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. 

Breastfeeding & Supply Of Milk

The amount of milk your body produces when you are breastfeeding is based on several different factors. How healthy you eat, the amount of water you consume, your overall stress, and how well your baby is eating. After birth, the goal for your child is to regain their birth weight. Babies often lose about 7 to 10% of their body weight in the first few days after they are born.  Babies impacted by a lip or tongue-tie may lose more weight than that, as they try to navigate how to properly eat.

Once your baby is latched on, they need to continually suck in order for them to get milk. While when they first latch on they get a little bit of milk as you let down, they must work for the milk to continue. Dr.Strutz suggests, “Babies with tongue or lip-ties, may not be latched on properly. This means that they are unable to work correctly to get additional milk after the initial let-down. If your baby does not continue sucking, your milk supply can begin to dry up because your body does not believe that it needs to make more milk.

If your baby is latching on but you are not releasing enough milk it can also lead to mastitis or blockage in a mammary duct. This blockage can be very painful and require antibiotics to clear up the infection. During this time, breastfeeding may not only be painful for you, but can continue to decrease your supply if you are not able to breastfeed through the mastitis.

We now know how to help many mothers successfully nurse. If you have questions, or to have your child evaluated for a lip or tongue tie, contact Dr. Judy Strutz & her team today.