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Our Forever Smiles

Our Forever Smiles is a podcast community supporting mothers of children born with a cleft lip and/or palate.

25/08/2025

✨ Cleft Team Spotlight: UMN Cleft and Craniofacial Team ✨

Let’s show some love to the incredible Cleft & Craniofacial Team University of Minnesota team, led by the compassionate and dedicated Dr. Renie Daniel! 💕 This American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association - ACPA-approved team based at the University of Minnesota is doing powerful work not only in care, but in connection.

Through their Instagram, they’re constantly sharing valuable resources for cleft-affected families across Minnesota, especially reaching those who may not be connected to an ACPA-approved team yet. This kind of outreach makes a difference.

🎧 And did you know they have a podcast? The Cleft Collective dives deep into the cleft journey from multiple perspectives, families, providers, and advocates alike.

We’re grateful for teams like UMN who are meeting families where they are and helping them feel seen, supported, and equipped. 💖 Learn more about ACPA-certified teams like the one at the University of Minnesota when you visit: acpacares.org.

19/08/2025

✨ New Episode Out Now! ✨

In this week’s episode of Our Forever Smiles, Craniofacial SLP Meg Lico shares how she supports mothers who feel the weight of not being able to breastfeed. Her insight is a reminder that every feeding journey matters and that moms deserve grace, support, and encouragement along the way. 💜

🎧 Listen now on Apple & Spotify!

18/08/2025

✨ The right cleft team can make all the difference. Stacey Howell shares how her team offered comfort and support from diagnosis through every step of her son’s journey. 💙

🎧 Listen OFS every Tuesday at 9am. We are here to support you. Link in bio 😉

15/08/2025

Upcoming Episodes: Our Forever Smiles x ACPA 💗

These special Our Forever Smiles episodes are brought to you by the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association - ACPA) and spotlight powerful voices across the cleft community. From personal journeys to groundbreaking care, these stories are ones you won’t want to miss. 💬

💖 Inside the ‘Nose Movie’
NYU’s Meg Lico explains how tech, storytelling, and research are changing cleft care | ACPA Young Professional Award Winner

🌸 Womanhood, Cleft & Identity
Dr. Danielle McWilliams on navigating cleft, womanhood, and intersectionality | ACPA Spotlight

🌷 CozeeCoo Founder Jennifer Stelmakh
Live from ACPA—how one mom’s journey led to a product now comforting cleft kiddos across the country 💞

🍼 From Cleft Mama to Cleft Coordinator
Suzie Santomieri shares how her family’s story inspired a career of helping others | ACPA Special

New episodes every Tuesday!
Subscribe, share, and tune in to hear real stories that shape and strengthen our cleft community 💕

14/08/2025

Hello, we’re Laura and Tyrone! 💕
We’ve been together for four amazing years and are getting married this September! 🎉

We have three wonderful children, and our youngest baby came as a beautiful surprise with a cleft palate. At first, we were completely shocked by her diagnosis, but we quickly stepped in to learn everything we could to help her thrive. 💪✨

Did you know 1 in 700 babies are born with a cleft lip and/or palate? You’re not alone.

We’re so glad you found us and are following Our Forever Smiles, a community dedicated to supporting parents of children born with cleft lip and palate. Here, we share love, resources, and hope every step of the way. 💙

Welcome to the family!

13/08/2025

Helping Siblings Understand Clefts 💙

When a child has a cleft lip or palate, siblings might have lots of questions, and that’s totally normal! Here’s how to talk about it in a simple, caring way:

✨ Keep it age-appropriate:
Explain that a cleft is a small split or opening in the lip or roof of the mouth that some babies are born with. It might make eating, talking, or smiling a little different, but doctors help fix it.

✨ Answer questions simply:
If they ask why, say: “Sometimes when babies are growing, their lips or mouths don’t close all the way. That’s why your brother/sister has a cleft.”

✨ Involve siblings gently:
Encourage them to be helpers, maybe they can hold a favorite toy during doctor visits or give lots of hugs and love during recovery.

Remember, siblings play an important role in support and love as the family journeys through care together! 💖

11/08/2025

Children’s Craniofacial Association is Hiring! 💼
Children's Craniofacial Association is looking for a passionate and detail-oriented Program Director to help lead programs, events, and support services for craniofacial-affected kids and their families.

📅 Applications close: August 15, 2025

This is a chance to make a real impact, from planning retreats to providing direct support for families.

📧 Email Erica at [email protected]

Let’s help spread the word and connect the right person to this amazing opportunity. 📬

08/08/2025

How much time should I take off work for lip or palate surgery?
We asked , and here’s what they shared:

🗓️ Plan for at least one week off to be safe.
If you have the flexibility, a second week can help ease the transition, but many say it’s not absolutely necessary.

😴 Most babies begin settling back into their sleep routines within 4–6 weeks post-surgery.

📝 Keep in mind: Every child and recovery is different. This is shared experience, not medical advice.

💬 Drop your experience below! How much time did you take off for recovery?

01/08/2025

Flashback Friday ✨

In episode 72, Managing Daycare and Cleft Care as a Working Mom, Sara Breen opened up about a time when motherhood felt impossible. She never thought she’d see the light at the end of the tunnel — but she’s here now to remind you that you will get there.

If you’re in the thick of it right now, this is the encouragement you need. 💛 Go listen to episode 72 of Our Forever Smiles wherever you get your podcasts. You’re not alone in this journey.

30/07/2025

Faith doesn’t erase the reality of a cleft diagnosis—but for Lauren Greenlee, it gave her the strength to face it. 💛 In this clip, she shares how her belief carried her through uncertainty, reminding us that while faith isn’t a cure, it can be a powerful source of peace and resilience.

26/07/2025

Scar care after cleft surgery isn’t always as simple as applying ointment and moving on.

What happens when your baby can’t tolerate the touch, the massage, or even the scar strips?

For many parents, scar care becomes one of the most emotionally draining parts of the healing process, not because of the scar itself, but because of how our little ones respond.

Here are a few gentle reminders for parents in the thick of it:

- You’re not failing if your baby resists.
- Scar care is important, but so is your child’s comfort.
- A small break, a different approach, or simply waiting for a more receptive moment can make a big difference.
- Discuss alternatives with your cleft team; there are many ways to support healing that take into account your child’s unique tolerance and needs.

✨ You’re doing the best you can, and that’s more than enough.

How did you handle scar care when your baby wasn’t having it?
Your story could help another parent feel less alone. 💬

🔑: Cleft Support, Scar Care, Cleft Strong Cleft Lip/Palate, Post Surgery Care, Cleft Awareness

25/07/2025

The invisible load: Cleft care.

It’s not just the surgeries.
It’s the constant calculations, questions, and quiet worries no one else sees.

It’s the feeding struggles and every ounce tracked.
The gas. The reflux.
The appointments that interrupt everything.
The guilt when your baby cries in recovery.
The fear that they’ll remember the anesthesia, the trauma, the swelling.

It’s chasing answers while navigating hearing tests and speech milestones.
It’s managing scarring, managing emotions, managing it all.

And still showing up, again and again.

If this is your world, we see you.
You carry so much.
And you don’t have to carry it alone.

💕

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-forever-smiles-cleft-mom-diaries-and-support/id1734350430

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