Non judgmental help please

[InAnAnxietySpin]

2 days ago I was making dinner while both DC roamed around. Eldest happened to open the battery drawer and leave it open so youngest (20 months) had access to it.

Since then I've been on an anxiety spiral wondering if he may have swallowed one. There were a couple of loose button batteries in there and I have no idea if there could have been more.

Initially i read you'd know fairly quickly (within 2 hours) if they had swallowed one so decided he was fine, but I've now spent 48 hours reading Google horror stories and am convinced there's a battery in his tummy slowly burning through his insides.

I was in the room when it happened so he wasn't unsupervised with batteries for more than a few seconds, he didn't show any signs of eating of swallowing anything. He'd picked up sellotape and was rolling it around his fingers. The button batteries I found were at the back under lots of other things, I was right next to him and didn't hear him rummaging through things.

I am very anxious and at the time the whole situation didn't make me anxious but now I am questioning everything thinking that maybe my timings are wrong and he rummaged through it for ages might have coughed etc.

What should I do? I was going to take him to A&E last night but DH talked me out of it, saying this is "what I do" (I often get an idea in my head, Google it to death and spend a few days barely able to function, until its replaced by a new anxiety) and it would be selfish to put DS through a night in a hospital waiting room for nothing.

I want him Xrayed to be on the safe side but I don't know if they would do anything if I turned up 3 days later saying I'm worried DC swallowed a battery despite no evidence or symptoms?

Not sure if I'm crazy, or a terrible mum or both.

"I feel like I need to preempt and prevent every possible risky scenario for both of us, it's exhausting."

"I often get an idea in my head, Google it to death and spend a few days barely able to function, until its replaced by a new anxiety"

You need to address your anxiety. This is no way to live, And although you say you hide it, your children will absolutely pick up on it and will be affected by it.

Instead of ringing 111, make a GP appointment for yourself. Focus on you.

Just to update, I rang 111 this morning and they said that even though there is only a slim chance they prefer to assume he has swallowed one and give him a quick check.

So I took him this morning, it was very quiet, and we were in and out within an hour. They didn't find anything.

He cried at breakfast this morning and also turned down most of dinner last night. He also hadn't had a soiled nappy for a couple of days. Usually I wouldn't have given it a second thought but it was niggling at me again this morning.

For the sake of an hour, I'm glad we went and I'm not left wondering. Everyone was lovely and didn't make me feel OTT neurotic nor a bad mum.

I take the anxiety comments on board though, and it's probably time to start therapy.

Thanks all

Glad it all turned out ok but really @InAnAnxietySpin, your husband has no right to be mad at you for any of it.

Children will find things and pick them up - and on occasion will swallow something they shouldn't.

He knew the batteries were there and you didn't so if he wants to point the finger, surely he should be looking at himself too.

Glad everything turned out fine. And you are not a bad mum. Please don't let anyone make you feel guilty for making sure your child is safe and well. X