Do you suspect that your baby has a tongue-tie, however; you're not sure? A tongue-tie may be getting in the way of you having the best breastfeeding experience with your newborn. Here are five questions to ask yourself that can help you determine if you should schedule a consultation with Dr. Judy Strutz and her team. 

1. Does your baby struggle to latch? They may latch on for a short amount of time and then let go after just a few minutes. A tongue-tie can impact your baby from being able to be in the right position to nurse. 
2. Is your baby gaining the weight they should be? Babies who have a tongue tie may be struggling to latch and therefore are not getting the amount of milk they need to gain the weight that is so critical at this time. 
3. Does your baby seem to want to eat all the time? If this is occurring, it could mean that when they latch, they are not getting the right amount of milk, so then they feel hungry more often. 
4. Do you have extreme nipple pain? A latch that is not correct can begin to cause problems for you as well. While a little bit of pain is normal, excessive pain is not. 

For more information or to schedule a consultation about a tongue tie, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Don’t Leave the Hospital Without Confirmation That Your Baby is Okay

Do you think that there is something wrong when you are breastfeeding your baby? Is there pain and discomfort? Do they latch on incorrectly, seem to be getting too much air, or only for a short amount of time? Is the baby not getting enough milk? Or do things just not feel right? It can be such a difficult and confusing time. There is a whirlwind of emotion after you have had a baby, but if you think there might be something wrong, don’t leave without getting confirmation that your baby does not have a lip or tongue-tie, and if you don’t get the answers you are looking for or something still seems off, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team and schedule a consultation for your little one.

There is nothing wrong with making sure you are armed with the information you need about your baby and it is critical that you feel comfortable. Dr. Strutz and her team will answer your questions about tongue-tie, complete an exam, and schedule a laser lip or tongue-tie procedure to release the lip or tongue if it is needed. You can rest assured that you and your baby are in good hands with our team.

For more information about lip or tongue-tie, contact Dr. Strutz and her team today!

Is Your Baby Loosing Too Much Weight?

When your baby is in the hospital you may have noticed that he struggled to breastfeed but still slept most of the time and didn’t cry much.  It is normal for babies to lose some weight after being born and so you and the doctor may not have thought much about it. You may have gone home thinking, this is okay. This is doable. He’ll breastfeed as soon as my milk comes in. If time has gone on and he is still struggling to latch, there may be something else going on.  It can be overwhelming to be a new mom. Sleep deprivation, frustration, and diaper smells. You may have even thought, a time or two, when you were pregnant that when you had a baby you were going to be put together and do everything right.

But breastfeeding can be difficult and it can be even trickier when your baby does not latch on correctly, is losing weight, and you feel like a failure. Before you spiral down the new mommy fear of failure slide and give up on breastfeeding, contact Dr. Strutz and her team and have your baby evaluated for a lip and tongue tie. While the number of babies who are born with lip and tongue tie seems to be growing, it has more to do with mothers asking the right questions of the right people. A qualified lactation consultant, ENT, or dentist who is knowledgeable about ties and the relationship between them and nursing can easily answer the question, “Why isn’t my baby latching properly?” While more doctors and dentists are aware of lip and tongue tie, it often still goes undiagnosed, leaving new moms to go home and wonder what they are doing wrong.

For more information on lip and tongue tie go to: http://www.drjudystrutz.com/baby-laser-surgery/ or http://happybabylaser.com

Don’t Forget The Lip Tie Exercises

It is not enough to have a maxillary lip or tongue tie procedure without getting the important after care instructions. Without the proper stretching after your baby has had their procedure you run the risk that the lip or tongue tie will not heal properly causing you to continue to have problems with nursing. While the procedure usually improves nursing immediately, it does mean that there is still work to be done. Following the after-care instructions will also help with faster healing. Two raw surfaces in your baby’s mouth can cause the wound to reattach.

            Depending on the type of procedure your baby had done will depend on the type of stretches that are recommended. If your baby is impacted by a tongue tie, you will want to begin by doing one set of stretches the evening of the surgery. Then the next day you will want to do up to 6x a day and continue this for the first three weeks and then back off from there. These stretches can be painful for your little one and a little bit of bleeding is not uncommon.

            During the exercises for a tongue tie it is important to keep in mind that you will need to do three different stretches and you want to make sure that you keep the diamond in mind. By massaging on the sides of the diamond and unfolding the diamond so that it is almost flat you will minimize the risk of the tongue tie reattaching.

For questions on lip or tongue tie laser procedures, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

Does Your Baby Have A Maxillary Frenum?

You make think your baby is just a fussy baby. Family may have diagnosed them with colic, but it may be a thicker than normal frenum that is causing your baby to be unhappy. Take this short quiz and if you answer yes to 4 out of 5 questions, schedule an appointment with Dr. Strutz and her team.

