When Breastfeeding Is Difficult, Could a Tongue-Tie Be Part of the Problem?
Breastfeeding may be natural, but that doesn’t mean it always comes naturally. For some families, the first days with a new baby bring difficulty latching, painful nursing, exhaustion, and the frustrating feeling that feeding simply isn’t working the way everyone hoped. Sometimes a tongue-tie may be part of the problem.
Tanisha came to us with her 10-day-old son, Asa, after they had been struggling with breastfeeding. Their experience is a great example of why understanding how a baby’s mouth functions matters.
Watch Tanisha and Asa’s story to learn how evaluation, education, and personalized care supported the breastfeeding relationship she wanted with her son.
What Does the Tongue Have to Do with Breastfeeding?
During breastfeeding, a baby’s tongue needs enough mobility to create and maintain an effective latch and transfer milk. A tongue-tie occurs when the tissue connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth restricts normal tongue movement. That restriction can interfere with feeding.
A baby may have difficulty maintaining suction or seem to struggle at the breast. For Mom, nursing may become painful and can sometimes lead to nipple damage or other feeding difficulties. These signs don’t automatically mean a baby has a tongue-tie. That is why evaluation matters.
We Look at Function, Not Just Appearance
A tongue-tie isn’t simply about whether a piece of tissue looks short or tight. We try to understand what the tongue can actually do and how feeding is going for baby and mother. We look at whether the baby can maintain a latch, whether the tongue moves effectively, whether feeding is comfortable for Mom, and other factors that may affect oral function. Understanding the larger picture helps us determine whether tongue restriction appears to be contributing to the problem and whether treatment may help.
Sometimes Care Involves More Than One Piece
Babies don’t feed with their tongues alone. The jaw, lips, cheeks, head, neck, and surrounding muscles all participate. That means feeding difficulties can sometimes benefit from support that considers more than the tongue itself.
For Tanisha and Asa, care included addressing torticollis with chiropractic support as well as releasing Asa’s tongue-tie. His treatment plan was specific to what he needed. Another baby with feeding difficulties may need a different combination of care. This is part of our practice’s whole-person approach. We look at structure and function together and consider how the different pieces may be influencing one another.
When a Tongue-Tie Release Is Recommended
When restricted tongue movement interferes with function, and a release is appropriate, we perform a procedure called a frenectomy. At Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep, we use a CO2 laser to precisely release the restrictive tissue beneath the tongue. Laser treatment can minimize bleeding and postoperative discomfort while supporting efficient healing.
The procedure itself, however, is only one part of the story. Our goal is not simply to release tissue. It is to help improve the function that brought the family to us in the first place.
Understanding the Plan Can Bring Peace of Mind
Having any procedure recommended for your baby can bring questions. What will happen during the consultation? What does the procedure involve? What should you expect afterward? We believe parents deserve clear answers.
Tanisha received information before her consultation so she could arrive understanding what to expect. Once she was here, we walked through the process with her again. That preparation mattered to her, and it is something we want every parent to have: an opportunity to understand the recommendation and feel comfortable asking questions before deciding how to proceed.
Helping Feeding Become What You Hoped It Would Be
For Tanisha, treatment made an enormous difference. She was able to move beyond the pain and feeding difficulties she and Asa had been experiencing and begin enjoying breastfeeding with her son. That is their story, and it illustrates something important: When feeding is difficult, finding out why can open the door to appropriate support.
If you’re struggling with breastfeeding or have concerns about your baby’s tongue movement or latch, we invite you to watch Tanisha and Asa’s video. Then, if their experience feels familiar, schedule a consultation with Elevate Airway TMJ Sleep located in Westminster, CO.
We can evaluate your baby’s oral function, listen to what you have been experiencing, and help you understand whether a tongue-tie or another functional concern may be contributing to the challenges you are facing.
