"17 Diapers" Trendsetter Nurse Hannah Faces TikTok Controversy and Abuse Allegations

Content warning: This article contains references to topics some readers may find disturbing, including child abuse.

If you're on the MomTok side of TikTok these days, you've probably seen the "17 diapers" trend. It all started when a TikToker Hannah Hiatt, who goes by Nurse Hannah, shared her postpartum struggles, which featured 17 discarded dirty diapers left around her house.

However, Hannah quickly went from relatable mom to villain after she deleted a video featuring her toddler son seemingly flinching in a way that many users worried suggested he was being abused. Here's what we know about the Nurse Hannah TikTok controversy.

Once upon a time, Nurse Hannah was just a relatable mom struggling with postpartum exhaustion and too much to do. She created a trend after sharing 17 dirty diapers strewn around her house. She referred to them as 17 times her family was prioritized over chores.

Moms immediately shared their own "17 diapers" struggles as they related to raising young children.

But things took a potentially sinister turn after a since-deleted video from Hannah's TikTok went viral. It showed her husband going to place something in their shopping cart as they went around the grocery store. Their toddler, seated in the cart seat, seemed to flinch visibly as Hannah's husband moved the item quickly by their son.

People immediately said it raised red flags for signs of abuse, as the little boy's arms went up across his face in a guarding position.

Suddenly Hannah was no longer a relatable struggle mom but a potential abuser. People quickly began dredging up old videos to show other times her son seemed to flinch after his parents moved their hands or objects near his face. In one video, the little boy holds his hands up to guard his face from the top of a pumpkin.

Online speculation suggested that his gesture was due to fear or trauma, while others believe it's just a reflex from being startled.

In another video, the little boy's hand is flicked as he reaches for a French fry during a family meal. Compilations took over TikTok as people began super cutting montages of "concerning" moments between the toddler and his parents, and the allegations of abuse began flying.

Eventually, Hannah deleted her social media under the onslaught of accusations.

One TikToker, Anthony Blackwell, claims he was able to find Hannah's home address and sent CPS to check up on the kids. A clip quickly went viral that claims to be a video of Hannah being arrested. The video clip, which doesn't clearly show anyone's face, has renewed the controversy.

So is Hannah in police custody?

It's unclear.

While there are certainly reasons to be concerned when a child shows signs of fear or trauma, the internet's fascination with Nurse Hannah and her son's potential abuse is based on speculation and rumor.

As is evidenced by Hannah's need to delete her social media to keep her family safe, sometimes the internet can be used as a force for good, and sometimes it can be dangerous.

For now, all the accusations against Hannah remain rumor and speculation.