We have worked with dozens of babies with tongue-tie and lip-ties. We have learned it is important to go by what a baby can do (functional assessment) rather than what it looks like (visual assessment). If you have a family history of tongue and/or lip-tie, your baby may be more likely to have the same condition. Sometimes tongue and lip-ties affect breastfeeding, and sometimes they don’t. Here is a tongue-and lip-tie article that may help you understand this topic more fully. We have to watch closely over the first few days to see what your baby can do. We give close attention to positioning and try adjusting the baby’s latch before recommending a tongue or lip-tie revision. The sooner that tongue and lip ties are identified as interfering with breastfeeding and treated usually means better outcomes. In Kodiak, some providers are comfortable releasing tongue-ties, but if your baby has a lip-tie that interferes with latching, you will need to travel to Anchorage for treatment. Please contact us if you have questions!

DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.