When Michelle Rawlings became pregnant with her son she did not take the responsibility lightly.
She conducted all of the necessary research about parenting and breastfeeding. Yet, she didn't read anywhere that this could happen.
Following his birth, the mother and son were discharged from the hospital after two days.
But when she got home and tried to breastfeed him, the baby wouldn't latch on. When he did manage to suckle, it wasn't for very long.
"He was also very unsettled, crying constantly and slept very little during the nights," Rawlings told Mirror. "I became engorged, while my son had extremely dry, peeling lips, a sunken soft spot and hardly any tears."
These were the typical signs of dehydration. Her son needed to be nourished.
It wasn’t until five days after leaving the hospital that a midwife noticed one important detail about his mouth.
Rawlings’ son had tongue-tie syndrome, a condition where the fold of the skin under the tongue that connects to the bottom of the mouth is restricted.
Sometimes are children may be born different, but it’s important to love them just the same. Tessa Evans never stopped caring for her daughter, who was born with no nose and Rawlings wasn’t stopped by the momentary struggle.
The condition causes serious problems with feeding but can be resolved with a small medical procedure. Only 10% of babies are born with it.
Rawlings believes her inability to feed her son resulted in depression. To help mothers deal with the condition she has started a Tongue-Tie Awareness Campaign.
See more of Rawlings story below and SHARE to teach others about tongue-tie.
When Michelle Rawlings brought her son home she thought he was a happy healthy baby boy.
However, when he wouldn't breastfeed, it took five days to notice that he had a rare condition known as Tongue-Tie.
According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the signs of Tongue-tie:
- Difficulty lifting the tongue to the upper teeth or moving the tongue from side to side
- Trouble sticking out the tongue past the lower front teeth
- A tongue that appears notched or heart shaped when stuck out
SHARE this story to spread awareness about Tongue-Tie!
