I became a first-time mom when I had my daughter, Annabelle, in 2019. I didn't know what to expect with breastfeeding or parenting a newborn.

My daughter struggled to latch, and after spending a lot of time with lactation consultants, it was still a nightmare. No one ever told me my child had a tongue and lip tie that was restricting her ability to nurse properly.

Thus, I switched to formula and dealt with some postpartum anxiety and depression, because I felt like I failed at something that was supposed to come “natural.”

Fast forward to 2020 and the pandemic, I gave birth to my second daughter, Amelia. I was even more determined to breastfeed, because I had wanted to give her my antibodies and do things the “right way” this time. Unfortunately, it was an even bigger struggle, and she wasn't gaining any weight.

No one ever told me my child had a tongue or lip tie that was restricting her ability to nurse properly.

After doing some research, I thought a tongue tie was the culprit. However, when I asked the lactation consultant about this she stated, “You're the dentist - you tell me!”

I felt deflated that I still did not have a confirmed answer. Ultimately, we ended up back on formula and my daughter had to be put on Alimentum formula due to a suspected “dairy intolerance.” We gave her simethicone drops daily, but even that was still a struggle.

After all of this, I wanted to be able to diagnose and help other struggling moms so they didn't have to go through what I did! Therefore, I did a ton of reading and obtained additional training specifically tailored to tongue and lip tie releases.

If your mom instincts are telling you something is wrong, there likely is. And I'm here to help.