Tongue Tie Specialist Ashford Kent

06/11/2025

Take a deep breath — you’re not alone, and it’s okay to have lots of questions right now. 👶🏼💭 Here are a few things to keep in mind 👇
✨ It’s not just about appearance. A tie that looks “tight” might not cause any problems — what really matters is how your baby’s tongue moves. It’s worth remembering that you also may not ‘see’ anything. But there may be symptoms - the tongue function needs a proper assessment to determine if it’s function is restricted.
🍼 Feeding matters most. Watch how your baby latches, sucks, and transfers milk — not just what their tongue looks like.
👩‍⚕️ Get the right support. A lactation consultant or a trained and qualified tongue tie practitioner can help assess whether it’s affecting feeding.

Remember — you’re doing an amazing job navigating this. 💛

30/10/2025

✨ Are you or your baby struggling with breastfeeding, bottle feeding or weaning? Or do you know someone who is? I’m giving away a FREE consultation, oral assessment, feeding support — and if a tongue tie release is needed, that’s included too! ✨

This giveaway is open to:
👶 Parents with babies (0-12 months) experiencing feeding challenges
🤰 Expecting parents who want guidance early, or someone to turn to for support if needed once baby is born
🎁 Anyone who knows a friend or family member who could benefit

💕 How to Enter

1️⃣ Follow
2️⃣ Like this post
3️⃣ Share it to your story and tag me
4️⃣ Comment below: “I’m a parent/expecting parent or I know someone who could use this!” Or tell me why you or a friend need this 💜

💜Bonus entry: Tag a friend who might benefit!

🗓 Giveaway closes: Sunday 9th November 7pm
🏆 Winner announced: Sunday 9th November 9pm
💡 Why I’m Doing This

I know how tricky feeding and oral challenges can be. NHS waits are long, private treatment isn’t always affordable — and while I can’t help everyone, I want to give at least one family a chance for support with a consultation and release if needed 💜

29/09/2025

Trying to process what I’ve just been told and what I’ve just seen in clinic. I wish I could say I’m shocked 😓 …. but I’m not.

This mum chose antenatally to breastfeed her baby, she also chose once her baby was born to breastfeed. She was finding it difficult, baby was struggling to latch… then the Dr came along for the ‘top to toe (NIPE)’ check.
If you were a first time mum (or even had children before) and a DR told you that you NEEDED to bottle feed, what would you do?

Let’s be clear:
Tongue tie is a physical restriction that can severely impact a baby’s ability to breastfeed AND bottle feed (it can also have a real impact later in life … but we won’t go into that… I’m here right now for the evidence based facts).
To name a few it can cause pain, poor latch, inadequate milk transfer, weight issues, reflux, and emotional distress for both mum and baby.

But instead of offering solutions, instead of supporting that mum’s desire to breastfeed, instead of referring her to a lactation consultant or tongue tie specialist — this doctor shut the whole thing down and told her to give up. Just like that. Told her there was a tongue tie and so she HAD to bottle feed.

This is not just ignorance — it’s uneducated (in oral function and feeding) and harmful.
It undermines breastfeeding, gaslights parents, and leaves babies struggling unnecessarily. And it’s happening FAR too often.

If you’re a parent facing this: You deserve better.
Push for a second opinion. Ask for a referral. Get a proper assessment. Tongue tie support exists — but sometimes you have to fight for it.

Healthcare professionals: Do better. Learn about tongue tie. Listen to parents. SUPPORT feeding — don’t sabotage it!

31/08/2025

02/08/2025

World Breastfeeding Week 🤱🏼☺️💜

This week I’m sending love to the mummy’s who ..

💜 Breastfed all their children
💜 Breastfed some of their children
💜 Breastfed once
💜 Found breastfeeding difficult
💜 Loved every minute of breastfeeding
💜 Those who wanted to breastfeed and couldn’t
💜 Those who didn’t breastfeed by choice
💜 Those who feel guilt or shame for not breastfeeding
💜 Those who feel triggered / upset by posts, such as this, on breastfeeding

I’m also reminiscing and reminding myself of the families I’ve been so grateful to have worked with over the last 17 years. It is an absolutely honour to support you on your journey 🤱🏼👩🏼‍🍼💜

Whilst we celebrate successful breastfeeding journeys it’s important to remember that there are many families who may feel a type of way about this week.
Nobody should ever need to explain or justify their feeding choices.
We honour every feeding journey, the easy ones, the hard ones, the ones that were supported and the ones that didn’t get the support they needed - you made it through.

Your baby, whichever your feeding method, is loved, warm, nurtured and fed and you are dedicating your time, effort and love to ensure that … you’re amazing 💜

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 💜

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 💜💜

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 💜

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 🤦‍♀️

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❗️