It is one of the hottest topics in our younger baby classes, with parents feeling worried and also helpless.
When we came up with the idea for The Baby Cloud Blog we wanted to introduce experts in their field to pass on some of their experience and guidance to support our parents. We are lucky enough to have some amazing resources as part of The Baby Cloud Group, and so want to share some of our wonderful network of expertise with you.
In classes, parents will often share with us their baby’s feeding troubles. So many ‘problems’ (of which there are many that can crop up) can be missed or commonly
overlooked in those first few precious weeks. When baby isn’t feeding well or they appear to be struggling these worries can often leave parents feeling lost, confused and sadly on occasion even silly or desperate. It is really important that parents and their babies are signposted to the right kind of support.
We are so happy to introduce you to Sammy Berry, Sammy is a qualified midwife & Frenulotomist (Tongue Tie Specialist) and was really happy to work with The Baby Cloud to share her expert advice:
Sammy Berry – Qualified Midwife & Frenulotomist (Tongue Tie Specialist).
Hi there, my name is Sammy and I am a qualified midwife and Frenulotomist (tongue tie specialist).
If you're finding yourself reading this then it is likely you have had your baby – so huge Congratulations on the birth of your baby from me :-)
You may have your own suspicions that your baby is tongue-tied, or a tongue-tie may have been suggested to you by your midwife, health visitor, or lactation consultant. This of course can cause some concern and anxiety.
From personal experience, I also know how desperate you may be feeling for immediate support and an immediate solution for yours and/or your baby’s symptoms. For this reason, my aim is to offer same day or next day appointments for specialist assessment and Tongue-tie release, if deemed clinically necessary, to relieve symptoms and improve feeding outcomes in breast and bottle fed babies.
Whilst symptoms of a tongue-tie may well have another cause, it is important if symptoms are present that you seek, or are referred to, a qualified, insured, CQC registered, Tongue-tie specialist practitioner.
So, a bit of background on me ....
In 2011 I qualified as a midwife and have since worked within the NHS. After experiencing tongue-tie with all three of my children, my youngest requiring division, I developed a great interest and passion in supporting families overcoming the challenges a tongue-tie can bring. Having studied a postgraduate specialist course ‘Advanced clinical skills in tongue-tie (Ankyloglossia) management’ at the University of Wolverhampton I completed my practical training under the supervision of a consultant neonatologist and an experienced registered midwife/frenulotomist.
As well as providing frenulotomy within the NHS I also developed my own private practice where I feel I can offer more time, thus creating a more personal, well rounded, holistic service.
So, what is a tongue tie?
Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tie, is a developmental anomaly of the baby’s tongue which may result in limitation and restriction of the tongues function.
Frequent symptoms associated with tongue-tie:
Difficulty attaching to the breast and sustaining latch
Fussy with the bottle teat / spilling milk from the sides of the mouth
Particularly long feeds or short / frequent feeding
Unsettled behaviour during feeds
Slow or poor weight gain
Clicking' sound when feeding
Sore / cracked / misshapen nipples
Mastitis
Low milk supply
Reflux
Weaning difficulties
You may not be experiencing all of these symptoms, and symptoms you or your baby are experiencing may be as a result of another cause; just because a frenulum is visible it does not necessarily mean your babies tongue function is restricted, therefore a thorough assessment of the tongues function is essential by a skilled practitioner.
Within my clinic I see and treat babies up to 12 months of age. During an assessment of the tongue's function, the tongues mobility, digital suck, lateralisation (movement side to side), elevation and protrusion (how far the tongue can come out of the mouth) are all assessed and the location of the anchored lingual frenulum (where the tongue attaches to the floor of the mouth with a web of tissue) is visualised. In order to correct the restriction of the tongue, release of the tongue-tie can be performed, thus improving feeding outcomes for mother and baby.
As there are very few nerve endings in the frenulum this is a relatively pain free procedure for baby.
You may still have more questions - my Instagram page @tonguetiespecialist has lots of useful information on that you can browse through.
Alternatively, my website www.tonguetiespecialistkent.co.uk may be useful to you.
Huge thanks to Sammy for her important contribution to The Baby Cloud blog, watch this space for more guest speakers in the coming months. #tonguetie #tonguetieassesment #breastfeeding #supportingnewmums #feedingspecialist #tonguetiespecialist
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