broken mercury thermometer

Nik842

I usually only read and don't post, but I need advice on this pretty quickly and thought that you guys would be a great resource. 

So, my family and I are visiting my inlaws in Peru for two weeks. My son got sick yesterday and I asked my mother in law for a thermometer. She only had an old mercury thermometer which, to test, she ran it under hot water in the sink and it immediately broke (in retrospect, this was clearly not a good idea but neither of us were thinking about that at the time).

 We were both standing over the sink as the mercury balls came out of the thermometer, she left the water running to wash them down the drain which took at least two minutes or so, Then I picked up the remaining glass pieces and put them in a plastic bag for disposal. 

I've googled the heck out of this and fully realize that this is totally the wrong way to handle a broken thermometer, but what's done is done.  The kids were nowhere near us when this happened and we've kept the bathroom door closed since then to air it out so I'm not concerned about their exposure, only mine and its effect on my breastmilk.

So, my question is this: was my exposure to the mercury vapors enough to harm my breastmilk?  Is there any reason I should stop breastfeeding? 

In all my googling, I didn't find anything specific to this so I'm at a loss... I called the kids ped yesterday and she said that as long as I didn't eat the mercury, it would be fine.  But according to many, many sources on the internet, that's exactly the opposite of true - its not oral ingestion that is dangerous its the mercury vaporizing when it's in contact with air. 

As an aside, my daughter is 17 months so we've had a good run - I'm just not emotionally ready to stop and she already asked me a couple times this morning. 

Sorry this is so long and thanks to all who have any guidance about this!!! 

Zenya

I wouldn't worry about it, personally.  A quick google tells me it's not a big deal.  Vast quantities of mercury, sure but not the amount that's in a thermometer.

Rose.9.6.03

I would try contacting a poison control center and get their opinion.

aprilmomtobe

I wouldn't worry about it at all. 

Jamaica_Bride

I would not worry. I would call poision control and let them know it's was washed down the drain.

kittycarr

You couldn't find what you needed on the internet, called the ped, told you not to worry, but then internet findings say the opposite.  

 

You've lost me......