Have Appt. with ENT to Have Baby's Tongue Tie Cut...

Do it now, all will be well, the sooner the better, it'll be over and done before you know it. Hold baby tight til he gets well.

Wendy

We had it done when my son was a month old. Easiest thing ever. I held him, they used a giant "q-tip" to numb it, one snip and it was over. He cried for about 2 seconds. I would do it sooner rather than later.

I had my tongue clipped when I was 4/5 years old. Very simple, very quick, and then I got a milk shake: ) I'd just go ahead and have it done now for no good reason other than to get it over with.

Jen

So many valid points to think about... my 5mo old is tongue tied, and his pedi said they don't clip it unless it causes a prob - and he's never done one in all his years of practice. My research online of the APA, etc doesn't seem to recommend it being done either. I was tongue tied and had the procedure at age 10 - under general anesthesia, because it was affecting the position of my teeth. I don't remember any pain/probs - just that it took a bit (days) to learn to eat/speak again the same. I debated getting my little one taken care of early to avoid the general anesthesia, but think I will wait to see if it causes any probs for him.

My grand daughter was required (by her school speech therapist) to have this procedure done when she was in 2nd grade. Yes it was done by an oral surgeon under general anesthesia - in at 6:30 am and out at 3pm. Her tongue tie was very muscular though not as long as your little ones. He was not able to take the tie down as much as he liked because her saliva glands were found to be closer than expected also. He also told us that in cases such as hers, the tie can grow back, so she was required to do exercises to keep the tongue free. She was a little slow at learning speach - so was her mother - her problem was more pronunciation though. It all went well, she says she is happy it was done - she is much more comfortable (she is now almost 15). Also, we were VERY glad a specialist did this because of the glands and high muscularity. Good Luck!

hi. my daughter is going to be 7 on the 11th of this month and we have to have it done next month. i waited to see if it would affect her speech, etc. well, none of what they said could happen ended up happening. she speaks normal, etc. but what is happening now is that the frenulum is pulling on the gums between her lower two front teeth and it is constantly inflamed and irritated now that her adult teeth are coming through. so she has to have it cut now, as well as the connection between the gums and her upper lip (not sure if your daughter has that issue also, they tend to go hand in hand). so i would recommend to do it now, while she's so little and not able to remember it, because i'm really not looking forward to this next dentist appointment. i hope this helps you.
any other questions, please contact me.

My kids were all tongue tied to different degrees. We did nothing with our oldest. His tongue wasn't tight enough to do anything, but tight enough that it could be warranted. We are not into drugs or surgery, so this was a HUGE decision for us.

With #2, his latch (for BFing) was so painful, I would cringe and cry - and finally, I convinced my husband that it HAD to be done. At 5 weeks, we had him clipped (sublingual frenulumectomy). There was one drop of blood and I grabbed him and latched him on immediately. He was more mad than anything. His latch changed immediately, but it took him a LONG time to change the way he BF. if we had done it eariler, it would have been better.

With #3, I waited until she was 2 weeks old to do it. The latch was not as bad, but still not comfy. No blood. She pretty much was mellow about it and of course, I soothed her immediately and latched her on.

The ped basically gets the kid to cry, so the tongue is straight out and then takes a pair of scissors and just makes a small clip. It's over. No pain meds needed. Literally, they were fine within a minute. It gets more complicated and painful the longer you wait, re: pain, vacularity, etc.

My brother and I were both tongue tied, so I sort of knew to look for it....based on genetics.

Just a side note: My friend's husband is tongue tied and she hates it. She says it's like kissing a sponge....and it has hindered other intimacies.

Do it. Do it. Do it. My daughter was born slightly tongue tied and I did nothing about it because her speech was not affected.

My daughter is now 17 and just recently had it done. She is a beautiful, sweet young lady and I suspect that her request to undergo the procedure has something to do with her appearance or with kissing boys. And really, the teen years are tough enough as it is, I deeply regret that I did not get her tongue cut as a baby.

Please do it. Please. See, if I can convince you that your daughter will be glad of it later, then perhaps I will feel less guilt for not doing it for my daughter when she was a baby.

A

We had this same experience and I regret not having it done sooner. We waited until he was almost 1. In the end we had to go to a surgery center and had him put under. It was scary for me but it was quick and easy for him. He didn't have any problems eating either but I think it was good we took care of it. The ent said we could have had it clipped right in his office if he had been younger.

