Showing posts with label OUCH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OUCH. Show all posts

Thursday, August 18, 2011

When not to listen to your instincts.

Question: When shouldn't you listen to your instincts?
Answer: When your child is choking.

Yesterday while visiting my Grandma I overlooked her giving Danny a small peanut butter pretzel sandwich (I should have listened to my instinct when I wanted to say "no!"). About two minutes later Danny tripped and fell, began to cry and as I picked him up to console him I realized he was choking. Really choking. His face was white and he couldn't breath, just a pathetic attempt to cough it out. My first instinct was to pry his mouth open and do a quick finger swipe-then my knowledge kicked in and I remembered what I learned in the CPR/First Aid class that my husband and I took when I was pregnant.

A little back story.

My husband was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (Yuma, Arizona) while I was pregnant with our son. One of the benefits of being a poor enlisted couple is the opportunity to take tons of pre-baby prep classes. When I was 36 1/2 weeks pregnant we took an Adult/Child CPR/First Aid class.

Just for fun imagine this with an additional four weeks attached giving CPR to dummies and pretend Heimliching my husband:

It wasn't pretty. Anyway, the class, taught by two wonderful firefighters/emts from the MCAS Yuma firehouse taught me the proper way to save a choking baby. Five pounds on the back, flip, five compressions on the check repeat as necessary. The class was about six hours long, but probably one of the best things I've ever done because I knew exactly what to do in a scary situation thanks to the awesome teachers (and thanks to LINKS for offering the class for free).

So, I Heimliched Danny. I was lucky enough to only have to do the five back pounds (probably not the proper term) before he started to breath again. He was hysterical (probably thinking why the !@#$ is Mommy hitting my back when I am choking), it took about five minutes to calm him down, but he is ok. Thank God.

There are so many classes, books and stories that claim to help prepare you for parenthood. None of them do, they might, if they're really good make you feel a little less scared, but you'll still be terrified when the hospital discharges you and you and your partner realize that "they're letting you take the baby home-by yourselves" like my husband and I thought. The CPR/First Aid classes can prepare you to handle a scary situation and save your child's life. If you do nothing else to prepare for parenthood, this is what you HAVE to do.

If you already have children and haven't taken the class, it isn't too late. It is never too late to learn how to save your child. Take the class with your baby sitter, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Make sure anyone who might be left alone with your child is prepared for a common, yet dangerous situation.

If nothing else, at least check out these links and share them with your friends.

Quick INFANT CPR instructions

An illustrated guide to infant CPR and Heimlich

Find out where you can take a from the American Red Cross

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Broken

I am about to write something that I never envisioned myself writing or even happening when I thought about what motherhood would be like. My son broke my toe. Yes, that is right. I said it. My sweet and angelic little boy threw a very large can of tomato sauce out of the grocery cart right onto my big toe (I almost only ever wear flip flops). There I stood, right by the fresh fish at my local Safeway store, wanting to scream, cry, pass out, and possibly give my child a public spanking (I didn't) and I literally could not move because it hurt so bad. I obviously didn't think it was broken because I hobbled around the store to finish my shopping, feeling like I couldn't breath the whole time.

When I finally finished my shopping and got in the car I realized that I couldn't drive very well, but of course all of my relatives who live in a five mile radius couldn't be bothered to answer their phones. So I drove my son and myself home. I've never had a bigger case of road rage in my life. Like people should have known from looking at my car that I wanted them to "get the hell out of the way. . .my baby broke me and I want to go home and cry!!!!!!"

They didn't.

Luckily, my little brother did eventually answer his phone and come over to help out.

My son, well, he must know he did something not so nice to Mommy (even though I know it was an accident-that he hit me, not that he threw it), he was so lovey all day, just wanted to come and hug me. It is really hard to be mad at a little boy who is being so sweet.

Anyone know a good remedy for an injured toe??