We met with the pediatric dentist and he took our history and looked at your tongue and lip ties. He said that your lip tie prevented you from flanging out your lip and we told him your lip actually curled under when taking a bottle or a pacifier. He asked if we tried to flange your lip out by turning the nipple and I said that they tried in the hospital but it didn't work and he said there was no way they could. He said that you were using your facial muscles to drink by bottle since you couldn't properly latch. I asked him if that was causing you to become tired early and he said it was possible. Your tongue tie he said was preventing you from really drawing out milk by bottle or breast. He said your range of motion was limited, and if released would be better. After telling us that we had a unique situation and that he wasn't positive releasing the tongue and lip tie would correct all our problems, he said to talk it over to see if we wanted to go through with it.
We decided it would be best to at least get the procedure done because there was a chance that it would correct your latch issues and we hoped that it would make it easier to eat for you. He had us give him your swaddle and said one of us could go back with you. We had daddy go back with you and then he came back a few minutes later without you. The procedure took about 3 minutes and you were back in the room - screaming and crying. I held you while the dentist told us about the stretches that we would have to do with you for the next two weeks. He made sure that we knew how to do them before leaving (I had to show him that I could do them) and then he said we could feed you before leaving if we wanted and said we could take as much time as we needed before leaving. We left shortly after and you calmed down and slept on the way home.
When we got home, I fed you and you seemed fine. We didn't give you Tylenol since you didn't seem in pain. We took a nap on the couch together, and then you woke up screaming. I noticed your top lip was swollen (which the dentist did tell us would happen) and so we gave you some Tylenol. We did some skin to skin since that is supposed to help you with pain as well. You weren't the happiest baby, but who would be after having their lip and tongue lasered??
You wouldn't eat after that for a while. I was getting nervous since you didn't have your tube in anymore. Finally, around 5:30, you took 72 ml. The most you have taken by mouth - ever! We were so happy! During the night when I woke up with you, you only took half an ounce each time. In the morning, you did the same. One feed today you took 49 ml, but the rest were around 15 ml. We decided to put your tube back in today because you were only taking a third of your feeds. We didn't want you to get dehydrated. The dentist did say that it might take you a few days to learn to eat again because of the procedure, so we are hoping that you learn soon and don't tire out so quick. I was definitely upset we had to put it back in, but it's for the best right now. Hopefully soon we can take it out again.
Tomorrow we have an appointment with the lactation consultant. This morning I actually tried nursing you since you wouldn't take much from the bottle and you latched great - but I had a strong let down and you gagged. On a positive note, it didn't hurt! Hopefully tomorrow we learn to nurse well and we can continue practicing our nursing journey.
So, all in all, the procedure went well. We just need you to learn how to eat again with your new range of motion. Now that I think about it, I didn't hear you cough at all today due to reflux, but that also could have something to do with the tube being out.
Please pray that Mason learns how to eat better soon so that we can take the tube out.
Please pray that he heals well.
Again, thank you so much for all of your prayers - it has got us this far and I know it will get us through this as well!
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