Tongue Tie Specialist Ashford Kent

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Registered Midwife and Frenulotomist

Member of the Association of Tongue-Tie Practitioners (ATP)

Registered privately as a provider with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Please visit my instagram (tonguetiespecialist)/ website for further information.

There is often a lot of misinformation surrounding the optimal age to perform a tongue tie release. At an already incred...
20/05/2025

There is often a lot of misinformation surrounding the optimal age to perform a tongue tie release. At an already incredibly vulnerable time for new parents, this differing of opinion amongst healthcare professionals, understandably causes further worry whilst they try to navigate the system and do the ‘right thing for their baby’.
“Your baby shouldn’t be treated until day 5” 😑

“We (the midwife who has had no training in Tongue tie 🤦‍♀️) advise not to cut before day 10”

“After 12 weeks your baby will need a general anaesthetic” ❌

There is no evidence to support any of the above claims 📢 In fact if a baby is unable to feed (breast or bottle) effectively then early intervention is absolute key!
Newborn infant feeding involves complex integration of anatomic structures to include the tongue, palate, lips, jaw, cheeks, the pharynx and the larynx. In order to breastfeed or bottle feed, coordinated rhythmic sequences of sucking, swallowing and breathing are required. Good tongue function is necessary!

If oral function is restricted and a baby is not transferring milk effectively, feeding is deteriorating, ni***es are damaged, reflux is so severe they’re being medicated, a mother states she can no longer feed her baby … (this list is not exhaustive) then early management is of most importance. If the tongue function is a contributing factor then we should not be delaying! Tongue tie release CAN be performed from the day of birth and there is no upper age limit!
Many private practitioners are only insured to treat up to 12months, some practitioners prefer to stop at 6months as those babies get a bit more wriggly ☺️ (nothing a good swaddle and hold can’t fix if needed, but that is by choice to stop at that age, not requirement).
Tongue tie release can still of course be beneficial for older children and adults. If speech or eating is affected and conservative management such as speech and language therapy / myofunctional therapy has been tried, then tongue tie release should be explored. So again .. let’s stop the misinformation to parents. Signpost to a qualified TT practitioner for researched knowledge and information rather than hazarding a guess 💜

Good positioning and attachment, resulting in a deep latch, is so important for both mum and baby. Achieving and maintai...
09/04/2025

Good positioning and attachment, resulting in a deep latch, is so important for both mum and baby.
Achieving and maintaining a deep latch will not only improve comfort during a feed but it will also support adequate milk transfer and aid milk production / supply.

If you are having difficulties with positioning and attachment I would recommend support by a lactation consultant / feeding specialist.
If things still prove difficult then an assessment of oral function by a qualified tongue tie specialist 💜💜

We don’t often think or talk about the palate do we? But the palate is an integral part of the mouth! It is the roof of ...
07/04/2025

We don’t often think or talk about the palate do we? But the palate is an integral part of the mouth! It is the roof of the oral cavity and it is the floor of the nasal cavity 😵👃and without optimal formation and correct oral resting posture the airway can be somewhat compromised.
Formation of the palate happens very early on in pregnancy 🤰🏼
The tongue, being our natural palate expander, should correctly rest on the roof of the mouth - shaping and moulding the palate 👅
So what does it mean if they say it’s high arched or bubble shaped? 🤷🏼‍♀️
Put simply it means the palate is underdeveloped. It may feel / appear narrow or deep. This could be a congenital developmental feature, failure of the palatal shelves fusing correctly, or it could be as a result of thumb sucking or a TONGUE-TIE.
Far easier to treat in childhood, before the mouth stops developing, it is important to encourage correct oral resting posture as soon as!
Where is your tongue resting right now ❓

When a tongue-tie is present palatal suction can of course be impaired.
The tongue tends to sit at the floor of the mouth and therefore doesn’t make the necessary contact needed with the palate. You may notice open mouth breathing, disrupted sleep patterns, snoring, stuffy / snuffly noses due to a narrow nasal cavity, feeding difficulties, a highly sensitive gag reflex, shallow latch and even poor oral health due to teeth crowding - this list is not exhaustive.
So what can I do to help it ?? Well firstly if it’s related to tongue-tie then there are likely already some other tongue-tie symptoms / feeding difficulties going on so….
•Address the tongue-tie with a qualified tongue-tie specialist 👅
•Encourage correct oral resting posture by gently closing the mouth and massaging under the soft part of the chin to encourage the tongue to lift and suction to the palate.
•Support from a myofunctional therapist / IBCLC trained in oral dysfunction 💜

