Care Instructions | After Your Baby’s CO2 Laser Frenectomy
Pain Management:
You may notice more irritability or fatigue depending on the severity of the treated ties or individual sensitivity differences. If you feel that you must use medications, then over-the-counter brand name or generic Tylenol or Motrin may be used. Please make sure to ask Dr. Bhaumik for a specific dosage and dose before administering any meds! Dr. Bhaumik will give you a call on the evening of the surgery to tell you the exact dose. After the first 36-48 hours, we would not expect you to require any pain medication.
As an alternative, you may also breastfeed as the act itself, plus the sweetness of the breast milk will help calm the baby. If this is not possible, your IBCLC can instruct you how to hand express or pump milk to feed your baby. There are a variety of methods, i.e., nipple shields, finger feeders, etc… This will keep your baby hydrated and fed, and you will be relieved of engorgement.
For lip tie patients: At home, you may notice that the upper lip is now freed into a new fuller position. If there is any swelling, it will be slight and will be under the nose where the lip and nose meet. This will go away in a day or so.
The Day After Treatment: You will notice a white diamond or triangle shape in the area under the upper lip or a white line under the tongue (if there was a tongue tie release). This is normal and expected to last for 7-14 days. The mouth does not form a dry scab as is normal on dry skin. Please continue to follow the WOUND MANAGEMENT STRETCHES which were provided. These stretches are very important for functional mobility of the tongue and/or upper lip (if lip tie release was performed). The functional mobility along with the breast and/or bottle feeding session will substantially improve the strength and mobility of the tongue.
Over time you should notice an improvement in latching to the breast or sucking on the bottle. The feeding should become more efficient and less frequent. For a day or two, your baby may be more resistant to nursing as the CO2 laser frenectomy procedure may cause a temporary rejection of nursing. This is temporary!
Both you and your child should regain more energy and alertness due to a better intake of food and calories and more rest with less struggle. Your breasts should feel better, and discomfort should be less…you are also advised to monitor the increased efficiency and help your baby pace his/her nursing. If you were using nipple shields to help with nursing, you would want to try to stop using these (if possible) to allow more skin-to-skin contact and reduce the chance of nipple confusion. We strongly recommend working with an IBCLC before and after an infant frenectomy.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call our practice at 469-384-8130.
THANK YOU for choosing our practice, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns!
-Dr. Bhaumik and SPD Team
