Signs your baby might have a tongue tie
Tethered oral tissues (TOTs), also called tongue tie and lip tie, can significantly impact your baby’s ability to feed comfortably and feel good in their body. If your baby is struggling with feeding in their first few days or weeks of life, you may wonder if a tongue tie has something to do with it.
Hi, I’m Cecelia. I’m a pediatric feeding therapist, licensed speech-language pathologist, board certified lactation consultant, and certified perinatal mental health specialist. Put simply: I help parents feed their babies and feed good doing it.
While a lactation consultant (IBCLC) cannot diagnose a tongue tie, they’re often the first ones to spot it.
Your baby’s pediatrician may discount your concerns as normal newborn fussiness or colic, but a skilled infant feeding specialist will be able to assess the tongue’s function and make appropriate recommendations.
Tongue tie can’t be diagnosed just by looking at your baby’s tongue.
And lip tie can’t be diagnosed just by looking at their lips.
A thorough functional assessment of your baby’s oral motor skills, oral anatomy, health history and weight trends, feeding behaviors, and lactation issues all come together to paint a clinical picture that suggests tongue tie.
Signs your baby might have a tongue/lip tie include:
BABY
Biting or chomping at the breast rather than suckling
Popping on/off the breast during feeds
Shallow latch or can’t sustain the latch
Clicking sound during breast and/or bottle feeds
Slow weight gain
Reflux or gas
Arching or pushing away from the breast
Leaking milk during breast or bottle feeds
Colic, unexplained fussiness, & frequent discomfort
Mouth breathing or mouth open while sleeping
Tongue tip is heart-shaped
Unable to stay awake during feeds
Jaundice
Snoring or congested breathing
MOM
Nipple pain or tenderness
Nipple damage (cracked, blistered, misshapen, bleeding)
Milk supply dropping in spite of frequent feeding
Recurrent plugged ducts, mastitis, engorgement
Feeds seem to last forever and baby never seems satisfied
If you suspect your baby has a tongue/lip tie, an assessment with a skilled feeding specialist can give you strategies and a plan for next steps.
The assessment will include a thorough birth and medical history, hands-on assessment of your baby’s oral motor skills and whole-body tension, observation of a feeding, and evaluation of nipple damage and pain.
There are many ways you can help your baby to feed more comfortably and effectively, even before getting the tie released. Clipping the tie should never be the only intervention.
Oral motor/feeding therapy is recommended both before and after tongue tie release to support your baby to develop the strength, mobility, and stamina to feed well.
Worried your baby might have a tongue tie and unsure what to do? I can help! I offer in-home feeding therapy and lactation support for little ones age 0-5 in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area, including assessment and treatment for tethered oral tissues (TOTs). Explore my services and reach out to schedule an appointment!
