What actually is a TONGUE TIE?  

There is SO much misinformation out there about tongue ties. The most common thing being that it’s all about what you can see (or not see).
Hi, I’m Alissa! Midwife, IBCLC, holistic sleep coach and mum of three.
👅 Only a small percentage of tongue ties are clearly visible when simply looking in a baby’s mouth.
These anterior ties give the tongue a clear heart shape or indented appearance and are often picked up soon after birth because they’re obvious even to the untrained eye (although not always!)
The real misinformation comes around the rest of the spectrum of tongue ties.
The correct term for a tongue tie is ‘restricted lingual frenulum’ or RLF
The lingual frenulum is that thin membrane attaching the tongue to the floor of the mouth. In some of us it is too far far, or too short and tight. What determines whether it’s restricted or not is not just whether we can see it’s there - it’s how it impacts tongue function.
You can see I’ve got a pretty obvious frenulum, but I can extend, lateralise and elevate my tongue (and was breastfed without issue for two years!) so clearly this frenulum, while visible, is not restrictive.
Some frenula are deeply embedded in the muscle at the base of the tongue, and barely visible - but on examination we can feel that the function of the tongue is restricted.
Babies need a complex combination of extending, elevating and cupping the tongue, as well as a wave like motion to create suction to breastfeed effectively and avoid nipple pain.
If your baby is:
🔈 Clicking while feeding
💧 Dribbling at the breast or bottle (a messy feeder)
😣 Causing you pain or damage to your nipples
⚖️ Not gaining weight appropriately
💦 Struggling to control milk flow
😴 Very sleepy at the breast
👄 Needing to be relatched multiple times
Then a tongue function assessment should form part of your breastfeeding support. This MUST be done by a trained practitioner actually putting a gloved finger in your babies mouth. Don’t ever trust the word of someone who looks at your baby and says there isn’t a restriction
Follow ‪@alissabrownibclc‬ for expert breastfeeding advice and techniques!