New Mom Speaks Out After Video of Her Finding 17 Dirty Diapers in Her Home Goes Viral (Exclusive)
Experienced parents shamed commenters judging the postpartum mom's messy home
nursehannahbh/TikTok
Hannah on TikTok; her dirty diaper videoA new mom shared what she thought was a lighthearted video about her messy house on TikTok
Her admission to having 17 dirty diapers around her house led the newly minted mom of two to challenge TikTokers criticizing her
Hannah tells PEOPLE what it was like to have fellow moms come to her defense amid the backlash
A mom sharing her truth on TikTok went viral as people criticized her.
Hannah, on TikTok @nursehannahbh, is one month postpartum with her second baby. She tells PEOPLE she's still getting into the swing of taking care of her newborn and making sure her toddler also feels attended to.
"It has been an adjustment, that’s for sure! My toddler has had a hard time not having 100% attention all the time," Hannah tells PEOPLE, adding, "I would say the adjustment from 1-2 kids has definitely still been easier than 0-1."
Earlier this month, Hannah shared a video on TikTok of her cleanup process after her first day solo with both kids. She went viral as she counted 17 dirty diapers strewn around her house following a day of trying to tackle it all.
"I promise you, I'm not even exaggerating, this has only been 24 hours," she says as she collects diapers from the coffee table, the floor, the landing of her staircase and the side of her bed.
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"It's embarrassing, I know," she admits in the video.
Hannah tellls PEOPLE she had "no idea" the video would go viral, admitting she made the video because she herself was shocked at how much mess accumulated in one day.
"I don’t think I realized how many diapers I had changed that day. I just pulled out my phone and filmed a funny video," she explains. "I didn’t think it was going to be controversial or honestly attract attention whatsoever."
There were some commenters who harshly criticized her for not tidying up more. Hannah says, "At first, the attention was 99% negative. I was honestly a little embarrassed. But then again, those people judging me don’t actually see what goes on inside my house."
"Yes, there were 17 diapers around my house but they didn’t see me coloring with my son, while breastfeeding my newborn at the same time. They didn’t see me taking my son to the park , pushing him on the swing, while holding my newborn," she continues.
Commenters also criticized Hannah's husband for not being there to support her, or making sure someone else was. The new mom assures it wasn't a huge slight — just a preplanned overnight trip she felt comfortable with him taking.
"People have been really throwing my husband under the bus with this one. My husband had a planned hunting trip for over a year. He was gone for one day. We both agreed that I could manage the kids," she explains.
While critics piled on the mom, other moms who have been in similar situations before came forward in her defense. It was a welcome reprieve for Hannah.
"It was no longer people shaming me, but people sharing their '17 diapers' moment as a mom," Hannah says.
"I was surprised that everyone was so honest and raw. People were sharing their deepest struggles as new and postpartum mothers. People felt enough support to be honest," she says.
"They were sharing struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety. They were sharing how hard it was to get out of bed, to shower, and even feed themselves let alone breastfeeding a newborn."
The moment meant a lot to Hannah, who hopes to continue sharing her story while also helping continue that community support for other moms who need it.
"Moms are now coming together and supporting each other. Being a mother is insanely hard but also God’s greatest gift," she says. "At the end of the day I wouldn’t trade my '17 diapers' day for anything."
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