The Birth Lounge Podcast

Baby hit four months and sleep went sideways? HeHe's Baby Sleep Solutions Guide covers exactly that, grab it here: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/babysleep

 

Part three of the tongue tie series, and this one goes somewhere completely different. HeHe sits down with Michelle Emmanuel, a baby-specialized occupational therapist with 30 years in the field, to answer a question that never even crossed her mind before this conversation, what if a tongue tie isn't just about feeding at all?

 

Michelle breaks down why oral restrictions are connective tissue, not muscle, and why they start forming as early as eight to nine weeks in utero, genetically, before anything about birth or positioning even gets involved. From there she connects dots HeHe did not see coming, torticollis, high palate, micrognathia, a distended belly, reflux, slow gastric motility, even head shape and posture, all potentially tracing back to the same restricted tissue. Michelle's line that stuck with HeHe: the tongue is a multi-muscular midline organ connected all the way down to the toes.

 

Then HeHe gets vulnerable. Her son's tongue release at 48 hours old changed everything for breastfeeding overnight, but tummy time was still a nightmare, screaming, arching, refusing to tolerate it on any flat surface. Turns out that was a sign too. After staged revisions of his buccal ties and upper lip tie, tummy time stopped being torture and started being something he actually enjoyed. Michelle explains why that connection is real, why staged releases can be the smarter call for a brand new baby, and why rushing a release before a baby's tissue and nervous system are ready can actually backfire.

 

They also get into the messier, more honest parts of this world, the total lack of research on wound care and buccal or lip tie releases, why Michelle avoids the word "tongue tie" now in favor of "oral dysfunction and restrictions," and what to do when your pediatrician brushes off your concerns (her answer, start with an IBCLC). And because airway is where this whole series is headed, Michelle closes with the direct line between tongue mobility, mouth breathing, snoring, and the sleep disruption so many parents chalk up to "just a bad sleeper."

 

Oh, and don't skip the part where HeHe finally reveals which laundry detergent won the great mom-group debate, you'll want to hear this one.

 

Want the shortcut version of what HeHe has learned about getting real sleep from 4 to 24 months? Grab her Baby Sleep Solutions Guide here: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/babysleep

 

CHAPTERS

00:00 Tongue Tie Breakthrough

00:57 Baby Sleep Guide Launch

06:06 Pandemic Parenting Rant

07:17 Oral Ties Explained

22:00 Signs And Support Strategies

40:40 Training Over Social Media

43:12 Tummy Time And Revisions

46:57 Staged Releases And Evidence

59:59 Wound Care Debate

01:06:25 Airway, Timing, And Wrap-Up

 

GUEST BIO

Michelle Emmanuel is a baby-specialized occupational therapist with 30 years of experience, focused on infant posture, body movement, and whole-body development from the newborn period through pre-crawling. She created the Tummy Time Method and Baby Myo, and spends much of her time training other therapists (OT, PT, speech, and lactation professionals) to support babies with oral restrictions as part of a multidisciplinary care team.

 

Connect with Michelle: https://www.tummytimemethod.com
https://www.babymyo.com

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

HeHe's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tranquilitybyhehe

Michelle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonguetiebabies

 

TRULY FREE

Ready to ditch laundry detergent that's secretly loaded with hormone disruptors? HeHe made the switch to Truly Free, plant-based, dye-free, and available completely unscented, and it's what she uses on everything her baby touches. Head to https://www.trulyfreehome.com and use code HEHE to save on your order.

 

BIRTH EDUCATION RESOURCES

Join The Birth Lounge for judgment-free, evidence-based childbirth education from HeHe that shows you exactly how to navigate hospital policies, avoid unnecessary interventions, and have a trauma-free labor experience, all while feeling wildly supported every step of the way: https://www.thebirthlounge.com

 

Want prep delivered straight to your phone? Download The Birth Lounge App for bite-sized birth and postpartum tools you can use anytime, anywhere: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/app

 

LINKS MENTIONED

Baby Sleep Solutions Guide: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/babysleep

Truly Free (use code HEHE): https://www.trulyfreehome.com

Hear Baby Saggy’s Tongue Tie release story here: https://podcast.thebirthlounge.com/e/ep-488-tongue-tie-release-signs-pain-and-why-some-babies-need-a-second-revision-my-babys-story/