# My baby ate poison berries!



## Heavenly (Nov 21, 2001)

Yesterday Olivia got into deadly nightshade, a poisonous berry that is obviously growing near our home, though I hadn't noticed it before. My 1:30 pm she was vomitting every 20 minutes. She couldn't keep anything, literally anything down. I even tried just 1/2 teaspoon of pedialite and she vomitted that up. Even when there was nothing in her tummy her stomach was just convulsing and she was heaving. It was so horrible! We took her to the ER and they said that there was nothing they could do because it had been to long since she'd ingested them (her symptoms didn't start until later) so they just sent us home (I hate that specific hospital by the way). By 7 pm she still had not peed or been able to keep any fluid down and she was completely lethargic. She was just laying there, she couldn't even more. We went to the ER at the other hospital close to us and she was admitted for dehydration. She was put on IV (which took them awhile, it was so horrible) and they did bloodwork. She was just so still. She didn't talk at all for 6 hours. The first thing she said was I like the water (when I finally gave her a sip that she kept down). They let us go home at 11 pm but she still has the shunts in her hand and foot (if she keeps stuff down today they can come out tonight. She slept with me (we don't normally co-sleep) and threw up a few times. We gave her a gravol suppository and she slept from 4:30 am-9:15 am. She is still really sick. She has only thrown up once today which is great but she is still really sleepy and looks drugged. She keeps laying in the middle of the living room floor (hard wood, guess she likes the cold). She has been napping now since 12:40 pm. Hopefully she takes a long nap. I can't believe how sick she was/is. I feel so guilty for not noticing she was eating the berries. My husband went out today and cut down all the bushes. She is such a little trooper. When she started feeling better we lay on the stretcher together and looked through a parenting magazine. She is so funny, every time she saw a formula ad she said yucky!

The nurses were so stupid about breastfeeding. They kept telling me I shouldn't let her nurse because its milk. I told them it is considered a clear fluid and she was even puking up water so what difference did it make. They told me I shouldn't nurse her for a few days. They said it would be hard on me to give it up but she wouldn't even notice. How stupid can you be??? Of course I nursed her anyways. Anyways I am glad she is feeling better. It was a horrible day!


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## China white (Mar 29, 2004)

Oh Heavenly, thank God she's on the mend! I'm not sure where you live, but is nightshade a bush that 's specific to one area? ie; only in the U.S or only in Canada? I haven't heard of it before, but I'll look up some info, because my 5 year old loves to pick berries.

I'm sorry that the nurses in the hospital were so ingnorant in regards to nursing your daughter. If they have a lactation consultant on staff, you should inform her, as these nurses shouldn't be giving out info that they know nothing about.








sto you mama ~ I'm glad your husband found the bushes and removed them.


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## lilgsmommy (Jun 21, 2004)

Oh mama! I am so sorry you ahd to go through that! As far as not noticing her eating the berries, kids are quick when they want to stick something in their mouth and I know that from DS trying to eat holly berries at his G'mas house. I hope she gets the shunts out tonight and hope that she continues to progress and get better. She and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

What we call nightshade here (idaho) its a vine with red berries.

Your poor dd







to both of you


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## hippiemom2 (Oct 8, 2002)

I hope she gets better soon. It is so difficult to watch your children go through such an ordeal. But, on the bright side maybe next time she sees some berries she will ask if they are poisonous or not. Some loving, living, white light vibes coming your way....

Peace,
Shelbi


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## Piglet68 (Apr 5, 2002)

My heart goes out to you!! Your DD isn't much younger than mine...I can't imagine what an awful experience that was for both of you!!

And thanks for the reminder to watch them when outside, especially in berry season. I guess this is one of those times I'm thankful we don't have a yard!


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## Heavenly (Nov 21, 2001)

Update: The total throw-up count for today was 4. So she's doing much better! At 6:30 she ate one bite of chicken (she insisted) and a piece of rice. It stayed down. Other than that just lots of nursies and some water. I put her to bed at 7:15 pm and she went down fine and is sleeping. She is still really tired and weak but definately on the mend. I just kept kissing her when I was nursing her to sleep and being so thankful that she's okay.


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## hippiemom2 (Oct 8, 2002)

Glad to hear she is recovering. I hope it is speedy.

Peace,
Shelbi


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

i'm glad she is doing better, how scary (would you happen to know the botanical name? i'd kind of like to look it up.)

suse


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## saturnine25 (Mar 26, 2002)

Heavenly- I am so glad to hear that your dd is doing better. What a nightmare that must have been for you








suseyblue- the latin name is atropa belladonna (LINN.) from the N.O. Solanaceae family.


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## sun-shine01 (Aug 9, 2002)

OH MY that is scary! I hope she is feeling better very soon.

_They said it would be hard on me to give it up but she wouldn't even notice_.

This cracks me up! It is sad that she said this but you must have looked at her like she had two heads.


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## Peppamint (Oct 19, 2002)

Oh my! I'm glad she's on the mend. I tell you, these kids are SO quick, it amazes me sometimes.

I would see if you can contact the LC at the hospital after things calm down, I hate it when supposed medical professionals hand out crappy advice!







:


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## village idiot (Feb 19, 2003)

Wow that is really scary. Glad she is doing better.


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## BelovedBird (Apr 5, 2002)

I hope she has a quick recovery! That sounds terifying.

Those nurses *must* read up on breastmilk. They haven't got a clue.


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

My 3yo ate some earlier this summer-- thought they were blueberries since she and great-grandpa had picked some earlier that day. We called poison control and I expected vomiting and diarrhea. She just passed a lot of gas and was otherwise fine. lol! Your dd must have eaten a lot of them. Thank goodness she's okay now, poor little thing.

(BTW Abi's also eaten oleander flowers and survived that too!)

Darshani


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## fourgrtkidos (Jan 6, 2004)

I am so sorry you went through this. I am glad she was ok.

I ate the same berries as a child. The memory of it is very weird. ER, hallucinations, feeling very high.

Keep some homeopathic belladona around in case it happens again, it is hard to pull all the nightshade. Sometimes you don't even know it is there until...... the child has already eaten it.

Did her face flush, lips and cheeks red and eyes(pupils) dilated?

HUGS!


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## mamaduck (Mar 6, 2002)

Oh Heavenly! It sounds horrible and terrifying. At times like this, don't you just wish we could be sick in their places?

I'm raging about the nurses and their lousy breastfeeding advice. I'm proud that you knew better, and I've received my own share of bad breastfeeding advice from nurses.... But it makes my chest hurt to think about how many mothers probably follow advice like that, at times when babies need mommy-milk the most.


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## TigerTail (Dec 22, 2002)

thanks amy; i figured it for some solanacious plant, but you know how common names get niggled about according to where you are- my deadly nightshade might be your horse nettle might be her jimsonweed, you know? just wanted a pic i could look up on gardenweb







(i'm pretty sure i'd recognize any of that family poking up in the garden, i grow so many of them, but was curious for specifics.)

oleander, darshani! that is one of my worst nightmares; in cali it was ubiquitous (lol, in tn i have to go to great trouble to cultivate it.) suse


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