We put the kids in their beds for "rest time" this afternoon, so we could get a much needed nap. It took a while to get them to stay in their room. Finally, I fell asleep. About an hour and a half later, Maryam came in my room to wake me. She said, "Mom, I need a drink of water. I have soap in my throat." Her words didn't really register at first, as I tried to surface from my sleepy stupor. So she said it again, clutching her throat, "Mom, I have soap in my throat."
As the words settled into my brain, I was suddenly fully awake, remembering the four bottles of Bath and Body Works Soap I had stashed under the sink in the kids' bathroom. I must confess that I am not the best mother in the world because this cabinet does not have a child safety lock on it. Maryam discovered the unopened bottles of soap a couple weeks ago. I instructed her not to play with them, and figured she would leave them alone. I guess curiosity got the best of her this afternoon when all the rest of us were sleeping. Three of the lids were unscrewed, and about four tablespoons of soap was missing. Yikes! I quickly turned to the back of the bottle to read the instructions for "in case of accidental ingestion." (BTW, has anyone else noticed that the print on those bottles is tiny! I could barely read it.) Of course, it said to call poison control. So I did.
Alarmed, adrenaline pumping, I informed the man on the other end that my nearly three-year-old daughter had eaten anti-bacterial soap. He calmly informed me that it would not hurt her. He asked how much she ate (as if I measured it out and watched her do it?), and I told him about 4 Tbsp is missing from the bottles. He calmly stated, "That's a lot. But it won't hurt her. Give her some water, at least four ounces. At the worst, she will vomit in the next 15 to 20 minutes." Of course I had to provide my daughter's name and my zip code before I hung up. Maryam never did throw up. I pumped water down her for a few minutes. She seems to be fine.
I don't really understand why she ate the soap, except that it smells good. Should I put regular Soft Soap or Dial in her bathroom to avoid this situation in the future? When I was pregnant, the smell of Soft Soap made me sick, and I still can't stand it. I don't even buy it anymore. That's why I switched to using the Bath and Body Works soaps exclusively. They didn't make me want to barf. But maybe they aren't such a good idea for small children. Hopefully eating soap is not a trick Maryam will want to repeat any time soon. She didn't seem to enjoy it much. Of course I had to record this story so I can remember to retell it at some embarrassing point in her future--high school graduation, wedding, when her kids eat soap or some other strange object.
I think this is the third time I have had to call poison control. Every time the kids have been ok; no doctor or ER trips required. Does this happen to anyone else?
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4 comments:
It is always so scary when they eat something they shouldn't. I'm so glad she's okay!
Just so you don't feel too bad- I've had to call poison control, too. Aaron was not quite three and I was pregnant with Caleb, and was eating a lot of Tums because I had heartburn so bad. Aaron found the tums bottle on our nightstand and ate almost the whole bottle. Luckily, the worst side effect was a bit of constipation for a few days.
Scary. I'm glad she's OK.
Don't feel bad. It happens to everyone. We have called poison control 4 times for Katie. Maybe it is a girl thing. The funniest one was when we thought she ate a piece of deer poo. When I called, the nurse just started laughing, and told me don't worry she will be okay.
Wow - kids sure do like to give us heart attacks. I had one time that I cad to call poison control. It was one the twins (of course) and they got into something under the kitchen sink, even with a lock on it.
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