Why Babies Suck

Is your baby struggling to feed?

Are you exhausted, in pain, and wondering why something that should feel natural feels impossible?

You are not alone.

Many parents face babies who will not latch, painful feeds, and a constant sense that something is wrong. Those instincts matter. Feeding difficulties are often early warning signs of tongue tie, lip tie, or tethered oral tissues, also called TOTs. These conditions affect more babies than most parents are told and they are frequently missed, misdiagnosed, or dismissed.

In Why Babies Suck, pediatric dentist Dr. James Thomas explains infant feeding challenges with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based guidance. This is not just a breastfeeding book. It is a practical roadmap for parents and professionals who want answers and options.

Inside this guide, you will learn:

• Why painful feeding, poor latch, and clicking sounds matter
• Why reflux, colic, and gas may relate to oral function
• How to recognize signs of tongue tie, lip tie, and tethered oral tissues
• How body tension can affect feeding, head shape, comfort, and settling
• The therapy-first approach, including feeding support and bodywork before surgery
• When a frenotomy evaluation may help and when it may not
• How to build a care team that may include IBCLC, PT, OT, CST, and a pediatric dentist
• What questions to ask your pediatrician or lactation consultant
• How to advocate for your baby within the healthcare system
• Real stories from families who found answers after months of struggle

This book is for you if:

• Your baby struggles to latch or stay latched
• Feeding is painful despite good positioning
• Your baby has reflux, colic, or excessive gas
• You have been told this is normal, but your intuition says otherwise
• You are considering tongue tie release and want clear information
• You support families as a clinician or therapist

What makes this book different is its whole-child, therapy-first perspective. Dr. Thomas combines clinical expertise with respect for parental intuition and collaborative care. You will learn how professionals can work together to support feeding, function, and comfort.

Feeding your baby should not feel this hard. With the right support, it often does not have to be.

Your baby is communicating. This book helps you listen. Perfect for parents, expectant families, lactation consultants, pediatricians, dentists, ENTs, therapists, doulas, midwives, and public health educators.