For the love of God please do it as soon as possible. My parents were very negligent and waited until I was 4 1/2 years old and I had a permanent speech impediment that caused me severe hardship and pain. I had difficulty making friends, in school and in my career. I now have a BS in Physics, an MBA and a Law degree. But my speech impediment sill effects me socially and professionnally to this day. Please get it done.

Hi J.,
My son was tongue tied. (He turned 2 on 7/30) He just had a frenulectomy on August 11th, 2009. I'm very happy with my decision. His tongue would split down the middle when he would try to stick his tongue out too. He wasn't able to nurse without a breast shield. I also think it has affected his speech, he is going to start speech therapy soon. The actual procedure was less than 15 minutes long. He was eating a popsicle when I saw him right after his procedure. I have NO regrets. Message me if you have any other questions. Best Wishes!

E.

Oh Yeah,
The ENT said it was our decision. So that is why we had it done.

hi J.!

my son and husband are both moderately tongue tied. they have never had any problems. there are absolutely no speech problems and they both enjoy ice cream cones regularly :) it's your choice obviously, and i doubt the surgery will do any harm, but coming from someone who chose not to do it, i really don't see why you would if there are no problems. with that said, he did have to have a frenectomy ( they cut the flap thingy that attaches your upper lip to the upper gum). so you may want to see if that needs to be done at the same time if you choose to go through with the procedure. good luck :)

My best friend's daughter had this and the pediatrician clipped her tongue in his office when she was 6 months old. My best friend said that for a moment there was a lot of blood (and a bit of crying), but it stopped quickly and her daughter was fine. She is now almost 5 and everything has been fine. She has had no speech issues and I am sure my best friend would do it again!

I have 3 kids and my son (youngest) had this done. I didn't have much time to think about it though. We went in for his 3 day great starts check up and he was having trouble staying latched on while nursing and the lactation consultant seen the problem immediately they called the dr in and they explained it to me as they did you. Some can't even french kiss and other things. I didn't watch but it took only a second, it bled for a few seconds, he nursed so happily right after. So I say get it done asap, it hurts us mommies more than the baby.

Hi J.,
I think the amount you are worrying about it is harder on you than the cutting would be on your baby. I had the procedure done when I was about 16. I couldn't stick out my tongue without it curling under more than sticking out. I never really noticed a problem though until my dentist mentioned he could fix it with a quick snip. A few minutes later it was all over and I was so happy. I remember driving home looking in the mirror while sticking out my tongue at every red light! Ha! I still probably can't use my tongue as good as someone who didn't have that problem, but I wonder if it would be different if it had been done when I was little. I don't remember any pain, if it hurt at all, then it was over very fast. I would do it now if I were you, it really isn't a big deal. (If she had to be "put under" to do it, I wouldn't risk it though. General anesthetic is too dangerous for such a minor problem. But that isn't the case here.)
Good Luck!

Why put her through that kind of trauma if doc says to wait? Sounds like your ped gave you the answer already, if you don't trust him, you should get a second opinion from someone in the medical field. That is just my take, but I don't see the disadvantage of waiting like your ped says. Good luck to you.

I have had it done with both of my kids within the first couple of weeks of life. It does not even hurt them, I watched my daughter's. The baby only cries for a second because they don't like being held down with a hand in their mouth. (Can't blame them)
It's up to you, some say do it, other's say don't. I did it because why run the risk that it will cause speech problems and have to be done later? It is a much more complicated procedure to have done later.
I think that every mom who has had it done on a young baby would say she's glad she did it! I do not regret or question my decision at all!!

Hi J.,
I have had this procedure done to my son when he was just a little younger than your baby. His was more extreme where he would projectile vomit after a bottle because he was swallowing too much air because he could not pull his tongue out far enough to prevent the air from being swallowed. I have to say it was the best thing I could have ever done for him at the time and do not regret it at all. The procedure is a little bit unerving because you dont want to see your child uncomfortable and crying but the after affect were well worth a few minutes of agony. I did it because I love him and wanted him to progress heathily. This is not an evasive procedure and once I told people about how nervous I was to have it done, tons of people commented that they or knew someone who also had done this and had the same positive outcome. I wish you the best.
Michele

Hi,
I don't have personal experience with this but a close friend went through it with her son. He was having difficulty latching on to breast feed. She said they went into the doctor's office. She was terrified. It took two seconds, the baby cried like he had had a shot and that was the end of it. The lead up to it was much worse than the experience itself. This is just one person's experience, but it seems like that's a lot of how parenting is. Saying that, if this is something that doesn't need to be done until it is actually a hindrance, why not wait? The only thing to be concerned about, I would guess would be an infection. Whatever the case, your pediatrician will obviously know more than I will. Good luck!
liz

My son also had his clipped. Prior to that his speech ws being impacted. Once it was clipped and with speech therapy, he can talk very well. My ENT had said that it's actually easier when they are younger. Our son was 3 and wish we had done it sooner. Just make sure you have a good ENT. Let me know if you need a referral, we just love our's.