Let’s start by remembering that you cannot ‘see’ a Tongue tie! When looking in a babies mouth or underneath the tongue w...
06/01/2025

Let’s start by remembering that you cannot ‘see’ a Tongue tie! When looking in a babies mouth or underneath the tongue what you will see is a frenulum. A frenulum is normal anatomy unless it’s restricting the function of the tongue - in which case we diagnose a tongue-tie 👅👅👅

So how do I know if it’s restricted? What are the symptoms? 🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼
You or your baby may be experiencing one or more of the following symptoms

🤱🏼- Sore / painful / cracked / damaged / misshapen ni***es

🤱🏼 - Baby unable to sustain their latch at the breast resulting in them on and off throughout a feed

🤱🏼 👩🏼‍🍼- Short / frequent feeds

🤱🏼 👩🏼‍🍼- Long or slow feeds

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼 - Slow or static weight gain

🤱🏼 👩🏼‍🍼- Coughing / choking / spluttering on the milk flow

🤱🏼 - Low milk supply or even over supply

🤱🏼- Mastitis / blocked ducts / oral and ni**le thrush

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼- Fussy behaviour at the breast or bottle teat

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼- Colic / wind / reflux

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼- Spilling milk from sides of mouth

🍌🍓🥑🥕🥣 - Weaning difficulties

It is important to note that these symptoms are not always as a result of tongue-tie and may be as a result of another cause. However if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms then lactation support alongside an oral functional assessment is advised.

So who can diagnose a Tongue-tie?

Only a frenulotomist (Tongue-tie specialist / tongue-tie practitioner) should be diagnosing a tongue-tie 👩🏼‍⚕️
Whilst they may suspect based on symptoms It is out of the scope of practice of other healthcare professionals to make this diagnosis ….. if anyone ‘looks’ in your babies mouth and says your baby has or hasn’t got a tongue-tie then huge red flag 🚩 ask them to get their eyes out of your babies mouth and to refer you as they’ve no idea what they’re talking about 🤦‍♀️

Firstly it’s important to ensure that your chosen practitioner ticks the following boxes….🔴 NMC registered ✅🔴 CQC regi...
30/12/2024

Firstly it’s important to ensure that your chosen practitioner ticks the following boxes….

🔴 NMC registered ✅
🔴 CQC registered ✅
🔴 Insured ✅
🔴 Registered by the Association of Tongue tie practitioners ✅

The procedure, frenulotomy, is generally a very quick procedure itself. It is a minor surgical procedure designed to correct issues related to a restrictive frenulum.
The procedure can be performed using laser or scissors ✂️🥽
Sometimes parents can feel conflicted on which method is best for their baby.
There is to date no comparative evidence based research to support either method being better than the other. However, my personal opinion, from images / videos I have seen, is that laser makes unnecessarily large wounds and takes longer to do 🤦‍♀️😬

I’ve been asked on a few occasions ‘do you need a laser to get a full release?’ The answer is NO, not at all❗️You do not need a laser to get a full release. You need a good practitioner with a good surgical technique.
In the UK you will find most practitioners will use scissors.

So how is it done? To perform the procedure the tongue is stabilised and a specialist curved shaped pair of scissors are used to release the frenulum. Take a look at my ‘tap to release’ highlight for more images.
In my experience the baby will cry for a split second whilst the tongue is held and as soon as it’s been released and baby is lifted they often settle within seconds and enjoy a feed 🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼

Then the work starts. Those tongue muscles haven’t been used effectively. So like any muscle in our body, it will take time to train and strengthen those muscles. Oral exercises are given to support this 💜

Oh and one last thing … 📢📢📢
Tongue ties DO NOT stretch and they DO NOT grow out of them❗️

A few years ago I treated the gorgeous little boy to my right 💜 Last week he came along to clinic with his baby brother ...
30/10/2024

A few years ago I treated the gorgeous little boy to my right 💜
Last week he came along to clinic with his baby brother - who was also born with a tongue-tie.

