I took my newborn to the doctor for a minor symptom. The next day, all five of my children were taken into care - and it's happening to thousands of families

My three-week-old daughter Zeydn fussed and wiggled in my arm as I tried to burp her. Then I felt something strange. It was like her ribs were popping underneath my fingers. I wasn't too worried. I was already a mum to four other kids - Zach, eight, Zoey, six, Zander, five, Zavier, three - and was also training to be a midwife. There wasn't much about newborns that could faze me. That said, my experience had also taught me to trust my gut, so I took Zeydn to the doctor the next day.

He told me my baby was just 'adjusting to the outside world'. Zeydn's dad Anthony and I both trusted his opinion that she was fine. But a few weeks later, I was strapping her into the car seat and as I gently adjusted her arms, she began to cry like she was in pain. My world fell apart the day doctors told me my baby daughter's injuries were 'consistent with child abuse' and the police had been called.

I went straight back to the doctor. This time it was suggested that Zeydn's shoulder could have been damaged during my home birth, so she was sent straight for an X-ray. Alarm bells began ringing when I was told I wasn't allowed to go with her and instead was taken to a private room. After they'd carried out tests, a doctor came to speak to me. 'I can't leave you alone with your baby,' he said, revealing - to my horror - that Zeydn had a fractured right arm and three broken ribs.

My world fell apart as the doctors told me her injuries were 'consistent with child abuse' and the police had been called. I called Anthony who was away for work. He raced to the hospital to be with me, but the moment he arrived, he was taken in for questioning. Neither of us had ever laid a finger on any of our children but the police clearly thought Anthony was the culprit. 'He'd never hurt our baby!' I insisted.

No one would listen to me and that night all five of my children were removed from my care. No one would listen to me and that night all five of my children were removed from my care by authorities. I felt like I was living in a nightmare. One minute I'd been at a routine doctor's appointment, the next, I was being treated like a criminal. I was utterly distraught to be parted from the kids. Zeydn was just a few weeks old and needed her mum. All of them did.

A no-contact order was put in place so I wasn't even allowed to speak to my children, who had been taken to temporarily live with a family friend. I couldn't stand how silent it was in our house without them; I felt completely lost. Desperately, I went online, trying to find an explanation for what could have caused Zeydn's injuries, but the sheer volume of information was overwhelming. Then, a month later, I was watching TV when my phone began to beep with messages. Family and friends were urging me to switch on the news program 20/20.

The show featured the story of a woman called Cynthia who had taken her two-month-old son to the doctor with a swollen ankle. Tests had showed multiple other injuries and he was taken away from her too. Her child was later diagnosed with a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which meant she suffered bone breaks and dislocations easily. Anthony and I went on to have three more kids, Zeke, eight, Zion, four, and Zeppelin, two, but ultimately the trauma of what we'd been through was too much and we separated.

Eventually, her child was returned to her. This had happened to other families too, the report said - and I knew in my gut that this was what had happened with Zeydn. Anthony and I got tested and were both found to be genetic carriers of the condition. While we fought to have our case heard, we were only allowed supervised visits with our children. The visits were heartbreaking, with the kids asking why they couldn't come home.

Finally, after 10 months, the authorities took our Ehlers-Danlos theory seriously, and Zeydn tested positive for the condition. We regained custody of the kids, but despite proving we were completely innocent, our names were still listed on the state child abuse registry for the next seven years, until I worked with a local representative to get them removed. Thankfully, Zeydn's condition can be managed with vitamin D supplements. She needs to be careful and won't ever be able to play contact sports, but she is still living her best life.

Anthony and I went on to have three more kids, Zeke, Zion and Zeppelin, but ultimately the trauma of what we'd been through was too much and we separated. I wanted to make sure no parent ever had to go through what we went through, so I created the charity Fractured Families. So far, we have helped more than 1,200 families get access to medical experts and lawyers. I'm also working on having Zeydn's Law passed in the U.S., which will help families who need a second medical opinion for their child who may have a condition that mimics child abuse.