Breastfeeding, Bottle feeding, Sucking

Feeding efficiently and effectively is important to all babies. Sore nipples, difficulty with latch and frustration with feeding can all lead to problems down the road. Soft tissue bodywork can help with these problems.

Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS) reg - diagnostic tool to evaluate neonatal reflexive sucking patterns. It helps me to determine how a baby would best benefit from manual therapy techniques to improve feeding.

Hazelbaker Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function (HATLFF) helps parents make decision about whether their baby would benefit from a lingual frenulectomy. This assessment looks at babies who are "tongue tied".

I strongly support breastfeeding as the primary means of baby's nutrition in the first year of life. Next to this would be expressed or pumped breastmilk fed through a bottle, cup or other device. Other babies benefit from drinking baby formula through a bottle and this is fine. The point is that your baby get the optimal nutrition he or she can. Feeding difficulties, especially breastfeeding, can interupt the bond between you and your baby. In addition to bringing your baby to see me for a consultation, you may benefit from the help of a lactation consultant. I recommend calling the local La Leche League. This is an invaluable resource for you and is widely available.

How can Tongue Tie interfere with breastfeeding? A tongue tie is when the tongue is restricted in it's movement because of a piece of tissue that straps the tongue down the the floor of the mouth. There are varying degrees of this issue from not interferring with breastfeeding at all to severaly interferring with breastfeeding (even for moms with experience with breastfeeding). CranioSacral therapy can be highly beneficial to help the muscles of the neck and tongue relax and move to help with latch and feeding. In addition to this, CranioSacral therapy can be highly beneficial after a baby gets the tongue tie clipped by a professional (typically a dentist or ENT doctor). I can refer you to many good professionals if you believe your baby has a tongue tie.

How would you know if your baby has a tongue tie? Here are several signs that are obvious most of the time.

extremely sore nipples with a flat crease after baby has attempted to eat
difficulty with mouth opening, latch and getting the tongue stable under the nipple
baby is still hungry after a twenty minute sucking period on the breast
the end of the tongue is heart shaped
when baby cries the tongue lays flat in the bottom of the mouth (babies tongue tip should elevate when they are crying)

When the neck and throat have areas of increased soft tissue tightness, it can affect feeding! Help your baby relax by gently massage the neck area.

Your Baby's Wellness Service