Wednesday, October 14, 2015

How Tongue Tie Can Impact Breast Feeding



 
Tongue-tie can negatively impact the amazing experience of breastfeeding. In order for your baby to latch on correctly their tongue needs to be in a position where the tongue is against the back of the mouth at the roof. If the thick piece of skin that attaches their tongue to the lower part of their mouth is too thick, it will create a barrier for their tongue to move efficiently in the mouth.  As they attempt to latch on, the tongue-tie may cause them to latch on to the side of the breast instead of the nipple.

If your baby is able to latch on to the nipple, it may still be an issue. When the latch is not quite right it can be painful for you and eventually cause your baby to overcompensate and suck harder. “This takes effort on your infant’s part. Once he is unable to keep up the strength it takes to hold onto the nipple that hard, he may let go,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. “If he lets go too soon, there may be more milk remaining in the breast, causing an increase of pain and soreness for the mother. Your baby will have also not received enough nutrition and then may quickly become hungry again.

Depending on the thickness of the frenum, some babies are not able to latch to the breast at all. While breastfeeding under normal circumstances can cause stress, this situation can create unnecessary strain on you during breastfeeding. Don’t give up. Instead get help.

Contact Dr. Strutz & her team today and have your child evaluated for a lip or tongue tie..

No comments:

Post a Comment