We had our son's tongue clipped at about 3 weeks. I am very happy that we did. My pediatrician said the same thing yours did, but the specialist had a different opinion. I would at least have a consultation. The procedure was very quick and there seemed to be little pain. The bleeding lasted for no more than 5 minutes and I was able to nurse right away in the doctor's office.

Hi J.,

My son is having his tongue clipped the end of this month at 15 months. The ENT told me to wait (I had brought him in at 1 month) as she thought if he needed some other procedure at some point such as ear tubes, they could just do the tongue clip at the same time. He didn't have any problem latching/b-feeding at the time so there was no rush. However now when he sticks his tongue out (a small amount) he's got the crease & he more like rolls it out instead of sticking it straight out. The ENT said he'll have problems saying the "L" sounds of words since he wouldn't be able to reach his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Anyway, at his age now, they will gas him for a few min & cauterize the skin so it won't grow back. My nephew had his clipped at 11 months & it grew back! He had it done again a year later & this time stitched the skin apart.

I'd say do it. Either now or within a year or so.

We had my sons clipped when he was 5 days old. Our pediatrician did it in her office with a colleague. It was really quick. He was more upset because he was being held down than because of the pain. I think it was harder on us as parents. I don't regret the decision because at the time he was having trouble sucking and it allowed him to learn how to suck properly. I also spoke to a family friend, who is a Dr., and he said it was a very simple procedure and recommended we get it done.

I have 3 kids, all are tongue tied. My first, had no problems with speech. We didn't even notice it until the dentist pointed it out. Our 2nd, a boy had problems speaking so we also had it checked out. Not until he was 3. The ENT said it was more likely that his speech problems are from not being able to hear. He had fluid in his ears for who knows how long. He had tubes put in and his tongue clipped and adenoids taken out in the same surgery. He is now in speech therapy. The speech therapist's opinion is that the tongue tied rarely effects speech. My third baby's is the most obvious, but he has a lot of movement. He can stick it out further than the other two. I had him scheduled to do it the same day as my other son. But decided against it. I didn't want to put him under anesthesia if I didn't have to. He is now 19 months and starting to talk. I am just waiting to see how it turns out. Good luck.

I had my tongue tie clipped when I went in to have my molars removed. I was 16 (if I can remember correctly!). It had not affected my speech, ability to lick an ice cream cone, or anything else one would need a tongue for. In fact, I think the only reason I got it clipped was because they were going to be in there anyway, they might as well do it. It didn't hurt. The worst part of the surgery was my molars. I still can't touch my tongue to my nose. And it took a while for me to get used to a tongue that took up my entire front part of my mouth. Don't think it would matter when you have it done, if you're worried about it.

I have seen this situation as a Dental Hygienist, and it can be a problem. I know a dentist could do the procedure or a oral surgeon. I'm not sure a ENT would be the place to go??? I think it's very simple from the one time I saw it being done. An oral surgeon would be my choice.
D.

Hi J.

Kind of in a rush this morning, but since I know this one well:).. All my family are tongue tied... both my kids were 100% tied, and since I knew about the possibility we had the clipping done when they were both about 5 days old. My mom said that mine was clipped at birth too. If you get it done now, it will be a simple procedure which involves little pain and little blood (if any). Babies at this age have very few nerves and blood vessels there. In fact, my son was smiling right after the procedure (whick took a total of 3 seconds), and afterwards he was finally able to latch on at nursing. No blood, and no pain (he would cry if it had hurt, trust me) My daughter's ENT doctor took 2 cuts, and the second cut left a tiny amount of blood, but nothing major.

As a comparison, my brother had his tongue adjusted when he was an teenager, and it was a major in-office surgery- lots of blood and according to him, lots of pain. He is 40 now, and to this day he says he remembers how painful it was. My father did his procedure when he was 20, and he had to stay in the hospital for 3 days.

So to sum it up, do it now!! The whole things takes a matter of seconds, and you would be very glad you've done it. No regrets! They will speak better, eat better.. The tricky part is to find a doctor or nurse practitioner who is willing to do it, so if you've got one, go for it! Good luck!

I don't have any input on this topic, but just had to comment on Lu's tequila surgery story. It reminded me of how I managed to get my ears pierced.