1.     Does your baby struggle to latch on when feeding?

2.     Does your baby eat for only a few minutes and then cries in hunger only a short amount of time later?

3.     Is your baby excessively gassy?

4.     Are your nipples painfully sore?

5.     Does it feel like your baby is not able to latch on correctly?

A maxillary frenum can be difficult for you and your baby if they go undiagnosed. Do not spend one more day fighting your breastfeeding experience. Before you become frustrated and your baby misses out on the nutrition they need, contact Dr.Strutz and her team for more information on a maxillary frenum. 

Why Tongue And Lip Tie Often Go Unnoticed

It is unfortunate but research and new moms tell us that despite the information available on lip and tongue tie they sometimes go months without help. When they are struggling to breastfeed there may be other things that are suggested before someone determines it is not the mom or the baby that is causing this problem. That the baby may not able to breastfeed properly because they are impacted with a lip or tongue tie.

Being a new mom has its fair share of problems. When you are first breastfeeding it can be difficult to relax and allow your baby to latch on properly. Sometimes, breastfeeding takes time and work in order for both baby and mom to be comfortable. This adjustment period can be difficult and often times, when your struggling to breastfeed during these first few days, other problems are looked at first.

Lip and tongue tie, cause a problem for your baby to be able to latch on to the nipple properly. They may latch on to the side, or they may eat for a short period and then become full due to an intake in air, only to be hungry a few minutes later. When your baby is not latching on to your breast correctly, it can then lead to sore or bleeding nipples inhibiting the breastfeeding process further.

If you are breastfeeding and it is not going as planned, Dr.Strutzhttp://www.drjudystrutz.com/meet-dr-strutz/ recommends having your baby evaluated for a lip or tongue tie in order to see if there is something more going on. For more information about lip and tongue tie laser procedures contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

Signs And Symptoms Of Lip Tie In Children

Your baby may be a few weeks or a few years old. They may have struggled to breast feed and now that they are older, sticking their tongue out and saying certain sounds may be difficult for them. “There are multiple signs and symptoms of a lip tie in Children and knowing these signs,” says Dr. Strutz, “can help you get treatment instead of waiting and wondering why your child is struggling.”

Lip tie, can make it difficult for your baby to latch on properly when breastfeeding, which can lead to your baby being fussy and inconsolable. Without your baby being able to get the proper nutrition they need, their belly cannot fill up, which then can impact how content they are. A fussy baby can make it difficult for them, and for you, to sleep.

Excessive gas in your infant may be a sign of lip tie. When your baby is latching onto the nipple, it is important that they have a proper latch in order to not suck in too much air when they are trying to eat. Babies who have lip tie, are unable to latch on properly which then creates an inadequate suction. This suction then causes them to take in excessive air, which creates gas.

If you are noticing an improper latch, or your baby seems unusually fussy, contact, Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today for more information.

5 Signs Your Child May Have A Tongue Tie

Your brand new baby may be struggling to nurse and is only sleeping minimal amounts. They may latch on during breastfeeding sessions only to let go within a few short seconds. If your frustration is mounting and you think it is something you are doing wrong, stop! Take this short quiz to evaluate whether your baby is struggling with a tongue tie that is inhibiting them from latching on correctly during breastfeeding sessions. Here are 5 warning signs,

1.     Is the skin that attaches the tongue to the lower jaw thicker then what you would normally see.  Everyone has a piece of skin that holds the tongue to the floor of the mouth if it is thicker than normal it may be restricting the movement.

2.     Is your child using their lips to nurse instead of using their tongue? Babies impacted by a tongue tie may be unable to get the tongue in the correct position. In order to compensate they may use only their lips.

3.     Depending on the age of your baby, they may have already begun attempting to stick out their tongue. If they have a tongue tie, their tongue may stay in the mouth and not reach out beyond the teeth or may form a heart shape.

4.     Cracked/bleeding or blisters on the nipples.  If your baby is not able to latch on correctly during breastfeeding, it can cause them to attach to the nipple incorrectly. After time, your baby only latching onto the nipple can cause problems and pain for you.

5.     Sleeplessness for you and them. While having a baby is tiring already, when your baby is not able to get the nutrition they need, they begin to compensate by waking up and attempting to eat more frequently. This can lead to sleepless nights and extra nighttime feedings.

For more information on Tongue tie and how to get help, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today!

Does your Baby Flange When Breastfeeding?

In order for breastfeeding to be successful it requires your baby to be able to latch onto the nipple correctly. When your baby has an upper lip tie it can prevent your baby from being able to flange. While they struggle to pop open their top lip and be able to successfully latch on during breastfeeding a lip tie inhibits this. If you have looked for help and are still struggling to determine why your baby is not successfully breastfeeding, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

When your baby is properly breastfeeding the mouth opens wide and the upper lip flange’s up. This allows the baby to latch onto the breast and not just the nipple. It can be frustrating when you are a new mom and your baby is trying to eat and they cannot flange and attach correctly. While you may attempt to physically move the lip up with your finger, some moms have said this does not work and the lip will just move back into the incorrect position or the latch will break completely. You do not have to live in a frustrating situation get help today.

