New Delhi: A mother of two is candidly sharing her experience of feeling overwhelmed during the postpartum period and many other mums can relate. In a video posted on October 5, Hannah, known as @nursehannahbh on TikTok, searched her home for dirty diapers.
She explained that she doesn’t use a diaper pail; instead, diapers “kind of just get thrown around” her house. At the end of the day, she collects them in a bag and takes them to the dumpster.
17 diapers story
One particular day, she found 17 diapers lying around her house. On this occasion, Hannah was parenting solo for 24 hours while her husband went hunting. She was home with her toddler and 3-week-old baby.
The TikTok video has since garnered over 5 million views. The comments on her post were mixed, with some appreciating her honesty while others were less supportive.
One commenter expressed disbelief, saying they could never do that and asked if it was a joke. Another added that they felt it wasn’t difficult to take an extra five seconds to put the nappies in a bin. However, there were supportive comments as well. One viewer shared that they understood the situation and thanked Hannah for sharing, explaining that they had also struggled terribly after having their first child and experienced similar situations. Another person suggested that instead of criticising the mother, people should check if she was doing okay and try to look beyond the surface.
Hannah later posted a follow-up video, explaining that she felt like she had “the flu or some sort of bug” on that day, so she was in “survival mode.”
17 diapers trend
Many other mothers joined the conversation, sharing their own “17 diapers” struggles. Over 2,000 videos have been posted using the hashtag “#17diapers”. Not all parents literally had diapers scattered about; others mentioned piles of unfolded laundry, eating Lunchables for weeks or leaving Christmas decorations up in August.
17 diapers trend | Image: X
A mom shared that her “17 diapers” moment involved sleeping on crusty sheets that smelled like spoiled milk. Another woman described her “17 diapers” experience as throwing an empty car seat across the room at her husband’s head due to her unmanageable postpartum rage.
Someone mentioned her current “17 diapers” moment, explaining that it involved locking herself in the bathroom to cry and just try to breathe.
