Ohhhhh the Stretches
These are a b*tch. They just are. I apologized to both of my children after my first attempt at stretching my own tongue, and cried at how many times I caused them to hurt after their releases as infants. Stretching under a baby’s tongue is easier, because I didn’t have to feel the pain, but way more difficult overall. The infant can’t show you their range of motion. They are actually fighting you instead of trying to aid in their own recovery.
Performing my own stretches was incredibly difficult, because they caused all of the pain! If my tongue wasn’t moving and just resting in my mouth, it didn’t hurt at all. Then I would think back to when did I stretch last? What time was it currently? How did my tongue feel? Good? Then it was probably time to stretch and move it again.
**sigh**
I could, however, visualize the wound SO much easier than my children’s tongues. I could also test the range of motion. Before stretching, especially in the morning, my range of motion was slightly more than pre-release. (Eeeek. “Was all of this worth it?” I would ask myself each day.) I could lift my tongue and see a little bit of scab underneath. Eh, that hurts, let’s stop right there. (I’m no stranger to pain, but this kinda hurt. My Birth Story in Photos)
Then I would take a deep breath and remember that I paid a lot of money to have this procedure done. There was no way I was going to tell my husband that I wanted it done again just because my stretches weren’t superb and it reattached. No way. I would then stretch and keep testing my range of motion until I could flatten my tongue back to touch my uvula. Success. (Is this really adulting?) Then off to find something cold to reduce the swelling. (beer, please! Crap, it’s 6am)
Confession: I Didn’t Do My Stretches Exactly Right
When my dentist showed me the correct way to stretch under my tongue, he used a rubbing motion. Well, OUCH. that wound was open, big, and angry for a few days. There was no way I wanted to get a finger on top of that sore. It felt weird to touch, it hurt, and I was scared of damaging it more and causing scar tissue. My dentist never confirmed that this was a risk. He actually said that I couldn’t be too rough with my stretches as long as I wasn’t poking the wound. This was helpful advice, and I had to remind myself of this during the second week of healing, when the diamond seemed particularly determined to define my range of motion as it healed.
Instead of rubbing, I pushed back on either side of the diamond and relaxed my tongue. This stretch provided a rather uncomfortable pulling and stretching sensation, but it wasn’t super painful. It got the job done, and I was happy to not be on the wound until the second week!
Have you found a way to stretch that works for you? How do you remember to get them in so many times during the day and night? Share your tips here so others can see! and thanks 🙂
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