Tongue Tie Assessment & Feeding Support Adelaide
Paediatric Speech Pathologist & Lactation Consultant
In-Clinic, Home visits & Telehealth consultations available
Concerned about tongue tie or how your baby is feeding?
Common signs include:
Assessment focuses on function, not just appearance
Tongue tie is often discussed in terms of how the tongue looks. But feeding is driven by how the tongue functions.
Some babies with visible restrictions feed well. Others with less obvious findings may struggle significantly.
Assessment focuses on how your baby is feeding — including latch, suction, tongue movement, coordination, and overall efficiency — to understand whether oral restriction is contributing to the difficulty.
Feeding challenges are rarely caused by one factor
Feeding mechanics and latch
Milk transfer and efficiency
Reflux or colic symptoms
Air intake and feeding patterns
Possible contributing factors such as food sensitivity or gut-related discomfort
Understanding how these interact helps ensure the plan addresses what is actually driving the feeding difficulty.
When to seek a tongue tie assessment?
Possible tongue tie or oral function concerns
Many families begin to consider tongue tie after noticing feeding patterns that don’t fully make sense.
These patterns are often linked to how the tongue is functioning during feeding, rather than how it looks in isolation.
Feeding relies on coordinated movement, seal, and pressure. When this isn’t working efficiently, babies may compensate in different ways, which often present as difficulty maintaining latch, increased air intake, facial and body tension, or tiring quickly during feeds.
Rather than focusing on a single symptom or diagnosis, assessment looks at how feeding is functioning overall — including latch, suction, tongue movement, and coordination — to identify what is contributing to the difficulty and what needs to change.
What happens in a consultation?
We go through your feeding history
I observe a feed (breast and/or bottle)
I assess latch, oral function, and feeding patterns
We make practical adjustments where needed
You leave with a clear, personalised plan
Support that fits your family
Clinic Consultations (Adelaide)
When assessing oral function, it’s important to understand how your baby is feeding — not just how things look at a glance.
In clinic, we take the time to observe a full feed and look closely at how the tongue, lips, and jaw are working — including how your baby coordinates, compensates, and manages the flow of milk.
This makes it easier to identify what is actually happening, rather than relying on a brief snapshot or surface-level assessment.
We can then make practical adjustments based on what we see, and translate these into a clear, personalised plan that fits your day-to-day feeding.
For extra peace of mind, complimentary follow-up support via phone or email is available for 7 days to support the plan, if needed.
Best for:
- Babies with ongoing feeding difficulties
- Concerns about latch, coordination, or milk transfer
- Situations where feeding feels inconsistent or effortful
- Families wanting clear, expert guidance
Home visits may be available in limited circumstances. Please get in touch if you would like to explore whether this is suitable.
Telehealth Consultations
ITelehealth allows for a detailed assessment of oral function when we combine a thorough history with guided observation.
Using discussion and video review where needed, we can assess how your baby is feeding, how the mouth is moving, and where feeding may be breaking down.
This allows us to identify contributing factors and provide a clear, targeted plan you can implement straight away.
I’ll guide you on what to record so we can make the most of the assessment.
For extra peace of mind, complimentary follow-up support via phone or email is available for 7 days to support the plan, if needed.
Best for:
- Initial assessment of feeding and oral function
- Families located outside Adelaide
- Follow-up consultations
- Families able to share short feeding videos (guidance provided)
Hi, I’m Summer
I’m a paediatric Speech Pathologist and certified lactation consultant, with advanced training in orofacial myology and a clinical focus on infant feeding, reflux, and oral function. I support families where feeding is difficult, uncomfortable, or not progressing as expected—particularly when standard advice hasn’t resolved the issue.
My interest in reflux became deeply personal after navigating severe reflux and tongue tie with my own little person. Like many parents, I was told it was something babies simply “grow out of”, but I quickly discovered that identifying the underlying cause makes all the difference.
Since then, I’ve helped thousands of families understand what’s really driving their baby’s reflux symptoms and how to address them using gentle, practical strategies.
Rated 5 stars on Google
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Frequently Asked Questions
Assessment focuses on how your baby is feeding and whether oral restriction is impacting function. Recommendations are based on what is actually contributing to the difficulty, not just whether a restriction is present.
Feeding inefficiency and increased air intake can contribute to reflux-like symptoms. Assessment looks at how feeding and oral function may be interacting with your baby’s symptoms.
Feeding challenges can still persist after a release. Assessment focuses on current function, coordination, and feeding patterns to understand what is still contributing.
No. Many families reach out because they know something isn’t working, but aren’t sure why. Working that out is part of the process.
No. While many families seek support in the early weeks, feeding challenges can continue beyond the newborn stage. If feeding is difficult, uncomfortable, or not improving, it’s appropriate to get support at any stage.
If feeding is painful, stressful, or your baby seems uncomfortable, it’s worth getting support sooner rather than later. Early support can prevent feeding patterns from becoming more difficult over time and helps you feel more confident in what you’re doing.
