The Early Cleft Years Course: Practical Guidance from Diagnosis to 24 Months

A trusted guide for caregivers of cleft-affected babies - offering practical tips and a clear roadmap from diagnosis through 2 years. The 8-module course covers everything from feeding to surgery prep and post-op care, with research-backed insights and real-life advice. The Early Cleft Years Course is offered free of charge by Behind the Smile, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping cleft families feel prepared, connected, and supported.

Take the Course

THIS COURSE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH:

  • Your family's journey from diagnosis to 24 months — What to expect throughout the journey to help you feel prepared.

  • Firsthand learnings from other parents — Honest lessons, real-life insights, and "wish I'd known" reflections from fellow cleft parents.

  • Practical prep tips for baby's arrival — From must-have baby gear to hospital bag checklists & navigating the first days at home.

  • Feeding & soothing parenting tips — Trusted advice on bottles, pacifiers, introducing solids, and open-cup transitions for cleft-affected babies.

  • Navigating pre-surgical care & surgery — Understanding taping, NAMs, surgical timing, and how to support your baby’s healing.

  • Additional insights — High-level overview of neonatal teeth, reflux, ears, speech, sleep apnea, dry lips, etc.

What’s Inside

MODULE 1

Resources, Conversations, & Support

This module provides general information, an extensive list of resources, ideas on how to prepare siblings, ideas for navigating difficult conversations, & more.

MODULE 2

Prenatal Apts, Birth, Year 1-2 Overview

This module addresses the many questions parents face after learning the diagnosis and provides info on what you can expect in the first years.

MODULE 3

How to Prepare

This module provides a high-level overview of how to prepare for your baby’s arrival.

MODULE 4

Infant Milk & Pacifiers

This module reviews the cleft bottles and many of the questions parents face about feeding their baby and navigating pacifiers.

MODULE 5

Solids & Cups

This module provides an overview of introducing solids and provides tips & tricks for transitioning to cups, including straws.

MODULE 6

Pre-surgical Interventions

This module provides an overview of the pre-surgical interventions and outlines tips and tricks for managing each one. 

MODULE 7

Surgery

This module shares tips and tricks for navigating lip and palate repair surgery.

MODULE 8

Additional Topics

This module provides information on Teeth, Reflux, Ears, Speech, Sleep Apnea, Dry Lips.

Take the Course

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, this course is designed for families expecting a baby with a cleft diagnosis or parenting a cleft-affected baby up to 24 months old. It's also a wonderful resource for grandparents, caregivers, and anyone in your support circle who wants to feel confident helping. The course is relevant if your child has cleft lip (unilateral or bilateral), cleft palate, or both.

  • It actually might help alleviate some of your concerns, but there's no “right time”, and you don't have to watch it all at once. Many parents find it helps to know the information is there when they're ready, even if that means starting with just one module. The course is built to be taken at your own pace - pause, come back, skip around, or rewatch as often as you need.

  • Behind the Smile was created by me, Marina Taylor — a cleft mom who built this course after navigating my own family's journey and realizing how hard it was to find clear, calm, parent-to-parent guidance in one place.

    The information in these guides reflects my own experience, crowd-sourced wisdom from the cleft parent community, and extensive research from books, trusted sources like PubMed and ACPA, and leading craniofacial centers. I've spent countless hours reading cleft books, combing through research, and gathering insights from forums, blogs, social media, and conversations with fellow cleft parents — so you don't have to.

    Everything is fact-checked for accuracy. That said, this is parenting wisdom, not medical advice — your cleft team is always your medical home.

  • Unlimited, lifetime access. You'll also have access to any updates we make to the course over time.

  • The course is organized into eight modules, each containing 6–10 questions. Every question is answered in a short 2–4 minute video, so you can fit them in during a nap or a feeding session. Watch in any order, pause whenever you need to, and come back to topics as they become relevant to your family's journey.

  • No, and it's not meant to. Your cleft team are your medical experts, and we always defer to them for clinical decisions. Behind the Smile is the parent's perspective: what to expect, what to ask, how to advocate, and how to take care of yourselves along the way. Think of it as the friend who's been there, walking alongside your medical care.

  • Yes. If the course is not the right fit for your family just email us and we'll issue a full refund. Our only goal is to help cleft families, and if we haven't done that for you, we want to make it right. Please email marina@behindthesmile.org directly from your email account and she will respond as quickly as possible.

  • Email marina@behindthesmile.org and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can — usually within 24–48 hours. If you don't hear from us, please check your spam folder, since replies sometimes get filtered there.

What Fellow Parents are Saying

  • "Behind the Smile made me feel so much less stressed and lost. The course helped me know what to expect instead of feeling alone and clueless. The sample questions at the end of each module were a lifesaver - I used them with doctors through the whole first 2 years of my son's life and they made me feel confident walking into appointments. I’m so glad I took the course."

    — Fellow Cleft Parent

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