Behind every smile there’s an extraordinary caregiver
We provide support, practical guidance, community, and resources for cleft-affected families.
Practical Support for Parents of Babies with Cleft Lip & Palate
About Behind the Smile
If you're reading this, you likely have a child with a cleft lip and/or palate or recently received the diagnosis. Welcome.
I built Behind the Smile because when we got our cleft diagnosis, I couldn't find what I needed. There was clinical information on one end and personal stories on the other — but not much in between. No practical, parent-built guide to walk me through what was coming. So I made one.
Behind the Smile is a resource hub for cleft parents, created by a cleft parent. It isn't medical advice — it's the guide I wish I'd had.
The Early Cleft Years Course
Feel prepared instead of overwhelmed. The course guides parents from diagnosis through age 2, with short, practical videos on feeding, pre-surgical care, surgery, post-op healing, and more. Every module blends extensive research with practical wisdom from the cleft parent community — eight modules of fact-checked, parent-tested guidance you can take at your own pace.
IT’S LOVELY TO MEET YOU
I'm Marina, and my son was born with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate. By his 2nd birthday, we'd been through so much as a family — feeding challenges, nasoalveolar molding (NAM), surgeries. We were proud of how far we'd come, but also disappointed by how often we'd found the right information a week or two after we needed it. We'd spent his early years researching and problem-solving instead of enjoying this precious time.
Mission: I created this space to equip future cleft parents with the practical tips & tricks of raising a cleft-affected child — so families can spend less time searching and more time thriving.
