Tongue tie symptoms

Baby symptom #1- Clicking at the breast.

What does it mean when a baby clicks at the breast? Why does it happen and how can you fix it?

The short answer is that it’s probably tongue tie related and there are a lot of things involved in “fixing” this. The long answer goes into anatomy and function.

When baby is breastfeeding, their tongue first extends out past the gum line (and stays past the gum line the entire feed, that’s how you don’t get bit once teeth are in), and holds onto the breast. The tongue then lifts the breast and pushes it into the palate or roof of the mouth. Sides of the tongue come up and cup the breast. The tip strokes the breast, from the areola towards the nipple to help extract milk. Lips make a 100% seal around the breast, creating a negative pressure vacuum system. All of this happens quickly and without any thought on baby’s part.

Why did I explain the tongue movement during feeding? So that you can understand why there is clicking.

The noise is what happens when the tongue pops off the breast, as it was trying to hold the breast pressed into the palate the tongue pops off and makes a “click” sound. Then baby tries again. And again. And again.

Think of it like reaching as far as you can, then stopping, then going back and reaching far again, and stopping again.

Baby is doing their very best, it’s just hard to hold up that tongue when you don’t have strength, endurance and enough range of motion.

So, how do “fix” a clicking baby? Well first know it isn’t fast. First baby needs an assessment by a tongue tie expert, someone who understands how to assess for tongue tie. Then together with that practitioner, you make a plan for how to address baby’s tongue tie. There are usually multiple steps. Frequently, but not always, a tongue tie release, or frenectomy, is necessary. However there are CRUCIAL steps BEFORE the frenectomy. That’s why you want to work with a tongue tie expert.

Questions about clicking or tongue tie? Comment below or reach out today.