What does the procedure involve?
Ideally your baby will have received the vitamin k injection at birth or had a minimum 2 doses of oral vitamin k. If not you will need to sign a disclaimer that the potential increase in bleeding has been discussed with you
You will be asked to bring your baby to the appointment ideally settled but willing to feed. This is important so I can support you with feeding.
I will call you prior to your appointment to discuss your booking form, what you need to bring and complete the relevant paperwork. You will have the opportunity to ask questions.
I may also recommend additional support or treatments. (See below) Once your baby has completed a feed I will check their mouth to confirm bleeding has stopped before you are discharged home.
What symptoms might I see if my baby is tongue tied?
Your baby may lose more weight than expected, have slow weight gain, static growth or continued weight loss, sometimes dropping percentiles.
Your baby may tire very quickly during feeding, spend a long time feeding & still be unsettled afterwards or want to constantly feed. Hiccups, and wind are very common in tongue tied babies.
If you are bottle feeding your baby may take a long time to complete a feed, dribble milk out the sides of their mouth, choke or splutter and be very noisy when feeding
I'm not sure if my baby is tongue tied
Will it hurt my baby?
Parents who have brought their baby to me have themselves had a tongue tie division as an adult. They felt it as nothing more than a sting similar to if you accidentally cut yourself for example. The procedure takes just a few seconds. Feeding and closeness with a parent is a wonderful way to soothe your baby both immediately after the division and in the couple of days afterwards. If you are breastfeeding your baby will receive pain relief naturally, Older babies may benefit from paracetamol. Ensure you follow guidance from the manufacturers.
What additional support or treatments might you suggest?
What is the recovery time after the procedure?
What follow up support do you provide?
Parents can contact me Monday to Saturday 8am – 6pm if they have questions or concerns. I follow up all parents by text 2-3 days after their appointment. Depending on the situation I may continue to follow up parents for as long as is necessary. Sometimes up to 4 weeks after the procedure. For parents who would like a 1:1 follow up with me, I offer support for a small additional charge.
Do you divide lip ties?
What are the benefits of a private tongue tie division service?
Choosing a private practitioner gives you a greater choice of location and appointment times Most appointments can be made within a few days.
All appointments are individualised as we recognise that no two mums & babies are the same.
All services and pricing are on the website. There are no hidden extras.
I am a registered midwife and lactation consultant so you have access to skilled feeding support after the division. Your appointment will last around an hour. I will take a full feeding history from you, discuss tongue tie in greater detail, and you will be given the opportunity to ask questions. You will be supported with feeding immediately post division and together we will develop a feeding plan.
All parents receive telephone follow up after a couple of days. I am available 5 days a week so you can contact me for support and to discuss any questions or concerns you might have. I also provide a follow appointment service for ongoing feeding support or possible further division. Please note that telephone calls, text messages or emails will not be responded to out of office hours, during times of illness or annual leave or during public holidays. If you have concerns about your baby during these times you are advised to see your GP or ring 111.