Hybrid assessments combine advance review with live consultation, with clinic time added where it is clinically useful.
Assessment begins before we speak, so time together is focused on understanding patterns, making decisions, and planning next steps. If tongue tie is suspected, assessment focuses on whether it is contributing to feeding difficulties and whether your baby is ready for treatment, rather than treating based on appearance alone.
How it works
Step 1: Pre-consult assessment.
Once your slot is secured, you’ll receive guidance on sending short video clips. These may include feeding, settling, crying, sleep, and movements of your baby’s mouth and body. You can send as many clips as you feel are helpful.
You complete our comprehensive intake form – this includes a symptoms list, space for you to outline what your key concerns are, what you’d like to achieve, and a history of what’s happened before now. When you submit this and secure your slot, you’ll automatically receive an email which lists helpful clips to send us over. These include feeding, sleep, crying and some movements of your baby’s mouth – with guidance on how to collect these.
Why this matters
When babies are seen in clinic, we only see how they are in that moment. Feeding, settling, and behaviour often vary across the day and night, and what happens at home may not show up in clinic.
Step 2
We then have a telephone consultation to discuss findings from your history and clips.
Depending on what’s identified, we may suggest targeted changes, help reduce pain or improve milk transfer, advise on positioning or pacing, or decide together whether clinic assessment is needed.
Sometimes changes are trialled first and clinic time is used later. Other times we move directly to clinic. The pathway is flexible and guided by what is most useful for you and your baby
Step 3: Clinic assessment as needed
If clinic assessment is indicated, this is used to complete any oral or functional assessments that benefit from being seen in person.
If tongue tie is suspected, oral function is assessed carefully and we look at whether your baby is frenulotomy-ready, rather than simply whether a tie is present.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t it better to be seen in clinic?
Not always. When feeding or settling is variable, a single in-clinic appointment only shows how your baby behaves in that moment. Starting with advance review of history and video clips often provides more useful information, as it allows patterns to be seen across real life rather than relying on a snapshot. Clinic time, when used, is then focused and purposeful.
Is this a replacement for an in-person assessment?
No. Hybrid assessments use clinic time where it adds clarity. Some families move straight to clinic, others start remotely and add clinic later. The format is guided by what is most useful for your baby, not by a fixed pathway.
What if I’m not sure which option is right?
You don’t need to decide alone. If you’re unsure whether a hybrid or clinic appointment makes more sense, you can book a complimentary quick chat to talk it through.