Sometimes babies with very short lower jaws hold the tongue this way (humped), because as the mandible shortens, the frenulum winds up inserting closer and closer to the alveolar (gum) ridge. If the tongue tip is freer, the baby often holds the tongue tip elevated against the palate; but if the tongue tip is tied down, the baby usually raises the back of the tongue when they attempt to extend the tongue. A nipple shield can help prevent the baby from pushing mom's nipple out of his mouth. I recommend looking underneathe this little guy's tongue and referring appropriately if you find a tongue-tie. -- Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC New York City mailto:[log in to unmask] *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html