Sports reporter and mother of two Sam Squiers has spoken out about the challenges of raising a baby with a cleft lip and palate.

After almost losing her life and her firstborn Imogen, who was born at 32 weeks, having another birth complication during her second pregnancy was tough to bear.

“Premmie mums feel a bit of guilt usually, that you didn’t get your baby to full term … that’s your job as a mum, is to grow them and nurture them,” Sam told Deborah Knight.

“With Elle, when we found out she had a cleft lip and a cleft palate, those feelings of guilt and not doing your job properly came flooding back.”

The Squiers family will face many challenges as Elle goes through surgeries and therapy, but Sam told Deb she was eager to speak out and share her story so other mums wouldn’t have to feel as alone as she did.

About one in 800 Australian babies are born with a cleft lip or palate, yet Sam struggled to find support.

“I felt really lost. I didn’t know anyone else who had gone through this, I searched social media, I couldn’t see anyone.

“If it’s the most common birth issue, why is it that I’m not seeing anyone [talking about it]?

“People were going ‘I just want to reassure you that she can be fixed’, but I was like, she’s not broken!

“There’s more different than there is normal, but we don’t ever see those different journeys.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Instagram/Sam Squiers