AFTERCARE

Pre-release preparation

Pre-release exercises for tongue-tied babies help gently strengthen and coordinate the oral muscles—such as the tongue, cheeks, and jaw—so that the baby is better prepared for an effective and comfortable frenotomy. These exercises can improve range of motion, reduce oral tension, and help the baby learn functional movements that will be important after the release for feeding, swallowing, and overall oral development. Preparing the mouth ahead of time often leads to smoother healing, less discomfort, and better outcomes because the baby is already familiar with the patterns needed for effective nursing. In some cases, babies may also have compensatory tension in the neck, shoulders, or facial tissues due to restricted tongue movement, so referral to a qualified bodyworker—such as a pediatric osteopath, craniosacral therapist, or occupational therapist trained in infant oral function—can be beneficial to help release those patterns before the procedure.

How babies integrate change.

Babies learn not by explaining or rationalizing or showing, they learn by doing and in building learning neural pathways in the brain through repetition.

To learn, babies must be relaxed and engaged with you.

In this space they feel safe.

If they are upset or stressed or shut down or sleepy, they will not accept learning in the same way.

Equally, if they are in the womb mode, for example, swaddled in a car seat, uh, they are less likely to engage. We must create positive oral experiences through engagement and connection. A baby thinks they are the same person as you. If you engage with eye contact and voice and song and facial expression, this will encourage the building of new neural pathways.

Co-regulation. Babies have a well-developed social nervous system. This means that they know that if mom or dad or their caregiver is relaxed with a low heart rate and normal breathing, they are safe and can relax. If a caregiver is stressed or is shushing or hopping around with a high heart rate and breath rate, a baby will be too. Relaxed aparents help babies learn.

Aftercare

After the procedure, your baby will have increased tongue mobility, but as early as 3 months gestation, when they are swallowing amniotic fluid in the womb, have adapted their feeding technique to cope with their tongue tie, so they need to learn how to use their more mobile tongue in a new way. Their facial muscles have often had to work harder than they should to feed, in order to compensate for their restricted tongue movement, and these areas then carry a lot of tension. A lot of babies will adapt quickly. For others, this may take a few days or weeks. But all babies will benefit from a little help from their parents, in the form of regular feeds, tummy time, and a set of exercises and movements as set out by Dr Vanessa.