Annie wrote an exciting story with a good outcome.

I had a similar case last week that did not have a good outcome.

I was called at day 4 for a baby who was very fussy and a mother with very
sore nipples.   When baby cried I saw the heart-shaped tongue and told Mom
about the frenulum and its effect on breastfeeding.

She understood and was eager to have it clipped but apologetically said
that her husband would probably not accept it unless the Ped said that it
needed to be done.  The Ped appt was the next day so I urged Mom to pump
and feed baby with a dropper after feeding at the breast.  We did find that
a deep asymmetrical latch hurt little enough that she could do it but there
was not adequate milk transfer.

Ped looked at the tongue and said that it did not look like a problem.

So, guess what.  Dad said "No way." and mom is limping along with a
dwindling milk supply and the assurance from the Ped that all will be well
with formula.

I sent the Ped a copy of the Pediatrics article in hopes that she will read
it and change her resistance--not for this patient, of course, but for the
next one. This mother feels helpless to fulfill her dream of a
breastfeeding experience.

I have had other parents who just went to an ENT who has clipped many
frenula for my clients when they couldn't get a doctor to take it
seriously. One of them  whose husband would not accept it because the Ped
said it was not needed, just made an appt one day and had it done, never
telling anyone but me some months later.

It is too bad that a Pediatrics article that informs about the interference
of a tight frenulum with breastfeeding is ignored while other articles that
disparage breastfeeding are echoed throughout the land before the ink is
even dry.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin



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