On September 13 of last year, Hannah Charles – a soon-to-be mother of two – took to her TikTok to share a very relatable feeling that many mothers experience regularly. It was 5 a.m. and she called herself the ‘world’s worst mom’ because she was struggling to manage her baby’s sleep regressions.
“If you ever think that you are a bad mom, just know that I beat you to it,” she said – clearly stressed and emotional. “My daughter is going through a sleep regression. She just turned one and, I guess that’s what happens and unbeknownst to me my milk has dried up and I did not know that,” she added in the TikTok.
During the two-minute video, she talked about the many things she attempted when trying to console her baby – including breastfeeding her, giving her pain medicine, holding her, and letting her play. “Finally, I just broke and I got to a point where I just put her in her crib and I just let her cry,” Charles continued.
Last Thursday, Hannah Charles’ story was picked up by Good Morning America – who not only shared the TikTok on their own account, but expanded her story with a sit-down interview. Charles talked about the many feelings and emotions that were running through her mind as she tried to console her baby.
“I felt like I had messed up in the biggest way as a mom and I knew that that feeling wasn’t something that only I’ve ever felt,” she told GMA. They commemorated her TikTok account for not only showing the beautiful moments that come with motherhood, but also the raw and unrelenting sides of being a mother.
It’s something Hannah Charles talked about in her interview, explaining how she was obsessed with watching YouTube and other social media accounts as she prepared to be a mother nearly two years ago. What she found was that ‘nothing really represented the reality of it,’ so she decided to showcase that.
“I try to be that creator who does keep it real because motherhood is not rainbows and butterflies – it’s ‘spit up’ and ‘poopy diapers,’’’ she said. And one thing that helps her when she’s going through a difficult time as a mother is knowing that she’s not alone – there are other mothers out there going through it too.
Hannah Charles’ TikTok Followers Come to Her Defense
Keeping it real on TikTok has paid off for Hannah Charles, who now has more than 72,000 followers and more than 6.3 million combined likes on her videos. She regularly receives several thousand views per video, but her relatable video from above saw much more than that – to the tune of 4.3 million views.
Her video resonated with other mothers on TikTok and resulted in more than 718,000 likes and nearly 20,000 comments – most of which were moms and soon-to-be moms showing their support for Charles. She received kind words of encouragement, love, support, tips, hacks, and much more in the comments.
“This comment section is proof that in times of need MOMS come together. I love each and every one of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she wrote in reply to all the love. In a day and age where social media is often used to bring others down, this is just one example of where it can do so much good.
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“You tried to console your daughter for over 4 hours… how’s that the worst mom?! You’re a champion, she can count on you because you’ll be there!❤️” said one user, while another commented, “All I heard is you never gave up and found a solution. Best mom!”