The Birth Lounge Podcast

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If you caught last week's episode, you already know HeHe's own tongue tie story was not exactly simple. This week she's zooming out with Dr. Heidi Aaronson, a general dentist who specializes in tethered oral tissues, to answer the question so many parents get stuck on: is this actually a tongue tie, or is something else going on entirely?

Dr. Heidi's whole approach starts with function over appearance, meaning what a tie looks like under your baby's tongue matters a lot less than what it's actually doing. She and HeHe get into why clicking, a poor seal, feeding fatigue, gas, reflux, and colic can all have more than one root cause, and why body tension and fascia can mimic or even feed into feeding problems that look exactly like a tongue tie on the surface. They also talk through when lactation consultants and bodywork should come before you even consider a release, because sometimes the answer really isn't a release at all.

From there they go deep on what actually happens during a frenectomy or frenotomy, laser versus scissors, what recovery looks like for a tiny human, and HeHe finally gets the truth on whether tongue ties really cause a lisp (spoiler, it's more myth than you'd think). And because ties don't just affect feeding, Dr. Heidi breaks down the sleep and airway side too, mouth breathing, snoring, tooth grinding, and the specific red flags that mean it's time to loop in an ENT.

Dr. Heidi's philosophy the whole way through is less is more, and this episode is basically a masterclass in knowing the difference between a tie that needs treatment and one that just needs time. Oh, and stick around for HeHe's current favorite low-tox laundry detergent.

In this episode:

• How tongue, lip and cheek ties can affect oral function
• Why function matters more than how a tie looks
• Tongue ties and breastfeeding or bottle-feeding challenges
• Clicking, poor seal, feeding fatigue, gas, reflux and colic
• How body tension can mimic or contribute to feeding problems
• The connection between oral restrictions, fascia and whole-body compensation
• When lactation support and bodywork may be helpful before considering a release
• What actually happens during a frenectomy or frenotomy
• Laser vs. scissors, pain and infant recovery
• Tongue ties, speech development and lisp myths
• Mouth breathing, snoring and disrupted sleep
• Why baby snoring can be an airway red flag
• When to involve an ENT
• Why Dr. Aaronson believes less is more when deciding what to release

Timestamps

00:00 Baby Snoring Red Flags
00:55 New Baby Sleep Guide
02:27 Four-Month Sleep Shift
06:06 Oral Ties & Sleep
11:24 What Tongue Ties Are
39:26 Tongue Ties & Digestion
41:26 Fascia Chain & Compensation
43:35 Feeding Fatigue & the Witching Hour
46:01 Injury Tension vs. Tongue Tie
48:22 Release Procedure Explained
52:58 Laser vs. Scissors & Pain
58:18 Speech Issues & Lisp Myths
01:02:44 Mouth Breathing, Snoring & Airway
01:07:24 Who to See: ENT & Red Flags
01:10:38 Wrap-Up, Resources & Insurance

Want more restful nights for the whole family? Grab HeHe's Baby Sleep Solutions Guide here: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/babysleep, or treat yourself to Cozy Earth's bamboo sheets with code HEHE at https://cozyearth.com/ for 20% off.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Heidi Aaronson is a general dentist and owner of New Generation Dental Center in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a special focus on tethered oral tissues and their impact on feeding, oral function, growth and development. She evaluates and treats hundreds of infants and children each year for tongue, lip and buccal ties and works closely with lactation consultants, feeding therapists, myofunctional therapists and other healthcare providers to determine when treatment is appropriate — and, just as importantly, when it isn’t. Dr. Heidi has pursued extensive continuing education in tethered oral tissues and airway-focused dentistry and has trained with leading clinicians in the field. She also lectures to other healthcare professionals on the evaluation and treatment of tongue ties across the lifespan. Her approach focuses on function rather than appearance and on helping families understand the whole picture before deciding whether a release is right for their child.

 

Connect with Dr. Heidi: https://www.ngdentalcenter.com/

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Connect with HeHe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tranquilitybyhehe/ 

Connect with Dr. Heidi on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bostontonguetie/

 

BIRTH EDUCATION:

Not ready for the 4-24 month sleep solution guide? Check out our Newborn Sleep Solution guide here: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/newbornsleep

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