
It was 3pm when I realised I was going to be ‘that’ mum. The mum that we all say we never will be. The mum that we love to lampoon in the media for being irresponsible.
I’d met a friend earlier that day for lunch at a cafe where I indulged in a hearty beef burger, coffee and a fresh pressed juice. I’d then set out on a stroll down a favourite shopping street before I decided to get back into my car and make the thirty minute journey home through peak hour traffic.
In my haste to transition my baby from stroller to car seat without waking her up, I ignored the rumbles of my tummy. My indulgent lunch was starting to make its move on me.
Starting the ignition, I felt a slight cramp but shrugged it off as I entered the afternoon traffic. “I’ll be fine,” I assured myself. Not much more than five minutes later, I was well aware my assurances were not going to hold up and needed to find myself a toilet before I had a serious issue.
I briefly lamented on the fact that I too, could not let it all out in a nappy like my daughter when the urge called. I eyed a petrol station up ahead.
Team Mamamia confess: The time I felt like a terrible mother.
Major relief overcame me as I pulled into the car park closest to the entrance. As I unbuckled my seat belt, I realised I had another major dilemma on my hands. Do I wake my daughter, who had just gone down, or lock the car with her inside and run to the bathroom?
It was a cool day and I didn’t have much time to spare. I observed my surrounds, noted the sun shade and tinting on my windows meant you couldn’t even notice a baby inside and decided to make a run for it.
I locked the car, power walked into the toilet and thanked God I had left her to sleep. The place was filthy and there was no change table.
I was done within less than a minute, washed my hands and took off straight to my car. No one around me was any wiser to the fact my sleeping baby was inside. I started the engine, readying myself to rejoin the afternoon traffic once again.
On the drive home my heart pounded. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and guilt consumed me as I replayed conversations in my head where I’d always said I would never do such a thing.

Top Comments
I fail to see you did anything wrong. Sensible choice if you ask me. Your child was not in any danger.