Hello all,
I spoke with a mom (and have permission to post) whose baby is under a week
old, and the baby has a tight labial frenulum.  It is not like just a thin
connective piece, but is thicker close to the gum and then thinner where it
attaches at the lip.  It is also not all the way at the edge of the lip.
Baby is gaining well and mom has plenty of milk.

However, nursing is painful, and the mom can tell it is at the top lip.  She
is also experiencing some repeated hard lumps in the area where baby's nose
is pointing.  (Would this be because baby is not nursing as effectively
there?)  The baby also cannot keep his lip flipped out.  When mom flips it
out manually, it tucks right back in.  The pediatrician said that with that
type, they would not clip it, because it would bleed too much, and that mom
should use a nipple shield and that it will stretch out within a couple of
weeks.  By "type", I am not sure if the pediatrician meant that because it
was the labial as opposed to the lingual frenulum which they would readily
clip, or if she meant because it was thick where it attaches to the gum.

I have not heard this before, and wanted to get more information.  The baby
does not like the nipple shield, and so mom is only using it about every
other time, and dealing with the pain when not using it.

My initial reaction was to think that, because this is causing symptoms
(painful nursing, lumps in breast where the baby is not latching on as
effectively at the upper lip) and because baby is not taking to the shield
well, that it would be good reason to clip it.  I just hadn't heard the idea
of using a shield to stretch it out, and wanted to ask here.  Thanks so much
for any information or insight.

Thanks!
Sonya Shaver

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