“Why is feeding so hard for my baby?”
If you’ve found yourself asking this question, you are not alone. Feeding your baby is supposed to feel natural, but sometimes it doesn’t. Your baby may struggle to stay latched, make clicking sounds while feeding, take a long time to finish a bottle, exhibit excessive gas or hiccupping, become frustrated with feeding, or frequently fall asleep while feeding.
One possible reason for these challenges is a tongue tie, also known as ankyloglossia.
What Is a Tongue Tie?
A tongue tie occurs when the tissue underneath the tongue, called the lingual frenulum, affects the tongue’s ability to function properly while also restricting the movement of the tongue. Because feeding is a complex skill involving the tongue, lips, jaw, cheeks, breathing, and swallowing, it is important to look at the whole feeding experience, rather than simply looking at the frenulum.
Signs Your Baby May Be Struggling With Feeding
As a parent, you know your baby best. You may notice that feeding just doesn’t seem to be going as smoothly as you expected.
Some babies with feeding difficulties may:
- Have trouble initiating and/or maintaining a deep latch
- Frequently lose suction while feeding
- Make clicking or smacking sounds
- Display excessive leaking from the mouth while feeding
- Have difficulty maintaining a seal around the bottle and/or breast nipple
- Take a very long time to finish a feeding or take frequent breaks
- Become tired or frequently fall asleep during feedings
- Appear “distracted” while eating
- Seem frustrated or fussy while eating
- Have difficulty coordinating sucking, swallowing, and breathing
- Cough, gag, or choke during feedings
- Frequently pull away from the breast or bottle
- Have difficulty transferring milk efficiently
Seeing one of these signs doesn’t necessarily mean your baby has a tongue tie. There can be many reasons an infant may struggle with feeding.
The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
How Can Speech Therapy Help?
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who specializes in infant feeding can carefully assess what is happening during your baby’s feeding.
Looking at Your Baby’s Oral Motor Skills
Your baby’s tongue does a lot of work during feeding! An SLP can assess how your baby’s tongue moves and how the tongue, lips, jaw, and cheeks work together to create efficient feedings.
This can help identify whether restricted movement, impaired function, or other oral motor differences may be making feeding more difficult.
Supporting a Better Latch and Suction
Whether your baby is breastfeeding or bottle feeding, establishing and maintaining an effective latch is important.
An SLP can observe your baby’s latch and suction and provide strategies to help make feeding more comfortable and effective.
We want you to be comfortable too!
Helping Your Baby Feed More Efficiently
Feeding shouldn’t feel like a marathon for your baby.
If your baby regularly takes a long time to finish a feeding or falls asleep before finishing, an SLP can help determine what may be making feeding so difficult.
The goal is to help your baby use their oral skills more effectively so feeding can become more comfortable, efficient, and enjoyable.
Supporting Breastfeeding or Bottle Feeding
Every family feeds their baby differently, and your feeding goals matter.
An SLP can support breastfeeding or bottle feeding and may collaborate with your pediatrician, lactation consultant, dentist, or other members of your baby’s care team when appropriate.
What If My Baby Has Already Had a Tongue Tie Release?
If your baby has already had a tongue tie release, you may still notice feeding challenges.
That’s okay.
A procedure changes the physical restriction, but your baby may still need time and support to learn how to use their tongue and mouth differently.
An SLP may help your baby work toward:
- Improved tongue movement and coordination
- Improved suction
- Improved latch
- More effective lip closure
- Better suck-swallow-breathe coordination
- More efficient feeding
- Less fatigue during feedings
- Improved bottle or breastfeeding skills
The focus should be on your baby’s functional feeding needs, not simply on the fact that a procedure was performed.
Trust Your Instincts
As a parent, you may have a feeling that something isn’t quite right.
Maybe feeding takes much longer than you expected. Maybe your baby seems exhausted after every bottle. Maybe breastfeeding has been painful or frustrating. Maybe you’ve been told, “Your baby has a tongue tie,” but you’re not sure what that actually means for feeding.
It’s okay to ask questions.
It’s okay to seek another opinion.
And it’s okay to ask someone to watch your baby feed.
A feeding evaluation can provide valuable information about what your baby is doing well, where they may be struggling, and what strategies could help.
You and Your Baby Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone
Feeding your baby is about so much more than a tongue tie.
Every baby is unique, and feeding difficulties can have many contributing factors. The goal of an SLP who specializes in breast and bottle feeding is to understand your baby’s individual feeding skills and challenges and help you find practical ways to support them.
Most importantly, you deserve to feel supported—not blamed or overwhelmed.
A little support can make a big difference.