Heather Rae El Moussa Talks About Breastfeeding Journey, Reveals Challenges With Baby's Tongue, Cheek, Lip Ties

The TV personality opens up about her breastfeeding journey, revealing that she struggled with her baby's tongue, cheek, and lip ties.

Heather Rae El Moussa took to Instagram and told her followers she has been in "mama hibernation mode" for the past weeks. She also grabbed the opportunity to share her breastfeeding journey, which has not been smooth and easy.

In the caption of a photo of her carrying her baby while relaxing on the sofa of their veranda, she admitted that baby Tristan had "tongue tie, cheek tie, lip tie, and jaundice," but these were caught early on by her lactation specialists from Tongue Tie Tribe, whom she called the baby fairies.

She had always thought breastfeeding would be as easy as "popping" the baby on her boobs, and the latter would immediately latch and feed. However, that was not the case. Tristan struggled to latch and suck, which resulted in his weight dropping because he could not eat well. This also resulted in "tearful nights" as she was awake until three in the morning trying to feed the baby but would feel defeated for not being able to.

She shared that they were two weeks past the struggle, and Tristan could already latch so well on her left boob. They also utilize non-traditional positions so he can do the same on the right side.

The former model encouraged parents to have lactation specialists when choosing to breastfeed, as they will significantly help.

Oral ties or tethering

The People magazine reached out to one of Moussa's lactation specialists Danielle Gauss to explain in simpler terms what it means when a baby has tongue, cheek, and lip ties.

The international board-certified lactation consultant called these ties oral ties or oral tethering. She told the news outlet that lactation specialists could reveal much about a baby's birth story and anatomy simply from the baby's suck. This is what happened when she saw Tristan.

She explained that when the baby is tied, the frenulum, which is the "stringy part" under one's tongue and a "collagenous fiber" that connects from tongue to toe, is attached to the wrong area of both tongue and lip, resulting in difficulties in breastfeeding. It is a genetic disorder that can result in any midline defect and can be painful for both mom and baby.

"When it's tethered, the upper lip, everyone has a connective tissue there, is curled into the palate. And with the tongue, it's connected to almost the tip of the tongue. You can have an anterior tie, which is the visible string that's connected in the wrong area, or in some cases, it's posterior where it's inverted into the tongue, which makes it very difficult and painful for the baby to be able to latch to a breast or a bottle," she stated.

Gauss further explained the difference between the two ties. Anterior tie happens when the tongue is almost like in the shape of a heart, and the baby, or even adult, would not be able to stick their tongue out past the gumline. The posterior tie, which is less visible than the anterior as it can only be felt, happens when the tongue is tied or tethered to the floor of the mouth, restricting the tongue from lifting and curling.

When oral ties or tethering happens, it causes gas, colic, and calorie burn due to the head having "12 cranial nerves, 40 muscles and seven bony plates responsible for just one suck." The baby's mouth will not be able to create a seal if anything is tethered in the area, and this causes issues for both mother and baby.

Read More: Model and New Mom Hunter McGrady Opens Up About Challenges of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding should never hurt

When asked what mothers should know about breastfeeding, the co-founder of Tongue Tie Tribute, the California-based CO2 laser frenectomy center for infants and adults, encourages them to "trust their instincts," especially in noticing if something is off when they are breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt, she stressed. It should never hurt, and when it does, seven out of ten times, the issue is with the anatomy of the baby's mouth. Sometimes, it can be a positioning thing or the mom having lipstick-shaped nipples or the baby having sucking blisters, yet all these are visible and can be pinpointed by the mother.

Moussa expressed that despite her and her baby's challenges in their breastfeeding journey, which she knows is only starting, she still loves breastfeeding Tristan "genuinely." She believes that the bonding experience and the skin-to-skin connection are beautiful.

The 34-year-old Selling Sunset star also reminded mothers not to forget about their nutrition and hydration, knowing that the focus can be less given to themselves when breastfeeding and pumping non-stop. She encouraged moms out there to take care of themselves because the babies will benefit more if they can in the long run. Drink lots of water and special drinks like coconut water and get on a meal plan if possible, Moussa suggested.

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