Breastfeeding and Tongue-Ties: Everything You Should Know
Do you find breastfeeding uncomfortable or painful? If so, then your baby may have a tongue-tie. Tongue-tie, also known as tongue-tie ankyloglossia, is defined by an abnormally tight lingual frenulum, the muscle cord that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth.
Tongue ties make breastfeeding difficult because the baby must move their tongue forward, over their bottom lip, to grasp the breast and put pressure to obtain the milk. When that movement is limited, the baby's efforts to acquire milk frequently result in nipple irritation and discomfort.
While the actual occurrence of tongue-tie is undetermined, recent research estimates a 3% to 5% occurrence, with a range of 0.1 to 10% depending on the parameters employed to analyze the frenulum. Severe cases of tongue-tie have also been connected to concerns such as weight gain failure.
Why Are Tongue-ties an Issue During Breastfeeding?
A bad latch combined with difficulties sucking might hinder your baby from efficiently extracting enough breast milk from the breast. Whenever your newborn latches on to the breast, they need to stick out their tongue to suck on your nipple and parts of your adjacent areolae into their mouth.
Additionally, your baby also uses their tongue to establish a firmer grip around the latch.
Some infants with tongue ties may be unable to stretch their tongues or open their mouths wide enough to latch on and breastfeed properly. The baby's tongue stiffness may also prevent them from performing the motions required to press the milk ducts under the nipple to effectively breastfeed.
There are several indicators that an infant is having trouble breastfeeding, and these may be attributed to tongue-tie:
Discomfort and injury to the nipple resulting in sore nipples.
Nipple appears flattened just after breastfeeding.
Tension mark on the nipple after breastfeeding.
The baby has trouble gaining weight.
The baby falls asleep while nursing.
Problems with baby's latch.
The general pain and difficulty that come with breastfeeding a baby with a tongue-tie may cause you to stop breastfeeding your baby earlier than you would have wanted. Whatever happens, you should know that every mother's breastfeeding journey is unique, and you deserve to be proud of your achievement.
Why is it Important to Address Tongue Ties?
Tongue-tie can result in a range of problems for both you and your young one, varying from general irritation and increased mental anguish to painful clogged milk ducts and mastitis.
The potential complications of an untreated tongue-tie do not simply stop when your infant stops nursing at the breast. A child with a persistent tongue-tie may have speech difficulties and have a problem pronouncing certain words, particularly those requiring the tongue or tongue tip.
Aside from communication problems, tongue-tie can also cause complications with your child's overall long-term health. It’s linked to things like sleeping problems like sleep apnea, Sleep-Disordered Breathing, problems with eating or drinking, problems swallowing, and a myriad of problems that can stay with them through life.
The problem with not addressing tongue-ties early on is that you develop compensatory behaviors to compensate for the oral restriction. These can cause additional issues that begin to compound and become much more difficult to address or fix long-term.
Where to Get Help
If you suspect your baby has a tongue tie interfering with feeding, consult with a qualified, experienced, trained pediatric dentist as soon as possible. The earlier you have it evaluated, the sooner you can get the treatment you need to make breastfeeding more comfortable for you and your little one. Make sure you assess your breastfeeding practices and educate yourself on your alternatives. These may come in the form of nursing support.
If it's found that a tongue tie is contributing to your breastfeeding troubles, you'll be directed to a suitable medical practitioner who can make the diagnosis and, if required, remove the tongue tie. A tongue-tie may or may not create breastfeeding issues, but there are measures to help ease the condition if it does.
Breastfeeding should not be painful. Having an excellent lactation consultant (IBCLC) and trained support team to help guide you if you face difficulties is essential. If you are having a hard time breastfeeding, contact us today to schedule an evaluation. We are committed to supporting breastfeeding parents, babies, and humans through this journey to optimal health.