26/06/2026
How does a tongue tie affect feeding?
To breast-feed (or bottle feed) well, a baby needs to be able to open their mouth wide, draw the breast deep into the mouth, and use their tongue to create a strong, sustained seal around the breast. This allows them to compress and release the breast in a rhythmic wave to draw out milk.
When a baby has a tongue tie, the tongue is pulled down to the floor of the mouth by the frenulum. This tension restricts how freely the tongue can move, meaning instead of cupping the breast and sucking in a smooth, rhythmic way, the baby has to create the seal around the breast in another way.
How this affects your baby:
1. Compensating for the latch: Babies may chew the breast rather than suck, make clicking sounds, slip off the ni**le repeatedly, or clamp down to maintain the latch.
2. Exhaustion: Feeding like this is exhausting! They may feed for long stretches but still seem unsatisfied.
3. Digestive discomfort: They may take in excess air which can lead to tummy discomfort, or simply give up before they've had enough.
How this affects Mum:
For mums who are trying to breast-feed, tongue ties often lead to ni**le pain, damage to the ni**le, and incomplete breast drainage—which may lead to supply concerns, blocked ducts, or mastitis. It can feel too much when you're sleep deprived, and then there's the guilt of not being able to breast-feed that we see so many of our mums contend with.
How we can help:
With the right support, tongue ties can be managed well. If you're trying to breast-feed, know that many of the mums we see had a difficult start, but they successfully breast-fed their babies until they were ready to stop.
If your baby bottle feeds or mixed feeds, we find that many of the same struggles apply, the clicking, the gulping, the wind, the fussiness, and that babies respond just as well to support, regardless of how they're being fed.
✨ If you have any questions or need support, send us a DM or book via the link in our bio.