Baby Surgery

Corbin had her upper lip frenulum cut this past Wednesday, and everything went fine. The frenulum in question was the fold of skin that connects your upper lip to your gums, scientifically called the frenulum labii superioris and hers was really far down and between her two front teeth, causing a big gap to form there. (You can feel your frenulum with your tongue pretty easily).

We first noticed the gap in her upper front teeth when they started coming in, but upon closer inspection we realized the gap was caused by something. We asked her pediatrician about the skin between her teeth at her 18 month check-up, and they referred us to an ENT. They took a look at it when we went to see them, and said that it wasn't too bad but they'd still like to clip it.

The procedure was incredibly fast. We showed up to the hospital, she had to put on a hospital gown, they took her vitals, and we waited a bit. Then they came back to get her and took her back for the "operation." They used gas to put her under and the tissue between her teeth and the frenulum itself was cauterized. She was back there for about ten minutes.

I was absolutely terrified for my baby, especially when the nurse who was working assured us that it was very normal for the babies to cry when they are removed from the gas. She told me it was because they were confused and not because they were in pain. I was like, "Do all the babies cry, or just some of them?" and she was like, "They ALL cry." All you could hear in the background were crying babies while she was saying this.

MY BABY, however, is a champ. She did not cry. She whined a bit when we put her clothes back on her, but she did not cry. No, sir. Those tears came much later, lol. She woke up from her nap that afternoon absolutely bawling. A little bit of baby Motrin and some Kai-lan, and she was herself again. Then she woke up in the middle of the night pitching a fit. Some more baby Motrin and Yo Gabba Gabba did the trick that time.

Corbin HATES for you to get anywhere near her face, so I haven't really got to take a look at her mouth. The glimpse I did get, I could see where the gums and tissue were gray looking, which they told me was normal because of the cauterization.

So yes, not even two years old baby has official had surgery! Even I've never had surgery in my entire life!

Go, Corbi-lou! :)