What a Difference a Day Makes
Patty Spanjer
Dalton GA USA
From NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 17 No. 5, September-October 2000, p. 161
We provide articles from our publications from previous years for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to remember that research and medical information change over time.
When my son, Drew, was 17
months old, he had to have some dental work done under general anesthesia.
There were holes in his four upper front teeth, right along the gum
line. Two of Andrew's brothers had problems with a lack of enamel on
their baby teeth. Because of this, I had been watching Drew's teeth
closely. However, neither brother had problems this early.
The work was done at a children's
hospital because of a family history of trouble with anesthesia. While
he was in the operating room, we got a call telling us they were going
to have to cut the upper (labial) frenulum, the connective tissue between
the lip and the gum, and re-stitch it higher. Drew's frenulum was so
tight and thick that food and liquids got caught under it, causing decay.
Before the surgery, it had
always been somewhat uncomfortable to nurse Drew. I thought this was
due to his strong suck and high activity level. He often arched his
back and/or pulled back his head. As a matter of fact, I quit taking
Drew along when speaking at childbirth classes because he demonstrated
such poor positioning. I was constantly breaking the suction and reattaching
him. At night, I was often saying "ouch" because I would doze
off and he would be nursing on the end of my nipple. Actually, I rarely
slept while nursing him. I could actually feel my nipple rubbing on
his teeth! Since there is no option for me except nursing, I just accepted
that it was physically uncomfortable because I loved the relationship.
I really thought it was "just Drew." But since his surgery
there is no pain! He still twists, turns, and climbs all over me, as
most of my five children have done, but the discomfort is gone. Before,
he would often appear to be slipping off the nipple and I would have
to reposition him. Now he flanges his lips properly. I nursed him in
the recovery room immediately after surgery. I noticed the difference
right away and commented to the recovery room nurse. I wondered if he
was nursing "gently" due to the anesthesia.
Interestingly, he seems more
comfortable. It had been impossible to get oral medication into Drew,
and it had been hard to get him to open his mouth. Now he is not only
taking (without too much trouble) the antibiotics prescribed after the
surgery, but he is also letting me check his stitches. Brushing his
upper front teeth seems to cause him pain, even though I am as gentle
as I can be, so I think the stitches must be bothering him some.
Drew's speech had been within
normal limits but not as clear as our other children's speech at this
age. Since the surgery, it has become much more understandable. Certain
sounds are clearer. Now "affle" is "apple," and
so on.
I have been an LLL Leader
for twenty years and I am also a board-certified lactation consultant.
My husband is a pediatrician and we have five children ranging in age
from twenty-four years to seventeen months. I have worked with many
breastfeeding mothers for whom breastfeeding was painful because their
babies had short lingual, or lower, frenulums (the membrane attaching
the tongue to the floor of the mouth). Also known as "tongue-tie,"
this condition keeps the baby's tongue from extending over his teeth
and prevents him from breastfeeding effectively. But I had no knowledge
of upper frenulums being a problem.
If I had known Drew's upper
frenulurn was causing my pain, I would have had the surgery done earlier,
since it is less involved if it is done at birth. However, I thought
nursing him was no fun because he had such a strong suck. He still has
a strong suck after the surgery, but it no longer hurts me! Fortunately,
Drew went back to his healthy, active self after the surgery and now
I can relax and enjoy our breastfeeding relationship.
Reprinted from an issue
of Dogwood Blossoms, the Area Leaders' Letter for LLL of Georgia.
Last updated Friday, October 13, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:30:17 UTC 2007.
