Nursing Drew was very painful!! I thought he just had a super
strong suck,
which he did-developed most likely to hold onto the
nipple. He would clamp
down with an incredible ferociousness! I was
constantly breaking the
suction and repositioning him. At night, I was saying
"ouch" all night
long, because I would doze off, he would slip a
little and clamp down hard!
If nursing had not been the only way I would
raise a child, I might have
weaned.
Clipping the upper frenulum is
something few docs will consider until
preschool, as a tight upper frenulum
can interfere with speach, but mostly
they do it for cosmetic reasons as it
causes a gap between the teeth. At
this baby's age, clipping may be
enough. Drew actually had a frenulectomy
(at 17 months), with sutures
and all, but his was so thick and tight that
liquids collected under it
causing holes in his upper front teeth along the
gum line. I was
shocked at suddenly finding nursing comfortable!
Good Luck!
Patty
Spanjer, IBCLC
Dalton, GA