Well, Saturday was an eventful day. And not in a good way.
We went to my husband's great aunt's house in Oklahoma for a fish fry. Jacey was eating some of the food then getting up and running around. (I'm not sure what she was eating exactly. Her Poppa was the one feeding her.) We obviously don't have a high chair there for her. She got up ran down the hall way then came back to me coughing up a storm.
It was obvious she was choking on something.
I wasn't nervous at that moment. I learned that if there's coughing, let them be. That means air is coming through. Her grandparents were starting to get nervous and I kept saying "She's fine. She's coughing." Her face started turning red. Then, her Poppa swooped her up and said "This is getting serious." I agreed.
Next thing we know, she's making gasping sounds and she's getting no air. Her face starts turning purple. Her Grammie yells "There's blood!" And then her Daddy runs over to her to try to help.
Someone starts yelling about calling 911. But we didn't have to. My husband's uncle is a paramedic, and thankfully he was there. I'm not sure what happens at this point because there's a crowd of people around my baby and I can't see. But, I'm pretty sure my husband's uncle had her.
I hear her start to cry. Then no more than a minute later, she's up on her Poppa's shoulder, relaxed, singing "E I E I O".
We still have no idea what she was choking on. She could have picked something up in the hall way or held food in her mouth and when she got up and ran around, choked on it. Nothing came up out of her throat.
I'm glad she's ok and I'm glad there was someone there to help. But I still feel guilty. Not because she choked. Choking happens. It's because I was absolutely helpless. What if I had been there alone? I wouldn't have been able to do anything.
I don't want to freak out and decide that Jacey can never eat solid food ever again. (The thought passed my mind.)That's ridiculous. I'd rather be educated and know how to handle situations like this. After all, it can happen to anyone.
I guess her Grammie felt the same way.
We decided to go take a class so we know what to do if this ever happens again. I'm sure there's plenty more choking to come (hopefully not), and I don't want to stand by and watch my baby - or anyone for that matter - suffer, completely helpless. That's the worst feeling in the world.
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Comments (16)
Kudos to you for taking a situation that made you feel helpless - and doing something about it. That's the "best" way to handle problems... actively... I guess fear'll do that to a person. We all need to be reminded of that (I know I do ... regularly.)
{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}
I am sorry that you had to go through that. those classes are so important. I am so glad my hospital made us take them. It came in useful when my DS was choking on an apple.
I freak out about that all the time. I'm certified though so I just freak when I'm not there. My son is only ten months and there have been more then four times I've found him purple in the face from choking. It's really scary! I'm so glad someone was there!! And good job to take a class!
My daughter hasn't choked on anything yet, but I'm sure it will happen sometime! I'm an EMT so I'm used to emergency situations but, I'm sure it will be entirely different when it's my own child! Hopefully I'll be able to remain calm and do what I know how to do!
It's amazing what you can do when you have to do it. In that situation, you may have felt helpless, and stood back, but there was someone there to help, who knew what he was doing. I'm willing to bet, had that happened when you were to only one around, you would have handled it just fine. But that's a great idea to take a class so that you know what to do if it ever happens again.
Oh this happened to my daughter as well. She was choking on nothing (or spit, because at the time, she was in her swing with no toys) and my mom was the one who saved the day, and that very thought (what if I'd been alone? She would have DIED) crossed my mind. Many people assured me that had I been alone, my instincts would take over...but I was in the safety of being near my mom, I subconsciously knew Mom would know what to do.
How old is your baby?
I'm glad someone was there to help! And you are smart to take the class. Good job! My now-2 1/2 year old pretty much refused to chew his food for the longest time. I can't tell you how many times he has choked on food! It didn't help that my husband always thought he didn't chew because I didn't give him pieces of food large enough to chew. So every time my DH prepared DS's dinner, he'd give him too-big chunks and inevitably DS would choke on the first or second bite. And dang that man still gives him too-big chunks. Men, they never learn...or at least not mine!
ah yes E-I-E-I-O tends to save more lives than you think.
people tend to forget babies insides are more fragile and less developed than most, could have been a possible inverted eppiglottis, in either case, hold your baby along your forearm, head away from your body, legs close and hit the babies back hard several times, this normaly works we see it done in the hospital here all the time.
oh Gawd D: i know that i would have just completely lost it if i knew she was choking in the first place . good job for not losing it , hah . and at least she was just dandy after that . e i e i o . how cute (x
you should have tried to help her while she was starting to cough...god...it wouldnt have been serious then.
@PoetMcChick@xanga - 13 months
@Wing_zero21@xanga - Thanks for the advice. =D I think I knew to do that..I learned that somewhere before I think. Hmm. Maybe I would have known what to do.
@xbertyx@xanga - It's common sense not to mess with them if they're coughing. That means there's air flow. There's no need to worry unless there is no air flow.
@Fairywife@xanga - theres no doubt in my mind you would have known what to do....its a motherly instinct to panic when your childs life is in danger :)
I wrk with at risk teens and I am very greatful for my cpr & first aid training.
I think every parent or person who works with kids should take infant/child cpr/first aid. It's definitely never a bad idea. When I took it back in high school, literally the NIGHT after we learned about infant choking, a kid in my class's little brother choked and turned purple. Because of class that day, he knew what to do and was able to save his little brother's life. Amazing!