A Story I’ve Told Countless Times, But Never Published
For the past three years, I’ve shared this story with nearly every patient who walks through my doors. Yet, until now, I’ve never written it down. It’s the story of why I am so passionate about tongue tie and lip tie releases—and how this passion quite literally saved my daughter’s life.
Claire’s Story: A Life-Changing Journey
When my daughter, Claire, was born early, she wouldn’t eat or grow. The doctors told us she would likely be a “failure to thrive” baby. We spent 29 long days in the NICU, with no real progress. Every feeding was a battle. But I knew something the doctors didn’t, and that knowledge changed everything.
How It All Started: A Book That Sparked a Mission
While my wife was in her first trimester with Claire, I read a book that would alter the course of my career and my daughter’s life:
“Tongue Tied” by Dr. Richard Baxter.
The book told the story of his own daughter’s struggles with undiagnosed oral ties. Something clicked in me. I felt an urgency to learn everything I could about tongue and lip ties. As luck would have it, the Breathe Baby Course with Dr. Chelsea Pinto of The Breathe Institute was happening that very weekend. I signed up immediately. I absorbed every bit of knowledge, and soon after, I began seeing infants in my office—helping babies who struggled with feeding, sleeping, and colic live healthier lives.
Claire’s Birth and the Challenges We Faced
Fast forward a few months: Claire was born 4 weeks and 3 days early, weighing just 5 lbs 4 oz.
The first thing I did was check her mouth. Her tongue was fine, but her lip was tethered—she couldn’t flange it outward to breast or bottle feed properly.
We were determined to feed her breastmilk, but breastfeeding was painful for my wife and impossible for Claire. Pumped milk via bottle didn’t work either—milk poured out of her mouth, she lost weight, and the NICU became our home.
Fighting Against the System
In the NICU, every day came with new challenges:
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Day 2: Claire needed to drink 40 ml in 30 minutes—she only managed 15 ml.
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Day 10: The goal increased to 45 ml—she only managed 20 ml.
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Day 25: The requirement became 60 ml—she still couldn’t do it.
Her outfits were soaked after every feeding, and she was wasting away. Milk spilled everywhere and caused her lips to blister so badly that even attempting to eat was causing her pain.
I told every doctor, nurse, lactation consultant—anyone who would listen—that her lip tie was the cause. No one believed me. I even tried to get credentialed as a guest provider in the hospital, but was dismissed.
To be continued...
