In September 2023, Maddie’s son Teddy was born at 29 weeks’, with a condition called congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).
“He had passed away at 28 minutes old. The doctor had come over and told us there was nothing more they could do,” Maddie said.
“Quite quickly, they had just wrapped him up in a blanket and passed him to me like it was the most natural thing in the world. And I’m grateful for that – he is my baby and straight away, I just felt like his mother, and I was his mother.”
In the wake of Teddy’s death, Maddie – who’s from Maldon, Essex – started posting on TikTok where she shared her experiences, thoughts, fears and emotions.
She was met with lots of supportive comments, she says, but also negativity concerning her choice to share pictures and videos of Teddy.
“It’s mostly people saying that I should be grieving in private, that this – it’s too personal to be sharing,” she says.
“You would speak about your grandparents or parents after they passed away and speak about memories and no one would bat an eyelid if you were, it’s normal.
“But as soon as it comes to baby loss, people think it’s a taboo and you shouldn’t speak about it. And that just doesn’t sit right with me.
“Teddy’s my son and I want to talk about him, he’s always included in my family so he should be seen and spoken about and remembered.”
