I want to share our story to give hope to any mamas out there that may be struggling with a similar situation.

From the time our baby girl was born, nursing was very difficult. It was extremely painful, and baby clicked so loudly every time she ate (both at breast and by bottle). The lactation consultant in the hospital had reassured us that nursing can be fairly uncomfortable in the beginning and that it takes time to get used to. Baby had no trouble gaining weight, so I figured she must be right. I suffered through painful, destroyed nipples for weeks, each day wanting nothing more than to give up nursing all together. I pushed through, hoping that "tomorrow will be the day things change and my body will start to get used to it."

After 3.5 weeks with no change in sight, I made an appointment with a different lactation consultant. She immediately found that baby had a posterior tongue tie. We were referred by our pediatrician to an ENT who explained she needed to be put under general anesthesia to release it with scissors, because it was so thick and far back in her mouth. At 4.5 weeks old, she underwent the procedure. She tolerated it well (I was a nervous wreck!) and the ENT said it was a success. We asked him about post-op stretches and exercises, but he said it was unnecessary, as the movement from frequent nursing would be enough.

Unfortunately, baby didn't show any sign of improvement afterwards, and two weeks later, was still confirmed to have a tongue tie by the lactation consultant. We decided to visit a pediatric dentist for a second opinion, and it was the best decision we could have ever made. It was discovered that not only had her tongue tie reattached, but she also had a class 4 lip tie and 2 cheek ties, as well!! All 4 ties were corrected by laser at 7 weeks old. Here we are today, 5 days later, and the difference is remarkable. While she is still a little fussy and sore from the procedure, she is an *amazing* eater and nurses like a champ!

If you have made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read our story! I truly hope this will help someone who is in a similar situation. Don't give up! Trust your instincts -- if something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't!