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Tongue tie and thrush and vaccinations, oh my
Whoa, where did 3 weeks go? Looking after E continues to be a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Overall I’m okay, but reflecting on what's going on it's… a lot.
I don’t want to get bogged down in all the details, but suffice it to say that looking after E’s health is taking up a lot of energy and attention.
Okay. So three weeks ago I started to get sore nipples, particularly on the right. I called the NCT helpline, went to the local midwife-led feeding clinic, asked friends for help, read a bunch of articles and watched YouTube videos. No amount of learning and trying improved the latch. E can only latch onto the nipple itself, and can’t get the whole areola into their mouth like they need to. So I’m sore.
The midwife at the clinic noticed that E was very congested, and thought that this was stopping them from latching on properly, because when they try, they can’t breathe. Also, she picked up on the fact they have a tongue tie. We were told this at their newborn check, but their latch seemed good (or so I thought) so we didn’t see the need to do anything about it. Anyway, when I told the midwife about the vomiting too and Leo’s food allergies, she was super concerned and said, get thee to the GP.
We already had a private paediatrician appointment that week, which we booked after the GP had basically said “they’ll grow out of it” the last two times we tried to interest them in the vomiting and congestion. Which… was going to be expensive. But, armed by the midwife telling me to be firm, I got a same-day appointment at the GP and tried one more time to get a referral through the NHS. Leo came with me.
We told the doctor all about it and asked for a paediatrician referral to investigate food allergies. The doctor prevaricated. I got anxious she wasn't going to refer us. I did a cry. It was a low point.
To cut to the end, we came away with a referral, medication for me and E for thrush “just in case”, and a new anti sickness medication since the Gaviscon wasn't doing the trick, on the basis that the sickness is reflux (which is what they thought last time, but none of the advice seemed to be helping much).
Turns out, the new antacid Ranitidine is the business. We have to give it to E three times a day, but if we actually manage it and if we time it right it stops them from being sick. Which is…. totally transformative. So maybe the sickness is reflux after all, and the Gaviscon was just weak sauce? We cancelled the private pediatrician appointment and started to feel a bit abashed about going in hard asking for a referral. Things seemed better!
We tried the thrush medication, but it made E scream and scream, and the clotrimazole was a total faff to wash off my nipples before feeding. I went back and asked for a swab, and in the meantime my nipples felt a bit better so we decided not to put E through the ordeal of treating for thrush unless we got a positive result back.
But I still couldn't get them to latch on properly, and they were still doing fussy feeding. So we started to think it might be time to get the tongue tie cut after all. Went back to the breastfeeding clinic and got a referral, but we have to wait five weeks.
Meanwhile I had some good days, went to the local breastfeeding cafe and met some nice people, but didn't get any new advice.
Leo’s hip is still really bad and they’re now trying to go back to fulltime work from home, so it’s a struggle to stay on top of the childcare and housework. We’ve booked the cleaner for an extra visit a fortnight, and arranged for one day of childcare a week from a babysitter or nanny, to give us a hand with it.
As soon as we started getting the childcare, and I was trying to write between feeds, it became obvious how much I was feeding. I’ve not been tracking the feeds, but I’ve been tracking work time, and with paying for childcare for 8 hours, I’m breastfeeding for over half of it. A few times lately E has been on the boob for 2 hours at a stretch. Today I woke up ten and a half hours ago and have been either feeding, changing nappies, or cleaning up puke for all but 90 minutes of it. Mostly feeding.
I hadn’t realised until talking to friends about it that long feeding times, especially at this age (nearly 4 months) were a symptom of tongue tie and might well be radically altered if we get it cut. So it’s starting to seem like paying to get it cut sooner might well be worth it financially, if it frees up more of my time, especially on childcare days. We’ve made contact with a local midwife and she could come and do it tomorrow morning...
...except in the meantime my sore nipple is really sore and inflamed. And has a pink raised shiny rash around it. Which is thrush, right?
So. We’re treating E’s mouth and my nipples for thrush. We’ve got a new gel from the pharmacy which doesn’t need to be washed off my nipples before feeds, which makes that quicker. Which means E is getting three doses of Ranitidine (0.5mg of nasty sticky aniseed stuff from a syringe directly before a feed to take the taste away) a day, and four doses of Miconazole a day (1.5mg applied topically to the mouth with a finger, ideally not just before a feed). Which is… a lot of medication to juggle! But that’s OK, right? And we can get the tongue tie cut soon and that might make E twice or three times as efficient at getting milk and suddenly the days will have a lot more space in them, and that will make it easier?
Except we can’t get the tongue tie cut while E might have thrush. So we have to wait a few days for the rash to go away before booking the procedure. And in six days (next Friday) E has the final booster of their vaccinations, which means nasty jabs and a fever for two days and calpol (more nasty sticky syringe stuff) and the tongue tie wound will need massage and stuff afterwards and I don’t know how well the medications will work with the wound and…
I feel overwhelmed. It’s like... every day I’m stuck on the sofa trying to feed a fussy baby on sore nipples, and they’re refusing the bottle still so that’s not an option, and I really need some time to myself for my mental health but it’s not an option, and this tongue tie surgery may not even reduce the feed times, I just really hope it does, and even if it does I don’t know if we can even have it for a week and a half so I have to keep on breastfeeding all hours of the day and… it feels like too much.
Like I say, generally I’m fine. There are lovely moments and good days and friends, and sometimes I cook a nice meal or have some time to write or some time with Leo and feel wonderful. I’m glad we have the money to get some support, even if it does mean spending my savings. In many ways, I feel resilient. But right now, today, in this moment, I feel overwhelmed by the health stuff. It’s a lot to juggle.