For more information on lip tie procedure contact Dr. Strutz and her team today.

Did You Know?

Tongue Tie Can Impact Your Baby’s Emotional Health.

While pediatricians, dentists and parents have begun to really evaluate the impact that tongue-tie has on breastfeeding, we now know that tongue tie can also impact your baby’s emotional health? Babies are born with a need to eat and suckle and Dr. Strutz suggests, “As they search for the breast in order to latch on, they are also looking for emotional security that is provided through breastfeeding.”

But babies who are not able to gain access to their mother and get the comfort they need can become more stressed and frustrated. This level of frustration can then impact the overall stress level of the mother. Once the baby begins to have difficulty when attempting to breastfeed, the milk production of a mother can decrease as well, causing the mother to become stressed, and the cycle continues. The baby tries to feed, they are unable, they become stressed, you, as a new mom become even more stressed, and milk production decreases.

To stop the cycle, a laser tongue-tie procedure may be just what is needed to help to fix the tongue and improve your baby’s ability to successfully breastfeed. Contact Dr. Judy Strutz & her team today for more help.

Two Potential Problems of Tongue-Tie

Some parents have found there is very little information on tongue-ties. They may have a baby that is fussy and struggling to latch on properly when breastfeeding. As a new mom, it can become overwhelming and frustrating, and you may feel it is your fault your baby cannot eat. At wits end you seek help and determine your baby is impacted with a tongue-tie. While you may be told to hold off on any procedures because it may 'fix itself', in order to give your baby the proper nutrition, you may have to provide other food sources. Dr. Strutz wants you to know there are risks to waiting to have a tongue-tie procedure and many times it solves the issues related to breastfeeding and much more.

Dr. Judith Strutz, says that some babies who do not get the procedure done relatively quickly after diagnosis may struggle to maintain proper weight. Without eating enough, they are not able to gain the necessary weight to stay healthy. Once the procedure is completed most babies are able to resume their normal eating habits and many breastfeed immediately after.

Then as your child gets older they may struggle to say certain sounds. The tongue in the mouth sits in a particular spot when saying particular sounds. When your child is saying the 's' or 't' sound if their tongue is not able to position itself correctly the sound may become more of a 'w.' While this may seem like a minor problem when they are younger, the older they get the more trouble they may experience with talking.

For more information on the problems of a tongue-tie, contact Dr. Strutz and her team.

After a Laser Lip Tie Procedure

After a lip or tongue-tie procedure is completed to release your baby’s tie(s), there is more work to be done. “It may seem complicated and stressful in order to help your baby stretch out their tongue or lip, but stretching is the key to success after the laser procedure,” says Dr. Judy Strutz.  The stretches should be done consistently for four weeks, more consistently at first and tapered off by the end of the fourth week. There may be some bleeding and discomfort for your baby after the stretches. That is normal, but if you see excessive bleeding or the bleeding does not stop, contact Dr. Strutz and her team.

When your baby has had a laser surgery procedure to remove a tie on the upper lip, you will begin the stretching routine the evening after the surgery. You’ll want to go no more than six hours between stretching because oral wounds heal very quickly.

Place your finger under the upper lip and move it up until you hit resistance. Then move the lip back and forth gently a few times. This can hurt, and you may need to use baby Tylenol in order to help afterwards. This should only take 1-2 seconds.  In order to be effective in the stretching you want to make sure you get between the gum and the lip to avoid them sticking together. Make the stretching routine a game complete with a song or some humming and the process is less stressful for both parent and child.

For more information, or for information on the stretches for the tongue, contact Dr. Strutz and her team today.

It’s Not All In Your Head

As a new mom people are giving you advice left and right. You are trying to listen to your body, your baby and all of the advice from the baby book. But when you are having trouble breastfeeding it is easy to become depressed and blame yourself. But there maybe another reason that is causing your baby to struggle with breastfeeding.

Lip & tongue tie is a problem that impacts thousands of babies every year but often goes undiagnosed until later in life. In between the top lip and the gums there is a thick piece of skin that anchors your lip. “When this piece of skin is too thick or wraps around and separates the front teeth it can make it impossible for your baby to latch on correctly,” says Dr.Judy Strutz.

There is also a piece of skin that attaches the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. This can also be too thick. When your child has tongue tie it does not allow your baby to pick up their tongue and place it in the correct location to optimize the success of breastfeeding.

If you are having challenges breastfeeding, the first step is to contact a lactation consultant or your dentist to determine if your baby might be suffering from a lip or tongue tie by contacting Dr. Strutz & her team today.