I followed Elle on Instagram and had learnt about her son Teddy and his death only a few days after his birth through her photos and stories, shared with bravery and love. I really appreciate how Elle challenges our definition of motherhood and points out that many mothers continue on in the journey without their precious little ones - empty arms, nothing to show for their motherhood.

At the moment, 15 babies a day in the UK die: Stillbirths or neonatally, every day, and that is a terrifying statistic. I think it’s so important when you’re talking about maternity, when you’re talking about motherhood, that everybody’s narrative gets an opportunity to be heard: I come across a lot of women who have lost children, or had recurring miscarriages or stillbirths, and haven’t been able to go on and have any more children, but still consider themselves a mother. I am a health visitor and as a team we are looking at ways we can support our bereaved parents after a loss. This is a very hard read but also a very gripping read, I was immersed into Wright's life and simply could not put this down, getting to know Teddy and his family is an experience I will never forget. It’s hard to review this book when it is such a heart-breaking, personal story and when the author and I have such different world views and ways of coping with loss.And when I turn and say ‘Actually 15 babies die every day in the UK’ they assume that includes miscarriage, and I’m like 'No that’s not to do with miscarriage, that’s just a baby that’s born after 33 weeks pregnancy, in the UK, that’s stillborn or died in the first two weeks of life. The overall book is written from the heart that it’s hard not to get emotionally attached as a reader.

There’d be nothing there that would widen that conversation to anyone else, so nobody else was reading about it other than the women who were experiencing it, so the ripples weren’t spreading far enough. Let’s talk about it, and let them heal openly, and don’t make them bury it or hide it, because it’s the route to losing your mind pretty quickly if you try and hide it. You made it sound like it was the end of the world for you, and if that's the case, what does that mean for me?We were delighted to have the opportunity recently to interview the wonderful Elle Wright: Creator of Feathering The Empty Nest, and it’s accompanying Instagram account, who has now written a gorgeous book: Ask Me His Name. A quick read of Elle’s bio, and a link to a JustGiving page, told me all about her son Teddy, who sadly passed away at just three days old. It’s a story I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy, but Elle, Nico, their families and friends have handled it with such grace, honesty and sensitivity that we, as an audience, should consider ourselves lucky to have had our eyes opened by them. From there we hear about Elle’s pregnancy, Teddy’s birth, the complications that quickly became apparent, wandering into the unknown and being faced with a reality that every parent fears.