I have seen many returning families where I have treated their subsequent children and I am often asked ‘Is tongue-tie hereditary?

My answer … There are so many undiagnosed and misdiagnosed that it would be impossible to say yes or no with absolute certainty.

All 3 of my children were born with tongue-tie. If you’re knowledgable on the subject and / or receive the right support from the right person then symptoms may lead you to the right cause. If you’re misinformed / misled then you will likely come to different conclusions 🤷🏼‍♀️

Has anyone ever said to you ‘Your baby has a tongue tie but they’ll be ok’! ❌Wrong! ❌Tongue tie means RESTRICTED FUNCTIO...
04/04/2024

Has anyone ever said to you ‘Your baby has a tongue tie but they’ll be ok’!

❌Wrong! ❌

Tongue tie means RESTRICTED FUNCTION! 📢

This is like saying ‘You have rope wrapped around your legs, but you’ll be ok, you’ll still get to the end of the road’ 🏃

They’re not wrong … you will, I’m sure, with determination and support make it to the end of the road. But I’ll get there a lot quicker without the rope, I’ll find it a lot less challenging, a lot easier and probably less trips and falls along the way.

Restricted function is not ideal and never will be ideal. You also DO NOT grow out of a tongue tie!
Unless someone unties that rope from around your legs it’s not coming off 🪢 you’re going to have to learn to walk with it.

Please do your research.
It’s saddens me the amount of times I hear ‘I was told there was a ‘slight’ tongue tie (thats another uneducated statement in itself 🤦‍♀️) and that my baby would be ok but weeks and months, and even years down the line we’re struggling’ 😢

Let’s start by remembering that you cannot ‘see’ a Tongue tie! When looking in a babies mouth or underneath the tongue w...
05/03/2024

Let’s start by remembering that you cannot ‘see’ a Tongue tie! When looking in a babies mouth or underneath the tongue what you will see is a frenulum. A frenulum is normal anatomy unless it’s restricting the function of the tongue - in which case we diagnose a tongue-tie 👅👅👅 Let’s also remember that both breast and bottle fed babies struggle with tongue-ties 🤱🏼🍼 Changing the method of feeding does not change the function of the tongue ❗️They just compensate differently ❗️Many babies will also gain weight with a tongue-tie so please ignore the frequent ‘they’re gaining weight so they’re fine’ 🤦‍♀️ If something doesn’t feel right - then it probably isn’t.

So what are the symptoms? 🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼
You or your baby may be experiencing one or more of the following symptoms

🤱🏼- Sore / painful / cracked / damaged / misshapen ni***es

🤱🏼 - Baby unable to sustain their latch at the breast

🤱🏼 👩🏼‍🍼- Short / frequent feeds

🤱🏼 👩🏼‍🍼- Long or slow feeds

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼 - Slow or static weight gain

🤱🏼 👩🏼‍🍼- Coughing / choking / spluttering on the milk flow

🤱🏼 - Low milk supply or even over supply

🤱🏼- Mastitis or blocked ducts

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼- Fussy behaviour at the breast or bottle teat

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼- Colic / wind / reflux

🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼- Spilling milk from sides of mouth

It is important to note that these symptoms are not always as a result of tongue-tie and may be as a result of another cause. However if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms then lactation support alongside an oral functional assessment by a tongue tie specialist is advised.

So who can diagnose a Tongue-tie?

Only a frenulotomist (Tongue-tie specialist / tongue-tie practitioner) should be diagnosing a tongue-tie 👩🏼‍⚕️
Whilst they may suspect based on symptoms, It is out of the scope of practice of other healthcare professionals to make this diagnosis ….. and if anyone ‘looks’ in your babies mouth and says your baby has or hasn’t got a tongue-tie then ask them to get their eyes out of your babies mouth as they’ve no idea what they’re talking about 🤦‍♀️

Post tongue tie release you will notice a diamond shape wound underneath your babies tongue. This diamond can differ in ...
03/03/2024

Post tongue tie release you will notice a diamond shape wound underneath your babies tongue.
This diamond can differ in size dependant on the frenulum released ♦️
Have a look under the ‘tap to release’ highlight on my instagram page (tonguetiespecialist) for some examples.

