This is real life: My baby choked
When my second child was 7 months old, she choked.
I was napping in the other room and heard a coughing / gagging sound. At first, I didn’t wake up… I’ve overlooked coughs like that a million times before… but then I heard it again and my instincts told me something wasn’t right. I ran into her room. I scanned the crib for anything that was amiss and couldn’t see anything. She was choking and gagging.
I can’t remember what order I did things in but I know that what I learned in infant rescue classes 4 years ago (before the birth of my first child) immediately popped into my mind. I flipped her over, head facing down, and smacked her on the back repeatedly… I looked in her mouth and saw the item… I tried to scoop it out with my pinky (as I had been taught in my infant rescue class) - but the item was pushed farther back (the reason this technique is no longer taught or recommended). In my mind, I thought “what have I done?”
I flipped her over again and tried to knock it out… none of that was working. I felt SO HELPLESS.
I was on the brink of panic. Alone. At home. The hospital is 1 minute away. My thoughts were “How am I going to get her to the hospital while she is choking?” I can’t believe I didn’t think to call 911…. from now on, I will. Perhaps that would have been my next thought. Fortunately, I reached into her mouth and was able to pinch the item and pull it out before the situation escalated further.
The item was soaked with mucus. Thick mucus. Her body was working hard to expel it. I couldn’t help but wonder just how long it had been in there…
Later, I found a puddle of slippery mucus on the floor right where I had been working on her. The item was a fuzzy pink hair clip.
The babysitter had put the clip in her hair and put her down for a nap. When Waipuna woke up, my teething baby put it into her mouth.
The clip had a metal backing and I was so afraid of injuring her throat when I pulled – but saving her life was more important. Fortunately, the clip was not smooth. It was circular, about the size of a quarter, the shape of a flower with numerous pretty pink petals on it. I have small, long fingers and my instinct was that I would be able to pinch onto the petals to extract the clip. THANK GOODNESS IT WORKED.
I can’t handle thinking what could have happened had I not woken up… what would have happened if I wasn’t able to remove the item… if the incident had occurred while the babysitter was still alone with her… so many ‘what ifs’ have been swirling through my head…
To hear the whole story… you can watch the video above. It’s emotional… and raw… after the incident, I called my husband but he was busy and I couldn’t get in touch with anyone… I had to get it off my chest… so I turned the video camera on… and talked. And cried.
Things I’ve learned:
(1) Prevention: We can be better about removing small objects that are around the house and near the baby. We can be better about communicating the dangers to our other child(ren) and anyone who cares for or watches baby. (A good test: if it fits through a toilet paper roll, it’s a choking hazard.)
(2) Education: Keeping your knowledge up-to-date is key. Take a CPR class that covers all age groups. Encourage family and friends to take classes too, or share your knowledge with them.
(3) Gratitude: We need to live every day to the fullest. Be vigilant and aware. Be loving and kind.
(4) Call 911! Hindsight is 20/20… if what I had done, did NOT work, I would have needed back up.
This incident happened SO FAST. I reacted and though one of the techniques I had learned in class didn’t work and is no longer taught or recommended - eventually, what I did worked. I’m so grateful for the training I got four years ago. When I did the training, I couldn’t help but think “I wonder if I’ll remember this or know what to do in an emergency situation?”
I’m usually the one that panics. Screams. Babbles incoherently.
Since I was alone, I was forced to stay calm and do whatever it takes. One thing that reassures and comforts me is that my training kicked in right away.
I want to make clear that I do not blame anyone for what happened. We are all human. We all make mistakes. Accidents happen. And now, we can learn from our mistakes. I hope that my story will help be a reminder to other care-givers out there to keep your knowledge in this area up to date.
Take action! Some resources for you:
*Hawaii Pacific Health has classes on Oahu and Kauai at their hospitals: Kapiolani, Straub, Wilcox and Pali Momi. Go to their website by clicking HERE and click on “Health & Wellness” to see a complete list of classes available.
There are classes available for “infant care” as well as “infant care for grandparents and caregivers”
Dates, times and class duration are provided online
People can register right from the website
*You can call the Hawaii Heart Foundation for information on where the next CPR / First Aid class will be held or to organize your own. They are a statewide organization so you can get info for any island. Here is the phone number: (808) 369-8756 and a LINK to their website.
*You can learn from ME! Just email me to be put on my waitlist and find out when the next FREE CPR class is. I co-teach with AMR paramedic Heidi Voss. Presently, we do these classes over zoom. To find out about the next class you can email malikadudley@gmail.com or sign up for my newsletter where I regularly send updates on life, work, the podcast, and scheduled events like this! In our class we cover all age groups and discuss choking, AED use, and how to do CPR. Alternatively, you can follow along with this class we taught in September of 2021.