100% worth it

I wanted to share a post TT surgery success story for any Moms that are out there wondering is it worth it. You rarely hear the positive outcomes and question the process in the beginning. 

YES!! 100% worth it. Only from a doctor that knows what they are doing. We went to Dr. Brian A McMurtry who was amazing. He is very knowledgeable on the topic. Lessened our fears and encouraged us to continue with the process. He is in the Charlotte NC area if anyone needs assistance in the NC/SC region. 

My son was a "slow eater" from the moment our BF relationship started. He was sent to the NICU immediately after birth because my water broke and I was 11 days late. There was a trace of meconium; they wanted to make sure he didn't inhale it into his lungs. We didn't get him until 5 hours later. That prevented the instant skin to skin contact I was dying for and made our first time BF pretty hard. The lactation consultants at our hospital never checked his mouth so we were sent home struggling with him eating. Two days later we had a 24 hour round the clock nursing session feeding him every hour and half because his weight had significantly dropped. Mind you he ate for almost 50 mins each time...chomping instead of sucking. It was absolute torture. I would not wish that type of pain on an enemy. I deal with pain fairly well but this was insane. I contacted my local La Leche league for help. Still no mention of TT. Just various random tips. Wake him up, burp him between, switch sides more often, nudge his cheek, blah blah. 

At 7 weeks I was on the verge of giving up. Every nursing session was incredibly painful and I was so mentally and emotionally drained I was at my wit's end. I dreaded him eating. I finally made an appointment back at the hospital with a certified lactation consultant and the moment she looked at my destroyed nipples she knew. She checked his mouth and sure enough said he needed to have the TT surgery. She referred us to Dr. McMurtry and luckily they had a cancellation with an opening the next morning. 

This is why I'm posting to encourage you to push through and do what you are told exactly after the surgery. The stretches are hard. It seems like you are really hurting your baby when they cry. Keep going. You do not want to put your babe through the surgery again. I did not notice great latch improvement until about 15-16 weeks. He did immediately nurse faster because he was able to successfully suck and transfer the milk properly. It took much longer than that to nurse with no pain at all. 

We are now 21 weeks exclusively breastfeeding and I'm so glad we had the surgery and fought through the pain. He still nurses 5-7 times a day depending on my work schedule and it is now 100% pain free for me. I can actually fall asleep while he's eating now. I'm so happy we pushed through as a family. Stay positive and keep positive family and friends around. This page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/tonguetiebabies/) and the support from all the Moms and doctors was very helpful for me too. 

Adding photo for cuteness and attention. Good luck Mamas!! 😊❤️👍🏼

~ Meredith Lowder