LITTLE People, Big World’s Isabel Roloff has lashed out at a pediatrician she claims tried to “gaslight” her into believing newborn son Mateo didn’t have his tongue tied.
Instead, the 25-year-old congratulated herself for getting another opinion, and taking care of the problem.
According to the Mayo clinic, “Tongue-tie is a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue’s range of motion.
“With tongue-tie, an unusually short, thick or tight band of tissue tethers the bottom of the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth, so it may interfere with breast-feeding.
“Someone who has tongue-tie might have difficulty sticking out his or her tongue. Tongue-tie can also affect the way a child eats, speaks and swallows.”
The LPBW alum noticed she was experiencing difficulty with breastfeeding, and wouldn’t give up until Mateo’s mouth was fixed.
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In a reflective post on Instagram, Isabell opened up about her experience with the initial pediatrician.
She shared: “A few months ago, I had a pediatrician try to gaslight me and say Mateo didn’t have a tongue tie. If I had listened to him and given up, we wouldn’t be where we are now.
“Giving up or shutting down has been my default setting in the past and I’m grateful to be where we are today.
“Talking about our strengths and having pride in things we do doesn’t automatically equate to shaming others journeys.”
Mateo was born at the beginning of December last year.
EARLY PROBLEMS
It didn’t take long for mom Isabel, who shares Mateo with husband Jacob, to realize something wasn’t right, as she recently shared on Instagram.
“Nourishing my baby with my body is not something I take lightly or for granted. It’s so special to me,” the proud mother said.
“We had a bit of a rough start in the beginning of our breastfeeding journey due to Mateo having a severe tongue tie, which made it hard for him to gain weight in the beginning.
“It was getting frustrating for both of us. I think I was prepared for a lot of aspects around birth, motherhood, newborns, but I was probably the least informed on breastfeeding.
“It seems as though it should just come naturally and be a piece of cake, when really, both mom and baby are learning a new skill and that’s no easy feat. It takes time to figure it all out.”
SETTLING DOWN
Since sharing her early struggles, life with a newborn has started to settle down.
Last month, she shared a rare photo of her son at an alpaca farm during an adorable family outing.
In an Instagram photo, a llama appeared to kiss the little one’s hat as Isabel grinned.
Previously, as the tot turned three months old, mom shared a photo with a grin from ear to ear.
“I can’t believe I have a 3 month old,” she captioned the pic.
“This age is so fun. His personality is starting to shine through so much and he’s smiling at everyone.
“He’s the love of my freaking life and I am thankful every day I get to be his mama.
“Thanks for choosing me, Teo. You light up my whole entire world my dear.”
