When Madeline Lawrence noticed her baby twins’ heads were flattening, she did everything she was supposed to do.

The mom of three tells PEOPLE she didn’t initially realize that anything was wrong with her twins, Nico and Ash. She’d been putting them in hats and hadn’t seen that they had a condition called plagiocephaly, which, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is an umbrella term used to describe skull deformations, including flat head syndrome.

“Our twins started wearing helmets for a condition called plagiocephaly, which basically means they had flat spots on the backs of their heads,” Madeline tells PEOPLE. “Because they were so small at birth and struggled to regulate their body temperature, I kept hats on them constantly. I didn’t notice the flattening until they were about two weeks old, and doctors told us it likely began in the womb simply because they didn’t have much space.”

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She says they tried everything, but nothing seemed to help fix her babies’ flattened spots.

“We did everything we were supposed to – tummy time, repositioning, keeping them active during wake windows — but the flat spots continued to worsen,” explains Madeline.

“A lot of people don’t realize that because babies sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS [sudden infant death syndrome], they naturally spend many hours in the same position,” she continues. “And if a baby has tight neck muscles, which is a common condition called torticollis, it can make flat spots more likely.”

“Helmet therapy is totally optional, and the research is mixed, especially for mild cases. But for us, the flatness was starting to affect the babies’ facial symmetry and even their ear alignment, so we decided it was the right choice.”

Madeline shares that while Nico and Ash had to adjust a little to wearing helmets, the transition didn’t take too long. She decided to share her babies’ journey on TikTok, and the videos went viral.

“There was a short adjustment period where we eased them into wearing the helmets, but honestly, they adapted so quickly,” she says. “Once they were used to it, they barely even noticed them. In my ‘helmet break’ TikTok videos, you can see them smiling and completely unbothered.”

In several clips, Madeline shows her adorable babies smiling and giggling as they get a one hour break from their helmets. They keep them on for the other 23 hours in the day.

“Our daughter only needed her helmet for about six weeks, and she’s already done,” explains Madeline. “Our son still needs his for a little longer — maybe just a few more weeks, especially if he hits a growth spurt.”

The proud mom — who has over 90k followers on TikTok and some videos with millions of views — tells PEOPLE that the reception to her videos has been mixed. She hopes that in sharing her story, she can educate people on why some babies need helmets.

“When I posted my first helmet-break video, it got more than 18 million views, and the reactions were very mixed,” says Madeline. “It became clear that a lot of people simply don’t understand why babies sometimes need helmets.”

“I kept sharing our journey because I wanted to help educate people, and over time the response has become incredibly positive. People can see these babies are deeply loved and well cared for – sometimes babies just need helmets, and that’s okay,” she says.

“The ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign in the ’90s saved countless lives by reducing SIDS, but it also led to a big increase in positional flat spots. The idea that plagiocephaly only comes from neglectful parenting is outdated and harmful. If anything, I hope our story helps reduce stigma and brings a little more understanding to what so many families quietly go through.”