I read Nancy's post with great interest.

I just *don't know* if tongue tie causes *frequent* problems with 
breastfeeding, and I look at the literature and this doesn't 
enlighten me at all.

I definitely come across mothers who have consulted Dr Google and who 
are convinced this is what is causing their problems - and they are 
supported in this with people who have a vested interest, either 
financial or personal/professional in agreeing with them, and I often 
want to say 'whoah!  hold those horses!'

We have people in the UK shouting loudly about this, and wanting all 
babies to be routinely 'snipped' at birth if they show signs of TT 
(whether or not there is pain on bf).  There is NO evidence this 
would help at all.

I saw a mother recently (in London) whose baby was four weeks old and 
for whom breastfeeding had never been pain-free.  She had seen peer 
supporters, lactation consultants x 2, midwives, health visitors, 
cranial osteopath....almost every day since she brought her baby 
home, she'd seen someone about the pain on bf. The baby's mouth had 
been looked at for TT and she had been told all was well.  The 
tension and lack of confidence and stress in this mother was almost 
palpable. I sat with her for an hour and a half and with some gentle 
changes in positioning and attachment (basically, allowing the baby 
to get more breast in his mouth) she fed virtually pain-free, but I 
*knew* this would not be the end of the story because she just did 
not believe this change would last.  These gentle changes were a 
contrast to some of the complex and difficult suggestions  that had 
been made to her before, not to mention the schlepping around the 
city to groups, clinics, consulting rooms :( :(

I was not able to do any further follow up (I was back home - I don't 
live in London) and I next heard she had seen yet another LC who had 
diagnosed TT and who had snipped it. I have yet to hear if it made a 
difference... if it has, I will eat my words, obviously, but what I 
really think she needed was skilled and continued support to maintain 
the position and attachment changes and maybe some help with 
relaxation and some TLC.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK
-- 

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