How to Breastfeed Your Tongue-Tied Baby
Breastfeeding a baby with tongue-tie can be excruciatingly challenging! My third baby ended up having a pretty bad tongue-tie to where he was unable to stick his tongue out.
As a result, I had a really hard time breastfeeding, which was unexpected as I was able to exclusively breastfeed my second son without any problems.
I wasn’t worried as I assumed breastfeeding would be easier the third time around! At first, things went very well and I thought everything was ok.
At the hospital, I was warned that I might have trouble breastfeeding because my baby was tongue-tied.
I thought everything was fine until my nipples became really sore, bruised, and even bleeding at times! I was horrified when I looked down after a feeding session, to find my baby’s mouth covered in blood! When I realized it was from me, I just had to do something about it!
Here is what I did to make my breastfeeding journey successful with a tongue-tied baby:
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What is Tongue-Tie?
I wish I could say that tongue-tied babies are fine and it’s just one of those nuisances that come naturally in some babies. Unfortunately, this is not the case as it can lead to many issues, especially if you are trying to breastfeed.
A tongue-tie is extra tissue that connects from the bottom of their mouth to underneath their tongue. There are various levels of tongue-tie (minor to severe), depending on the amount of connected tissue. This prevents babies from sticking their tongue out all the way which is what they need to do to make breastfeeding easy and pain-free!
Their tongue needs to cover their gums when they suck, otherwise, you get hard gums on your breast instead of a soft tongue, and let me tell you from experience….this really really hurts!
It can also cause bruising, bleeding, and/or blisters which are not fun at all! Here are some tips that really saved me when it came to breastfeeding my tongue-tied baby:
Ensure You Have a Good Latch
Now, this was a challenge as it can be hard for a baby to latch with a tongue-tie. The reason…..well, their tongue (in many cases) can’t extend past their gums which is needed to make a good latch and prevent painful nipples.
My baby had a poor latch, and I didn’t even realize it until my pediatrician pointed it out when I was feeding my baby. She warned me that the baby was only latched onto my nipple and needs more areola in his mouth to prevent pain.
With a tongue-tied baby, they could have a perfect latch at the beginning and then slip without you realizing it. The next thing you know, your nipples are super sore, and you are close to giving up on the whole thing.
If your baby isn’t latched on correctly, start the process again.
Here you can find out more about how you can get a good latch.
Heal Your Injured Nipples
Bruising and bleeding can happen when you breastfeed a baby with a tongue-tie. This makes it very difficult and painful every time you breastfeed, and it sucks!! I honestly got to the point where I dreaded breastfeeding. My husband even had to ask why I was pulling a weird face every time I fed him! Yea, not fun!!
I bought some hydrogel breast pads and they were amazing! Be sure to put them in the fridge so they are extra cold for longer-lasting comfort. The pain and bruising went away quickly and these really helped me continue with my breastfeeding journey.
These pads are a little pricey, but you won’t need to use them all the time. Just when you’re in discomfort. They say to replace them every 24 hours, but I was able to use mine for 3 days and worked just as well.
Don’t be put off by the stickiness (I get it! My nipples are already in pain, why on earth would I want to put something sticky on there? Ouch!!). The stickiness isn’t bad at all as it’s kinda like a post-it note which easily peels off without any pain.
You can also use a warm wet cloth after every feed if that helps with your pain. Cooling is the best healing method for bruised nipples! My lactation consultant also recommended the use of nipple guards. This puts a silicone barrier between your nipple and the baby’s mouth to quicken the healing process.
Personally, I didn’t use this as the hydrogels made a huge difference, but it’s worth a try if the other methods don’t work for you!
Talk to Your Pediatrician or Lactation Consultant
I must admit, at first, I tried to avoid this because I thought I should be a pro at this by now so I didn’t need any help. I suffered in silence until I couldn’t take it anymore!
Finally, I reached out to both my lactation consultant and my baby’s pediatrician to explain the issues I was having. They both advised me to have his tongue “snipped”. They both said that it may or may not work but it’s worth a try.
I was super hesitant at first as I didn’t want to put my baby through any more unnecessary pain, and I was sure I could get through it.
Things didn’t improve so I called a specialist that my pediatrician referred me to, and it was the best thing I’d ever done! The actual procedure took 2 seconds, and he was able to nurse right away! It was an instant relief! I couldn’t believe the difference it made.
My only regret here…should have done it sooner!! Don’t be afraid to reach out for help no matter how many babies you’ve had!! They will be able to offer some great pieces of advice.
Why “SNIP” Your Baby’s Tongue??
This made a huge difference in terms of breastfeeding, but I had no idea that a tongue-tie could lead to speech issues in the future.
The procedure as a baby is easy and doesn’t require any numbing or medication. If you wait until they’re older to have it done, the procedure becomes a lot more complicated.
When my baby had it done, he whimpered a little, and then he was fine. He wasn’t fussy and it healed right away! My nipples healed up quickly and I was able to continue breastfeeding which was amazing! The best decision I made was snipping my baby’s tongue!!
There can be many different challenges to breastfeeding and may leave you feeling deflated from time to time. Don’t suffer in silence mama! You got this!!
