I try to explain to mothers, that a tongue-tie cannot be judged only by appearance.  The important thing is how well the baby can use it to breastfeed, and what it is doing to mother's nipple.  You can have a tongue-tie that looks really bad, and the baby can breastfeed just fine with no trauma to mother's nipple!

I also encourage them to be evaluated by the surgeons or dentists that I know understand tongue-tie, instead of going back and asking their pediatrician about it.  I tell them that if those physicians are overbooked, it is better to wait, than to get referred to someone else, because often-times, the doctor's that they refer them to aren't as well versed at identifying posterior tongue-ties.  

I can't tell you the number of mothers I've seen, whose babies have tongue-tie that is affecting function, who go back and ask their pediatrician's opinion.   The pediatrician then tells them it doesn't "look" that bad.  The mother and baby then suffer through another month of misery, and finally call me again to find out what to do, and go get it taken care of.  

Wishing that pediatricians were better informed on this!
Merry Christmas!
Kathleen L. Gale RN, IBCLC, RLC
Soon-to-be-hospital IBCLC, Chicago, IL

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