A few days post Tongue tie release you will then often notice a white or yellow mouth ulcer which generally forms on top of the diamond shape wound. This is part of the normal healing process in the mouth.

🫦 As I always say - if you bit your lip or the inside of your cheek hard enough you would likely get a small ulcer.

👅 With the antiseptic quality of saliva this will heal quite quickly. Due to the large number of protective, antiseptic and antibacterial properties in breastmilk if your baby is breastfeeding this will also aid the healing process 🤱🏼

*Note 🍼 I treat bottle fed babies frequently and they too heal beautifully!

You will have hopefully been given oral exercises by your specialist practitioner to start with your baby.
Make sure your hands are cleaned well with soap and water and any ni**le sheilds, bottles/teats and any other feeding equipment is washed and sterilised 🖐️🫧

Whilst there is much controversy on what constitutes adequate aftercare, with continued support, oral exercises and body work you will hopefully begin to notice improvements fairly soon.
Whilst many find great improvements tongue tie release, as I always say,
Is not a magic wand, not always an instant fix and is one piece of the puzzle 🧩

***es

Have you ever asked a healthcare professional to ‘check your baby for Tongue tie’??If the answer is yes then I’d be inte...
21/02/2024

Have you ever asked a healthcare professional to ‘check your baby for Tongue tie’??

If the answer is yes then I’d be interested to know how they checked 🤔

Sadly I see many babies that have been misdiagnosed one way or the other 😓 Told there is a tongue tie … when there isn’t 🤦‍♀️ and told there isn’t when there most certainly is 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ The effects that misinformation has is physically and mentally damaging and not only have I experienced this personally but I witness the detrimental effects of this daily!

The appearance of a frenulum itself does not tell us how well the tongue is functioning❗️Often the frenulum may not even be visible - this too does not mean it is not there and is not restricting tongue function.
Tongue tie means restricted function and without a gloved finger in your babies mouth truly assessing the 5 important functions of your baby’s tongue then they have not assessed for tongue tie.

It may also help if I tell you that sadly it is out of the scope of practice for midwives, paediatricians, GPS, health visitors and even lactation consultants to diagnose a tongue tie .. (unless they have done additional training to become a tongue tie assessor).
It is unfortunately not part of their training.

If your breast or bottle fed baby is experiencing symptoms of a tongue tie then seek an oral assessment by a qualified and registered tongue tie specialist / practitioner. Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t.

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting and supporting the lovely from Despite her wealth of knowledge as a doctor her...
04/02/2024

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting and supporting the lovely from

Despite her wealth of knowledge as a doctor herself, she too was a mummy that was dismissed by other healthcare professionals on the basis of …….

Wait for it 🤦‍♀️🤯 …..

‘She is gaining weight’ 😓

As an experienced breastfeeding mum the periodic clicking, loosing suction on the breast and the subsequent painful gas / reflux led her to rightly explore oral function and the possibility of a tongue tie.

Following assessment of a tight restrictive frenulum it was no surprise she was having difficulties and displaying these symptoms.
It’s been lovely to hear there is now much more movement with the post procedure oral exercises and I now look forward to following their journey and improvements 🤱🏼

If you’re ever not sure - seek support from the right practitioner!

Trust those mummy insticts!

If you feel that something isn’t right … it probably isn’t 💜

Back in July, at 2 weeks of age, struggling to feed and regain birthweight, this beautiful boy was seen privately by an ...
07/01/2024

Back in July, at 2 weeks of age, struggling to feed and regain birthweight, this beautiful boy was seen privately by an ENT consultant.
Following assessment it was said that the tie was ‘moderate, thick and fibrous’ and therefore required referral to the NHS for release in hospital.
5 months on, still no news from the NHS, mum still working hard to keep up her breast milk supply and baby still struggling to latch and feed from a bottle, they got in contact at a point of despair.

As a family of 5 with a 3 hour journey ahead of them it was a desperate and worrying time for them.
Following assessment and on my words ‘I’m happy to release’ mum cried lots of tears. Tears of relief and tears of joy. Finally someone was helping them all.

I can’t tell you how happy it made me to be able to support this mummy and her baby but also how sad I felt that this could have been corrected at a much earlier date for them.

If your baby is displaying symptoms of Tongue tie seek advice from a tongue tie specialist 💜 Don’t suffer alone 💜

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