For families concerned about oral dysfunction, tension and ties
What is an oral tie?
Everyone has oral tissue connecting their lips and cheeks to the gums as well as their tongue to the floor of their mouth. When this piece of tissue impacts function, this is what makes it an oral tie!
How can MMW support me and my baby with oral ties?
At Mal’s Milky Way, Abbey and Greta are both Masterclass Certified IBCLC's. Meaning, they both have training to not only do functional oral exams, but to provide families with rhythmic body movements to address tension and oral rehabilitative exercises to address oral dysfunction.
Signs of oral ties with breastfeeding:
Nipple pain and damage
Infant weight loss/poor weight gain
Low supply
Quickly falling asleep at the breast
Clicking during feedings
Blistering of the lips
Fussiness while feeding
and more!
Supportive therapies that we utilize for our tied babies:
Chiropractic for alignment and nervous system regulation
Craniosacral and craniosacral-fascial therapy to address body tension
Infant massage to address body tension
Speech therapy for swallow troubles
Occupational therapy for variations in infant reflexes
Why is seeing MMW prior to release important?
When infants are tied, there are parts of their mouths that are not moving. As humans, we need movement to make connects from the brain to the muscle. Doing oral exercises prior to release can help “turn on” those muscles so after release, your baby is not left with a floppy, flaccid mouth they do not know how to use with all this extra range of motion!
We are also connected from the tip of our tongues to the tips of our toes. So when there is an oral tie, there typically is tension elsewhere in the body! When infant’s get released prior to addressing body tension, releases can be unsuccessful or ties can come back.
Oral Tie Package
A package for our families who are concerned about oral dysfunction, tension and ties. The package includes:
-Initial consultation to perform a functional oral assessment of your baby, provide exercises and discuss pre-work prior to oral tie release.
-Follow up visit within 48 hours post-release
-Weekly follow-ups for 3 weeks for oral rehabilitation support
Ideal time to book: Prior to scheduling or at least one week prior to your baby’s pre-scheduled assessment with a release provider
Book your initial consultation when purchasing your package.
How do I know if this package is the right fit for my baby?
You have been told or your baby has been diagnosed with some sort of oral tie
You have nipple damage that will not heal on its own
You have nipple pain that just won’t go away
Your baby has slow weight gain or weight loss
You have concerns about your baby’s ability to drink milk at the breast and/or bottle
You are concerned that your baby is a messy, noisy eater