When parents share photos and videos of their kids online, they're opening themselves up to the world of parents who think they know best.
Mommy-shaming due to social media posts has become a consequence of using apps and platforms that allow you to upload photos of your children. No matter what, other people think they know what is best in terms of raising someone else's kids.
Sometimes, moms will post videos and photos to make a joke or make light of a situation they go through with their kids, and other moms take grave offense.
Sometimes, it's harder to get people to understand you when things are lost in context online.
The mom of two to a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son posted a video of both of her children with purple mouths.
The video had a voiceover from the mom saying that both of her kids had, "eaten a Sharpie marker." Of course, this is something that caused alarm.
In one of the videos she posted, she captioned it with, "Only moms know what this actually is," alluding to the fact that the purple mouths were caused by something quite common.
However, after the video went viral, people began to complain about how it was a terrible parenting move to post it on TikTok.
She explained that when her daughter was a baby, she noticed that every time she had a bottle, there would be a thick white substance on her lips and tongue.
She chalked it up at first to being from leftover formula.
After noticing that the white stuff stayed on her daughter's mouth for hours after her bottle, her doctor confirmed that it wasn't the formula, but instead oral thrush.
Thrush is a fungal infection that is more common in babies than one would believe.
It's produced by the overgrowth of candida, which is also the main cause of vaginal yeast infections in women.
The substance can cause an overgrowth of yeast in young babies in their mouths, as well — which was what happened to both of Holland's children.
The site states that some infants pick up oral thrush as early as in the womb.
"Though the fungal infection known as thrush shows up in baby's mouth, it probably started in your birth canal as a yeast infection, and that's where your baby picked it up as she made her way into the world," an article about the condition said.
It may not show up immediately, but it can grow from as early as birth to a few months. However, it's not something that is to cause alarm as it can be treated.
However, older children can develop it as well if they are taking antibiotics and other medication that can cause an overgrowth of yeast.
What To Expect also states that the overly moist environment that is created when babies suck on pacifiers and baby bottle tops can allow the yeast to "thrive" and grow more.
Sure, it may be scary when your newborn undergoes any discomfort, but the medicine is not something to worry about in the long run.
Doctors suggest that Gentian Violet is a way to treat the infection when it appears in babies. They are to take it orally for 10 days until the infection is cleared up. The major side effect of the medicine happens to be turning babies' mouths purple.
She told BuzzFeed:
"I didn’t know much about thrush, since I was a new mom, but with my son, I noticed almost instantly that it was thrush and knew I needed to get the violet medicine as soon as possible because thrush can be a pretty big pain to get rid of."
Some people who aren't parents — like younger kids on the app —began sharing the video online, without knowledge of the true reasoning behind the purple mouths. Many parents also had concerns about video being shared as well.
TikTok is used for sending viral videos online — so, that's what Holland did. She made light of a situation that is normalized for her. It's not as serious as everyone was making it out to be and her children are healthy and fine.
The purple in their mouths eventually wears off, but on clothes, it'll last a while. Holland said to make sure to be careful with clothing and the medicine because that purple will definitely stain!
h/t: Buzzfeed
