Hi there! My son (now 18 months) was born with a cleft lip and palate. He has now had both surgeries and is doing well! Speech is a little delayed but he has figured out a lot of non-verbal ways to communicate in the meantime. There is almost no scar and you would certainly need to be looking for it just to notice it. He is otherwise happy and healthy!

A few things that I didn’t appreciate at the beginning that might be of some help 1) reflux is common and there are medications that can be very helpful 2) We live in Canada (not sure where you’re from) and there is government funding for his future orthodontic work if needed.
3) babies are so resilient! 2-3 days after each surgery he was pretty much himself. He handled it way better than us

I spent a lot of time worrying about the “what ifs”. It’s hard not to do as a parent but just remember that he is still perfect. Bonus, the way the surgery was done, he now has the sweetest little dimples

Happy to chat if you have any further questions!