I don’t want to get bogged down in all the details, but suffice it to say that looking after E’s health is taking up a lot of energy and attention.
Okay. So three weeks ago I started to get sore nipples, particularly on the right. I called the NCT helpline, went to the local midwife-led feeding clinic, asked friends for help, read a bunch of articles and watched YouTube videos. No amount of learning and trying improved the latch. E can only latch onto the nipple itself, and can’t get the whole areola into their mouth like they need to. So I’m sore.
The midwife at the clinic noticed that E was very congested, and thought that this was stopping them from latching on properly, because when they try, they can’t breathe. Also, she picked up on the fact they have a tongue tie. We were told this at their newborn check, but their latch seemed good (or so I thought) so we didn’t see the need to do anything about it. Anyway, when I told the midwife about the vomiting too and Leo’s food allergies, she was super concerned and said, get thee to the GP.
We already had a private paediatrician appointment that week, which we booked after the GP had basically said “they’ll grow out of it” the last two times we tried to interest them in the vomiting and congestion. Which… was going to be expensive. But, armed by the midwife telling me to be firm, I got a same-day appointment at the GP and tried one more time to get a referral through the NHS. Leo came with me.
We told the doctor all about it and asked for a paediatrician referral to investigate food allergies. The doctor prevaricated. I got anxious she wasn't going to refer us. I did a cry. It was a low point.
To cut to the end, we came away with a referral, medication for me and E for thrush “just in case”, and a new anti sickness medication since the Gaviscon wasn't doing the trick, on the basis that the sickness is reflux (which is what they thought last time, but none of the advice seemed to be helping much).
Turns out, the new antacid Ranitidine is the business. We have to give it to E three times a day, but if we actually manage it and if we time it right it stops them from being sick. Which is…. totally transformative. So maybe the sickness is reflux after all, and the Gaviscon was just weak sauce? We cancelled the private pediatrician appointment and started to feel a bit abashed about going in hard asking for a referral. Things seemed better!
We tried the thrush medication, but it made E scream and scream, and the clotrimazole was a total faff to wash off my nipples before feeding. I went back and asked for a swab, and in the meantime my nipples felt a bit better so we decided not to put E through the ordeal of treating for thrush unless we got a positive result back.
But I still couldn't get them to latch on properly, and they were still doing fussy feeding. So we started to think it might be time to get the tongue tie cut after all. Went back to the breastfeeding clinic and got a referral, but we have to wait five weeks.
Meanwhile I had some good days, went to the local breastfeeding cafe and met some nice people, but didn't get any new advice.
Leo’s hip is still really bad and they’re now trying to go back to fulltime work from home, so it’s a struggle to stay on top of the childcare and housework. We’ve booked the cleaner for an extra visit a fortnight, and arranged for one day of childcare a week from a babysitter or nanny, to give us a hand with it.
As soon as we started getting the childcare, and I was trying to write between feeds, it became obvious how much I was feeding. I’ve not been tracking the feeds, but I’ve been tracking work time, and with paying for childcare for 8 hours, I’m breastfeeding for over half of it. A few times lately E has been on the boob for 2 hours at a stretch. Today I woke up ten and a half hours ago and have been either feeding, changing nappies, or cleaning up puke for all but 90 minutes of it. Mostly feeding.
I hadn’t realised until talking to friends about it that long feeding times, especially at this age (nearly 4 months) were a symptom of tongue tie and might well be radically altered if we get it cut. So it’s starting to seem like paying to get it cut sooner might well be worth it financially, if it frees up more of my time, especially on childcare days. We’ve made contact with a local midwife and she could come and do it tomorrow morning...
...except in the meantime my sore nipple is really sore and inflamed. And has a pink raised shiny rash around it. Which is thrush, right?
So. We’re treating E’s mouth and my nipples for thrush. We’ve got a new gel from the pharmacy which doesn’t need to be washed off my nipples before feeds, which makes that quicker. Which means E is getting three doses of Ranitidine (0.5mg of nasty sticky aniseed stuff from a syringe directly before a feed to take the taste away) a day, and four doses of Miconazole a day (1.5mg applied topically to the mouth with a finger, ideally not just before a feed). Which is… a lot of medication to juggle! But that’s OK, right? And we can get the tongue tie cut soon and that might make E twice or three times as efficient at getting milk and suddenly the days will have a lot more space in them, and that will make it easier?
Except we can’t get the tongue tie cut while E might have thrush. So we have to wait a few days for the rash to go away before booking the procedure. And in six days (next Friday) E has the final booster of their vaccinations, which means nasty jabs and a fever for two days and calpol (more nasty sticky syringe stuff) and the tongue tie wound will need massage and stuff afterwards and I don’t know how well the medications will work with the wound and…
I feel overwhelmed. It’s like... every day I’m stuck on the sofa trying to feed a fussy baby on sore nipples, and they’re refusing the bottle still so that’s not an option, and I really need some time to myself for my mental health but it’s not an option, and this tongue tie surgery may not even reduce the feed times, I just really hope it does, and even if it does I don’t know if we can even have it for a week and a half so I have to keep on breastfeeding all hours of the day and… it feels like too much.
Like I say, generally I’m fine. There are lovely moments and good days and friends, and sometimes I cook a nice meal or have some time to write or some time with Leo and feel wonderful. I’m glad we have the money to get some support, even if it does mean spending my savings. In many ways, I feel resilient. But right now, today, in this moment, I feel overwhelmed by the health stuff. It’s a lot to juggle.