While I'm very, very far from being disappointed, there are certain elements of pregnancy that I'll be a bit sad never to experience. While the pain of childbirth is obviously a big negative and the nine months to term is uncomfortable to say the least, there's also the big boon of getting to indulge in pregnancy cravings, so it's not all bad.
With the glow of impending motherhood and the fact that you're literally eating for two, nobody can really judge an expecting mother for indulging in all of her food desires, and if I were a pregnant woman, I'd definitely go for McDonald's as my primary craving. Who wouldn't?
With so many options to play with, it's no surprise that Sarah Douglas decided to step underneath the Golden Arches in Alberta, Canada. Wanting to beat the heat and quench her thirst in the best possible way, Douglas - who is eight months' pregnant - decided to order a latte.
But as she drove away from the restaurant and took a sip of that sweet brown liquid, she discovered that the liquid in question was definitely not a latte. Now, McDonald's have been scrambling to make things right with Douglas, after it emerged she had accidentally had a sip of cleaning fluid instead of coffee.
32 weeks into being pregnant with her third child, Sarah Douglas drove into a McDonald's in Lethbridge in Alberta July 29, on her way to her son's baseball tournament in Medicine Hat. With it being around 6:45 am, Douglas was understandably a little tired, and rolled up to the drive thru for a bit of a pick-me-up.
Driving away with coffee cup in tow, Douglas immediately had to pull over as she realised what had happened.
"I immediately had to put my hazard lights on and pull over and spit it out and rinse my mouth out with...in the door of my vehicle I had some water. I opened up the lid of the coffee and out pours this pungent smell of chemical. It wasn't a latte at all."
Douglas says she immediately drove back to the McDonald's to complain that she'd accidentally been given chemicals, and asked to speak to a supervisor. "I showed him the coffee and he had asked if I wanted a new one, and I said, 'absolutely not, this is unacceptable,'" stated Douglas.
The expecting mom then dialled Alberta Health Services, and was transferred to poison control. She says she feels okay, but she'll be visiting her doctor as soon as possible.
She also obtained documents from Alison Mackisey, Lethbridge and area Brand Manager of McDonald's (who Douglas says remains the only person from McDonald's to call and check if she was okay), on the chemicals she ingested, so that Douglas would be able to stay ahead of what was coming.
"As a mother, I want to make sure I have voice and that I'm being heard in terms of the safety of consumers, and how (alleged) negligence can affect people in such a drastic way," added Douglas, and a statement from McDonald's franchisee Dan Brown, who apologised for the horrifying mistake.
"Since learning about the complaint, our team has been in very close contact with the guest and apologized to her. The health inspector also visited my restaurant and is not investigating further. McDonald’s is renowned for its food safety protocols and I am sorry that this happened in my restaurant here in Lethbridge.
What happened is that the machine was being cleaned – as it is every morning. Unfortunately, the milk supply line was connected to the cleaning solution while this guest’s drink was made. We have taken immediate action to review the proper cleaning procedures with the team and have put additional signage up as an added reminder."
Let's hope that Sarah Douglas' baby has not been harmed by this oversight by the Lethbridge McDonald's.
