A mother from Tamworth has shared how she struggled to recognise her baby daughter after surgery to repair a cleft lip and palate.
Charlotte Hall, 32, discovered her daughter Lilac had a cleft lip during her 20-week scan. The mother of four initially cried at the news, a reaction she now regrets.
Lilac was born in March 2025 and had her first operation at four months old. Charlotte said seeing her baby's face change completely as a postpartum mother was difficult to cope with.
Her other pregnancies with Orla, nine, and twins Honey and Blossom, five, had no complications. Charlotte told BirminghamLive: "It's not something you really think about when you've had easy pregnancies before."
After being told about the cleft, she said: "I just cried my eyes out. I could not comprehend that something would happen. I feel awful now knowing that I cried about it."
However, her fears vanished when Lilac was born and they bonded instantly. "When she was here they put her in my arms and just left me to it," she said. "There was an instant of 'that's what you look like' and then it was just love."
Charlotte prepared her older daughters by showing them pictures of children with cleft lips. They were initially wary but soon loved their new sister.
Lilac's health journey included a second operation at 11 months to repair the rest of her palate. She will need a bone graft for her gum and jaw. Charlotte admitted: "I did not manage well at all. The face I got used to for four months completely changed. My first thought was 'what have you done' and it took weeks for my brain to realise that was still my baby."
Lilac continues to have speech and feeding issues. Charlotte raised £500 for Cleft Lip and Palate Action (CLAPA) by walking a mile a day.
She was inspired to write a children's book, Lily's Super Smile, to help siblings and parents understand cleft conditions. The book will be distributed to West Midlands hospitals and sold online, with profits going to CLAPA, Cuddle for Clefts, and Pyjama Fairies.
Charlotte said: "It's a children's book suitable for any age. I wanted to show the beauty of the journey and that it is not all worry and pain."
A launch event will be held at The Lounge in Sutton Coldfield on Sunday, May 31. The book is not yet available online but will be on Etsy soon.
