Mary, I have had one experience with a baby,( midwife delivered), with a soft palate cleft, undiagnosed,until baby was 3 months old when the midwife was puzzled about the baby's slow weight gain. This was mom's 4th child and she had successfully breastfed her other children. There was a small vertical cleft, about 1/2" in the soft palate that was visible only when baby opened her mouth really wide, and the back of her tongue was depressed as in crying. The obvious sign that something was not right was the way the baby nursed. Baby would click with every suck and delatch and then relatched. Mom was bent over baby and the milk was practically dripping into baby's mouth. Long story - shortened. Baby was referred to Cleft lip and Palate programme at a well-known children's hospital in Toronto and never breastfed again! The clinic staff showed a video depicting bottle feeding and haberman nurser was used, not really successfully either, and mom rationalized that at least now the other older children were feeling really good about the fact that they could help feed the baby now! I believe that a cleft in the hard palate and also a cleft of the lip is better as far as breastfeeding goes. Breastfeeding with cleft in the soft palate much more difficult but was working (at least as well as the haberman nurser) until somebody tried to fix it! New person in the cleft lip and palate clinic now who is more supportive of breastfeeding. I'm hopeful. Kathleen in Toronto.