could do until he was 2yrs and they would operate if they thought it was affecting speech. But DH (who had just completed Issues in Health Law at summer school) said we needed a second opinion. We went and saw a private maxilofacial guy and 2 minutes after we walked in he snipped it and 1 min after that, DS was feeding and all was great. Cost $132. Have recommended him to quite a few others as was amazing. He is "the ducks nuts" of tongue ties according to the person I got his name from. Would have to agree.

A woman at work said she had a tongue tie that her parents hadn't snipped. She vividly remembers being so upset about her lisp that she snipped it herself at age 3 . She said she hated sounding different to everyone else.

I had tongue tie as a kid, it was diagnosed until I was about 4yrs old and that was only because mum was friends with a speech therapist through parents centre or something.

I had no feeding issues so I have been told and fed until 11mths which only stopped because mum had to go into hospital with my older brother for a few days.

I did have to have speech therapy because I couldn't pronounce things properly and because bro was only 2yrs younger he started mimicking me and he had to have speech therapy. I did have an op and vividly remember going to the hospital and going under the anaesthetic then coming out and mum reading to me. Was only a day stay and nothing traumatic don't remember the recovery.

im sure ive got tongue tie. im 21 and cant poke my tongue out further than my lips lol. only way it looks like i can is if i push my bottom jaw foward and pull my top lip back lol.

just normally poking my tongue out, i can get it out less than 1cm.


i have never had a speech problem. mum couldnt BF me, so was formula fed, but solids were fine and speech and development were fine.


only thing is if i try to poke my tongue out any further it hurts the bit that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth iygwim? (im assuming the bit the snip?)




is she is BFing fine i probably wouldnt worry about it unless something was wrong (delayed development, problems with solids etc)


oh and i have no lisp or anything.