A woman who identified herself as a “Gen Z mother” has sparked online backlash after revealing that she taped pacifiers to her babies’ mouths so she could concentrate on driving them to a hospital appointment.
In a now-deleted post on Threads, the mother described feeling proud of herself for managing the journey alone with her twins, despite how challenging it was.
Source: Threads
“Every time I have a hospital appointment, it’s always chaos,” she wrote, adding that the nurses were already familiar with her situation as a young mother.
She also recounted how, upon arriving at the hospital, she realised she had forgotten part of the stroller seat.
This forced her to push the stroller with one hand while carrying another baby with the other, further adding to the stress of the outing.
The mother later explained that taping the pacifiers was a last-minute decision made under pressure.
According to her, she began preparing for the appointment at around noon for a 2pm slot, but struggled to soothe her babies in time.
As a result, she only managed to leave the house at about 2.30pm.
Needing to focus on the road and with limited options at that moment, she said she taped the pacifiers in place for approximately 13 minutes during the drive.
She stressed that she was aware of the dangers involved and cautioned other mothers against doing the same.
“Thank God they were safe, even though it was a risky decision,” she wrote, adding that it would be the first and last time she resorted to such a measure.
The post sparked backlash from netizens, particularly other parents, who accused the woman of endangering her children.
Several commenters said taping a baby’s mouth could pose a choking risk, with some calling the act child abuse and urging others to report the incident to Malaysia’s Social Welfare Department (JKM).
Translation: I just read a thread earlier about a woman who was driving with two babies in the back car seats and taped pacifiers to their mouths. A doctor called her out, and she got angry, saying she did it because she wanted 13 minutes of peace to drive. Doesn’t she realise that even one minute matters when a baby is choking? Every minute is precious for a baby. And it was only a 13-minute drive, you can always stop if the baby cries. A crying child is better than a silent one.
Source: Threads
Others, however, came to her defence, arguing that taping is sometimes used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) to help keep pacifiers in place.
Translation: Sorry, this is no longer about awareness. It has turned into harassment. It’s like a sickness of the heart. Even my nieces and nephews in the NICU had their mouths taped with pacifiers.
Source: Threads
Following the backlash, the mother, who has three daughters, shared a follow-up post acknowledging that her actions were wrong.
“I admit it was a stupid solution in that moment and could have jeopardised my baby’s safety,” she wrote, adding that she is learning from the incident and will not repeat it.
She said she “accepts criticism with an open heart”, but noted that some of her words had been misinterpreted.
Since the incident, she added that she has been reaching out privately to individuals who criticised her to apologise and to ask that photos of her babies not be further circulated.
“Thanks to your reprimands, I am more aware and alert,” she wrote.
The mother also assured readers that her babies are safe and healthy, and clarified that she does not tape her children’s mouths at home, addressing assumptions made by some netizens.
“Rest assured, they are loved every second and cared for fully,” she said, adding that she is committed to becoming a better mother moving forward.
Some netizens have since urged others to ease up on the criticism, saying the backlash has become “too much”.
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Featured image adapted from Threads.