6850 Austin Center Blvd. Blg. 2, Ste 225
Austin, TX 78731
About Tongue Tie
Comprehensive Overview of Tongue and Lip Ties
We believe education is key to making fully informed decisions about the care of your growing family. The IBCLC’s at Milk Diva are ready to equip and navigate families through all the stages of infant feeding and oral habilitation.
Learn about Procedure
Releasing the boat from the dock alone, cannot make it sail.
-Autumn R. Henning SLP, COM, IBCLC
Breastfeeding Symptoms
Tongue-ties or oral restrictions cannot be diagnosed just based on pictures or symptoms alone. A full functional and structural evaluation is required.
Mother’s Symptoms
- Painful nursing
- Creased or flattened nipples
- Blistered or cut nipples
- Incomplete breast drainage
- Plugged ducts or mastitis
- Inability to nurse without using a nipple shield
- Decreased milk supply
Baby’s Symptoms
- Poor latch
- Poor weight gain
- Reflux or frequent spitting up
- Frequent gassiness and fussiness
- Clicking or smacking noises when eating
- Dribbling milk out of mouth
- Frustration when eating
- Inability to hold a pacifier
- Prolonged nursing or bottle-feeding sessions
- Mouth breathing
Pieces of the TOTs Puzzle
Who knew so many of these symptoms could be related to oral restrictions?
Suck Blister
This not always normal.
Poor Seal
Leaking while drinking from bottle is not optimal for feeding and cause infant to suck air.
Unable to Hold Pacifier
Tongue cupping and lift is required to hold a pacifier in.
Mouth Breathing
Open mouth breathing can lead to many significant health issues.
Reflux
Small amounts of daily spit up, with no signs of pain or distress can be normal.
Colic
This can be caused by many reasons but sucking in air can be a cause.
Favoring One Side
Favoring a side is not normal. Babies are too young to have ‘favorites.’
Banana Shape Body
Body Asymmetry
Tongue Tie
Look at the lip tightness, blanching and thick lingual restriction (tie).
Lip Tie
These are not teeth! This white area is called blanching and means the lip frenum is so tight, it stops blood from circulating to the gums when lip is flanged.
Tongue Resting
The tongue should be able to freely lift and rest on the roof of the mouth when sleeping.
Parental & Provider Educational Videos
Tongue & Lip Ties Unraveling the Confusing & Conflicting Information
Parental Videos
Provider Videos
Tongue-Ties & Babies Presentation for Parents is presented by Dr. Richard Baxter, DMD, MS, of Alabama Tongue-Tie Center, is one of our country’s nationally recognized speakers on tongue-ties, instructor of the course Tongue-Tied Academy, and author of the best-selling book Tongue-Tied: How a Tiny String Under the Tongue Impacts Nursing, Speech, Feeding, and More.
Collaborative Care
For Optimal Outcomes
One of the biggest misunderstandings about frenectomies is that the actual procedure is all that is needed to “fix” a baby with tongue tie
The Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) at Milk Diva believe in an integrative, and collaborative approach to achieve long-term, optimal oral function.
The goal when treating ties is to restore optimal oral function; however, in many cases, in addition to the frenectomy, the parents and the child will need the help of multiple specialists to prepare for the procedure and work with the baby afterward in order to fully achieve their goal.
Finding the right help is important. Asking the right questions is key.
There are many types of providers that fall under each broad category, but the MOST important quality to look for, no matter which type of provider, is they are specifically trained in the problems and solutions related to ties and oral dysfunction – this means they have taken EXTRA education in these areas.
Do not assume these types of providers automatically know about ties and oral dysfunction. ASK if they have had specialized training before booking an appointment. A good place to start is with a specially trained International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Speech Therapist/ Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) or Occupational Therapist (OT). Any one of these professionals can identify ties and help find the best bodyworkers and release providers for your baby.
Milk Diva’s Tongue-Tie Quick Reference
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