u/BeansOnToast012345

Hi All

We found out at our 18 week scan yesterday that our baby has a unilateral cleft lip and palate (everything else came back healthy and is developing well). It's been a lot to take in but we're trying to focus on learning as much as we can and preparing ourselves for the journey ahead.

We're due to meet the specialist cleft team in the next 2 weeks with a further scan to determine the exact extent of the cleft, but in the meantime we'd really appreciate hearing from other parents who have been through this (whether you're currently pregnant, your little one has already been born or you've been on this road for years already).

We simply want to be as informed and prepared as possible for what's ahead.

If you're happy to share, we'd love to hear about anything and everything you're willing to share:

* Your experience after the diagnosis
* Whether you chose to have the amniocentesis procedure since there's a miscarriage risk
* What the pregnancy and birth were like (if anything is different to normal)
* Feeding in those first few weeks/months
* The surgery journey and recovery process
* Speech, hearing and dental outcomes
* How your child is doing now (physically, mentally and developmentally)
* Anything you wish you knew before baby was born

Hearing real experiences from parents who have walked/walking this path would be much appreciated.

Hi All

We found out at our 18 week scan yesterday that our baby has a unilateral cleft lip and palate (everything else came back healthy and is developing well). It's been a lot to take in but we're trying to focus on learning as much as we can and preparing ourselves for the journey ahead.

We're due to meet the specialist cleft team in the next 2 weeks with a further scan to determine the exact extent of the cleft, but in the meantime we'd really appreciate hearing from other parents who have been through this (whether you're currently pregnant, your little one has already been born or you've been on this road for years already).

We simply want to be as informed and prepared as possible for what's ahead.

If you're happy to share, we'd love to hear about anything and everything you're willing to share:

• Your experience after the diagnosis
• Whether you chose to have the amniocentesis procedure since there's a miscarriage risk
• What the pregnancy and birth were like (if anything is different to normal)
• Feeding in those first few weeks/months
• The surgery journey and recovery process
• Speech, hearing and dental outcomes
• How your child is doing now (physically, mentally and developmentally)
• Anything you wish you knew before baby was born

Hearing real experiences from parents who have walked/walking this path would be much appreciated.

Hi All

We've flown through the first trimester, so things are starting to feel very real and are moving quite quickly!

I've been given the job of researching all the baby products to make sure we're ready from day one, but honestly it's rather overwhelming. Every social media feed seems to be full of "must-have" baby products and I'm struggling to work out what's genuinely essential versus what's just marketing hype.

Does anyone have a good checklist or resource of what you actually need to have in place by the time baby arrives?

So far, my list looks something like this:

• Nappies/diapers
• Bottles
• Steriliser
• Thermometer
• Blankets
• Muslin cloths
• Bodysuits/vests
• Pram + Bassinet
• Car seat
• Changing table
• Baby bath
• Toiletries (soap, lotion, nappy cream, wipes, nasal sucker thing, etc.)
• Nappy bin
• Baby Bag
• Play mat
• A couple soft toys
• Baby Monitor - needed but not immediately?
• High Chair - maybe a few months down the line?
• White noise machine

I'm not yet sure about:

• Nursing Chair
• Baby towels - Our normal towels should be fine right?
• Swing
• Bouncer
• Walker

I'm sure I'm missing some obvious things, so any advice from parents who've recently been through this would be much appreciated!

P.S. Mum (in conjunction with her midwife) is busy compiling her shopping list for post-birth recovery, feeding and general comfort items so will be covered on that front.