At our son's 1 week doctor appointment our doctor noticed our son was tongue tied and suggested we clip it right then. He said it can make breastfeeding more difficult and may cause speech problems later. He also said that clipping the tongue now would be a lot easier than trying to do it on a 2 year old.

So anyway, we went ahead. It literally took 5 seconds for the doctor to clip and there was no blood. If I remember, he had my husband hold my son's head so the doctor could reach in and snip the frenulum. Very simple, no problems after and it did make breastfeeding a lot easier! Since it's such a simple process, I would definitely suggest you go ahead and get it done.

Hello, When our now 38 year old son was about 5 years old, we were told by a dentist, who visited his school, that he needed to have his tongue tie clipped. I mentioned it to our doctor and he asked why they would want to do this. I said that the dentist said that it was because he couldn't touch his nose with his tongue. My doctor then asked if I could do that. I tried and couldn't. He told me not to have it done. Our son can eat anything and talks just fine.
I don't know the severity of your baby's situation, so I can't really give advise on this, but that was our situation.
Good luck with your precious family.
K. K.

I'd wait - my daughter's was pretty pronounced also, and it kind of freaked me out at first, but went away on it's own. Seems unnecessary to have the procedure done to me. You say your pediatrician said not to worry about it, but did he also say it looks like she won't grow out of it on her own? I suppose the ENT will evaluate first. I'm one of those anti-cut anything unless absolutely necessary. Not criticism, just a call for patience.

All the best,
Colleen

I have a funny story - It involves a bottle of tequila, a very sharp store-bought pair of scissors, Ambisol, and lots of courage. I had about the same degree of tounge tie as well, my parents never took care of it and it always bothered me (a little). I did this very simple surgery on myself in my late 20's, no problem - using the above "tools", and no negative side affects. Of course, I do not recommend anyone else doing this as you can just have an oral surgeon do it (for a very large fee, I might add). I was really happy to be over having the feeling like my toung was always "bruised" on the underside - you know that funny feeling you get? maybe that was just me, that was the worst. Really I think that you should just go ahead and get it done for her now, just get it over with, it's such a small and simple thing and it will avoid her being bothered and also avoid her taking this problem in her own hands! One thing to consider - don't infants sometimes outgrow this problem? I didn't, maybe she won't - just something else to "google".

Hi J.,

My son was born with a slight tongue tie and we had it done when he was 1 years old. It is a 5 minute procedure if that. The doctor just did 1 little snip. They don't even feel it. I would do it now when she is young because she won't even remember having it done. If you wait until she is older they might have to put a stitch in it. I have no regrets. It was so worth it to see him stick out his tongue all the way like a normal child.

My son too was tongue tied. They do have to put the child out for this procedure. It is just a real quick snip and the tongue is normal. The doctors also told me it would not effect him, but I wanted him normal. I wanted him to be able to lick an ice cream cone, or even stick his tongue out at me. I'm glad I did have it done. He is now 28 years old, and can stick out his tongue.

My son was tongue tied at birth and we had his cut when he was one week old. I am so glad we did it. My friend's pediatrician had her do tongue stretching exercises with her infant and it was a pain.
There was a little pain and one drop of blood and no other complications ever. We were back in the car within 10 minutes and my son had forgotten anything had happened by then. Why wait until your daughter can understand being held down to have the procedure done when you can do it now and prevent possible speech/feeding impediments?

I think you're doing something completely unnecessary. My four year old had the same thing and I was worried about the same thing. My pediatrician told us not to worry about it, that as he grew it would change and unless it impaired his speech it would be fine. She was 100% right. He is so articulate, has always been very verbal and has absolutely no speech issues. He sounds 100% normal. I'm glad I didn't subject him to any pain needlessly.

I think it's something they used to do a while back...I was there when they did it to my little brother (he's 11 years younger than I am) and he SCREAMED. Chances are, he didn't need it done either.

Maybe listen to your doctor...

-M
-M

My son was born (7 yrs ago) with his tongue tied and we went to the ENT and they wouldn't even do it until he was 2 because they told me that when they are that young they bleed alot more and it is better if he was older. He never had any trouble eating, licking etc. The surgury was a complete success. We actually had tubes put in his ear at the same time (other issue). We did put him into speech classes at 4 yrs old for about 6 months and it was a miracle, he is perfectly fine. (speech problems were not just becuase his tongue it was his ear problem also) so you may not even need speech therapy. Good luck!

I had this done to me when I was a baby. All I know is that I wish they had cut it just a little bit further :). My speech is fine, but I can't roll an r or stick my tongue out very far.