Sunday 18 October 2015

The Fear of a choking child

You see it shared on Facebook, posts about children who have choked on grapes or other random things and you never think it will be your child. You think these things are very rare that when they do happen that ice cold fear grips your heart and panic sets in. See I have let my children eat most things, doing baby led weaning you know they generally gag when they can't swallow something.

See yesterday this happened to me, we were at a children's party and my Son came up to me red faced and panic in his eyes. This image I can not seem to shift from my mind his eyes piercing into me, pleading with me to help.  Time seem to freeze as I toyed up what was I going to do.

Is he crying?

No why isn't he crying?

Whats happened now?

Shit he isn't breathing.

Shit he is choking. what am I going to do!

Wait remember that baby resus training I had when pregnant with Asti 9 years ago lets try that.
NO stuff that just going to wallop him in the back.

IT was like my body wasn't mine, motherly instincts took over. I was so scared but I turned him over my arm and smacked his back so hard, too hard. Heat rising up my body making me want to pass out. Dread that he couldn't get what ever it was out. What would we do next, would we need an ambulance, my friend Andy was there he is a paramedic do I shout for him?

I am a qualified nurse,  I should know what I should be doing but your own child, all that calmness you may have on the ward is gone and your thinking with your heart. Suddenly my hits get harder, my fear is getting more intense. I am praying in my head its all too much.

Thankfully after a few more pats he dislodged part of a sweet, with a bit of vomit.

Never have I been glad to see vomit, his face still changing getting redder back over to the banging of the back. Till finally he was really sick and another part of a Haribo Strawb sweet came out. He then cried and I knew he would be fine. Relief rushed though me and I hugged him so close. Holding back the tears as I knew I was surrounded by people. Wanting to hold my baby my little son son and sob. Happy tears, cross tears for letting him eat the sweets in the first place.

Time has never gone so slowly in my life, I have never been so fearful in my life.

Thankfully for us we had a good outcome but he could have been anywhere choking on a sweet, in the middle of a park, in a different room. It is safe to say we will never be having Strawb sweets again. That was one experience I do not want to do again.

Blooming scary five minutes then he was fine and happy to eat anything and everything again. Except he was a bit more clingy than normal, he was scared. We both were, thankfully I was calm and we had a good outcome. SO frigging scary, even typing this post I have tears in my eyes. My little baby I would do anything to protect him,

SO lesson to learn watch kids eat sweets and do not buy Strab haribo sweets ever again.


23 comments:

  1. That's a scary experience and I am glad it all turned out well. I don't know that anything would keep a parent calm when faced with this situation, qualified health professional or not, but the mum instinct kicked in and I hope he feels ok now.

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  2. What a terrifying experience. I am so glad it has a happy ending. I remember Sophie choking on some mince when she was younger, I put her face down and managed to scoop out the offending pieces and she cried as did I. scary

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  3. How awfully scary, I'm so sorry to read about the choking indecent, but so relieved to hear your son is fine. I've never choked but my partner chocked on ravioli as a small child and has been haunted by the incident since! Jade (my fiancée) won't even allow her son or myself to eat it because of her fear, her son (my stepson) is nine, however Jade still ensures his food is cut up into small pieces and has always cut his grapes into at least four parts!

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  4. How scary! I once saw a child choking (not mine) and her mother wasn't there. I think we all froze for a moment and then one of the mothers (an ex nurse) picked her up, held her upside down and thumped her back. It worked thankfully.

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  5. What an awful experience - I am glad he was ok.

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  6. Goodness what a scary moment for you, I'm so glad it turned out ok and you remembered what to do. This is why I think it's so important for everyone to do first aid training. x

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  7. What a scary experience! I am glad all was ok in the end, it's my worse nightmarr!

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  8. Thank goodness he's alright! It must have been terrifying for you but you did exactly the right thing and you saved him.

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  9. I've been through this with two of my children and it is truly terrifying. Glad it turned out OK and thanks for the heads up about the sweets x

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  10. OMG, I am so glad that everything is OK. I live near the little boy who died after chocking on a grape. Everyone needs to know how to deal with a chocking child. I am so glad you had a happy ending

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  11. I read the sad story of the little boy who choked on the grape the other week and now this, I always tell my Emma to sit down and chew on things properly as the thought of a similar accident is very scary. Good thing you are a trained nurse but I am sure the experience has left you both shaken!xx

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  12. My teenager choked on a tortilla chip last year and it was terrifying. I can only thank the fact that I am a trained first aider that I knew what to do and he was fine if a little shaken up

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  13. Terrifying. One of my worst fears is this. Especially since the tragic death of the toddler who choked on a grape, I find myself thinking about that a lot and even the mere mention of the word grape fills me with dread. So glad that everything is OK. x

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  14. That must have been so terrifying. I worry how I would cope in that situation as I am so worried I would freeze. You did so well and I'm so glad it was OK in the end. #bestandworst xx

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  15. Oh my goodness, it's so scary, this happened to me when my son was just over a year, I was on my own, I panicked (I'm a qualified nurse too) and just went on to auto pilot...I have the fear in me now and am so cautious and worried it will happen again. Popping over from #twinklytuesday x

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  16. Oh gosh, I can't think of anything more terrifying. My eldest started chocking when a bit of lettuce (yes, lettuce) got caught in the back of her throat. Having whacked her a few times on the back me and a few others seated around were all just jumping up to do the old pull up not the diaphragm when she coughed it out and product showed everyone. She was beaming ... me not so much!

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  17. Commented earlier but a quick note to say thanks ever so for linking up to the #bestandworst too :) x

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  18. How terrifying, so glad it ended well and thankfully you knew what to do

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  19. Oh my goodness, this is absolutely terrifying. I'm so pleased everything was ok but how very scary.

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  20. Aaah blimey — this is awful. One of the things I was most frightened of when the boys were weaning — and also now!!! So, so scary — poor you — I can just imagine how panicked you were. Well done mama — you did a great job. Note to self — NO GIANT STRAWBS for the boys.

    PS — I love them though!! Thanks so much for linking up to #TwinklyTuesday — hope to see you again tomorrow!

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  21. Oh no.
    It's so scary when it happens to anyone but even more so when it's your own child.
    Huge hugs

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  22. Oh no.
    It's so scary when it happens to anyone but even more so when it's your own child.
    Huge hugs

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  23. Oh now that must have been so terrifying for you.
    I think what we should do always goes out the window and we just go on instinct.

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