| Summary: | Objectives: Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) affects around 1 in 700 live births. Research has been conducted into the impact of the diagnosis but little research has looked at the effect of the initial surgical repair. This study aimed to discover more about the experience of surgery and its impact on mothers. The study also focused upon whether factors such as attachment, loss of control and expectations of appearance were relevant. Design: A qualitative methodology was chosen in order to allow participants to express their experiences in their own terms, rather than being bound by the researcher’s ideas or perceptions. Method: Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers of babies with CLP who had had routine lip and/or palate surgery in the last three years. Mothers were recruited from the Cleft Lip and Palate Service based at the Morriston Hospital in Swansea. Results: Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The super-ordinate themes which emerged were concerned with the Context of CLP, Emotions, Coping, the Impact of Others, Information and Expectations and Considerations of Surgery. Conclusions: Implications for clinical practice included provision of reference information, more opportunities to share experiences with other parents, as well as the need to provide time for parents to spend time together. Emphasis was also placed on professionals maintaining a friendly and approachable attitude, which was highly valued. The need to spend time with families to better understand their concerns for surgery, their needs for information and their strategies for coping were also emphasised.
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