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Expert Q&A
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| By Ann Calandro BSN, RNC, IBCLC Lactation Consultant | ||
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When my baby was born I tried to breastfeed him. It hurt so much that I wanted to cry when it was time to feed him. We found out when he was four days old that he was tongue-tied. The doctors said this would not cause my breasts to hurt like they did. I stopped breastfeeding him after about two weeks. Could my baby being tongue-tied make it hurt that bad?
Yes. When a baby is tongue-tied, sometimes he cannot lift his tongue enough to correctly latch on to the breast. When the latch is not correct, severe pain can result. Not every baby that is tongue-tied causes pain during nursing or has problems. Sometimes it depends on the degree of tongue-tie and the size and shape of the mother's breast. Many tongue ties do cause pain. As a lactation consultant, I help mothers to carefully monitor their tongue-tied babies. If the mother experiences severe pain, or if the baby is not able to nurse well enough to gain weight, I refer the mother to a pediatric dentist so that the lingual frenulum can be clipped. If the lingual frenulum is thin and white, and reaches the tip of the tongue, it is a simple procedure. In every case, the mother reports immediate relief from pain.
Tongue-tie tends to run in families. If you decide to have another baby someday, be sure to have his tongue evaluated right away. Seek the assistance of a lactation consultant if problems arise again. Sometimes trying a different position with a tongue-tied baby can also help.
Ann Calandro, RNC, IBCLC
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