support  for  infant  feeding

If you feel that you and your baby are struggling to get a good latch during feeding, either breast/chestfeeding or with a bottle, you have a number of options. You can speak with the healthcare professional that you are currently under the care of, which may be your Midwife or your Health Visitor and ask for a referral to the Infant Feeding Team and Tongue Clinic at Maternity Services.

You can also meet with trained professional Jane Hawksley IBCLC for free at the Birth Hub Baby Cafe; she can diagnose tongue tie, but not divide it.

Tongue tie can be relatively common, but doesn't always cause problems with feeding. Your specialist practitioner will assess your baby's mouth and advise on whether or not their tongue needs to be divided. This simple procedure is called a 'frenotomy' and involves releasing/dividing/cutting the small fold of tissue under the tongue.

Please always remember to reach out as soon as you are experiencing any issues with feeding your baby, as early niggles can often be caught and rectified before feeding becomes too challenging or overwhelming. If you have met with any of the infant feeding community in pregnancy it can often feel easier to get the support you need in your early postnatal days.