Why feeding is still hard after tongue tie release?
You’ve been through it all. The painful nursing sessions. The bleeding nipples. Feeds that stretch past 45 minutes while you watch the clock, exhausted and worried. You finally had the tongue tie revised, worked through weeks of stretches and exercises while your baby cried, and then the clicking started again. The latch became shallow. Feeding still didn’t feel right.
Sound familiar?
What many parents aren’t told early on is that tongue and lip ties don’t just affect feeding mechanics. They can influence how your baby’s entire nervous system functions and regulates.
And when the nervous system is under stress, the effects often show up far beyond the mouth.
The Ripple Effects of Tongue and Lip Ties
Tongue and lip ties can impact much more than latch alone. Because the tongue plays a role in swallowing, breathing, digestion, and nervous system regulation, restriction can create a chain reaction throughout the body.
Babies with tongue or lip ties may experience:
Difficulty latching or maintaining a latch
Clicking or leaking during feeds
Prolonged or exhausting feeding sessions
Gassiness, reflux, or frequent spit-up
Trouble settling or sleeping, especially lying flat
Tension through the jaw, face, neck, and shoulders
Difficulty calming or regulating between feeds
These signs aren’t separate problems appearing at random. They’re often connected through one system: the nervous system.
Why Releasing the Tie Doesn’t Always Fully Resolve Symptoms
A revision addresses the physical restriction of the tissue. That can be an important and necessary step.
But for some babies, symptoms persist even after a technically successful release. Feeding may still feel difficult. Tension may return. Sleep and digestion may not improve as expected.
This doesn’t mean the revision failed. It doesn’t mean you didn’t do the stretches correctly. It means the nervous system may still be holding tension.
When the nervous system stays in a heightened stress state, muscles throughout the body remain tight, including the muscles and fascia of the tongue, jaw, and neck. Over time, the body can recreate restrictive patterns as a protective response.
Understanding the Nervous System Connection
The tongue is directly connected to the nervous system through multiple cranial nerves, including those involved in swallowing, breathing, and digestion.
When nervous system regulation is off balance, babies may struggle to coordinate:
Suck, swallow, and breathe
Jaw and tongue movement
Digestive rhythms
Settling and self-soothing
Think of the nervous system like a car with two pedals:
The sympathetic system acts like the gas pedal, increasing tension and alertness
The parasympathetic system, supported by the vagus nerve, acts like the brake, allowing calm, digestion, and regulation
If the nervous system struggles to shift out of “go mode,” the body stays tight and reactive. Tongue and lip restrictions can both contribute to and reflect this imbalance.
Why Some Babies Need Ongoing Support
Some babies are advised to consider multiple revisions or continue to experience feeding challenges despite doing everything “right.”
In these cases, the tissue may have been released, but the nervous system patterns driving tension haven’t changed. When regulation improves, the body is better able to adapt, heal, and integrate changes in the mouth and jaw.
This is why supporting the nervous system alongside oral care can be an important part of a baby’s overall progress.
Addressing the Bigger Picture
Neurologically focused chiropractic care at Healthy Families Chiropractic looks beyond the mouth to assess how the nervous system is functioning as a whole.
By gently addressing areas of tension in the cranial, upper cervical, and neurospinal system, care is designed to support better communication between the brain and body. This can help reduce overall tension, improve coordination, and support regulation.
When the nervous system begins to calm, many parents notice changes that matter most day to day:
Feeding feels easier and more efficient
Digestion settles
Sleep improves
Babies appear calmer and more comfortable in their bodies
These shifts reflect improved nervous system balance, not just changes in tissue.
You Know Your Baby Best
If feeding still feels hard, if your baby struggles to settle, or if something doesn’t feel resolved even after addressing a tongue or lip tie, it’s okay to look deeper.
You’ve already done so much for your baby. Exploring how their nervous system is functioning may help explain why symptoms have lingered and what support could help next.
Ready to Explore a More Complete Approach?
If you’re looking for care that considers how tongue and lip ties affect the whole body, Healthy Families Chiropractic is here to support you. Give us a call to book a consultation and learn more about how nervous system-focused care can complement your baby’s journey.
If you’re not local, the PX Docs directory can help you find a provider near you.
Your baby’s body has an incredible ability to adapt and regulate when given the right support. You don’t have to keep guessing — there are other ways to understand what your baby is communicating.
