On Sunday we went for a drive and stopped for lunch at a fairly nice family restaurant. Everything was normal until my 4-year-old, Rachel, started choking on her corn dog. She wasn't breathing. Her eyes were bulging and her face was turning bright red while her lips were turning blue. My DH started pounding her on the back, which we all know does no good. I performed the heimlich manouver and dislodged the food, thank everything that's holy! She's fine now, other than red eyes. But as I was holding my choking and gagging baby girl and trying not to cry, the waitress FINALLY wandered over to the table and asked, "So is she OK?" I thought it was a law that everyone who worked in a restaurant had to know the signs of choking and what to do to save a life. Apparantly, I was wrong. My DH has never had any training in CPR or Heimlich or first aid, but I have. Again, thank everything that's holy that I got that training because there wasn't ANYONE else in that restaurant that could have helped Rachel, and calling 911 would have been useless - they would have arrived in time to take her to the morgue.

All parents out there, please, please educate yourselves in how to save your children's lives. It happens so fast, it just takes seconds for your entire life to come to a screeching halt. I have never in my life been so terrified as I was for those few moments in that restaurant, and it could have ended so very badly. I still tear up when I think too hard about it. Don't let tragedy happen to your family. Call the Red Cross and get the training you need.

God bless us all,
Susan

I'm sooooooooo sorry to hear about your little girl getting choked. :( But I'm glad that she is ok now. :)

I think it is very important also that we learn how to react to crisis. I've taken 2 CPR clases. When my own daughter was 2 she got choked on a bite of an apple. I know the terrifing feeling of seeing your child in mortal danger.
I performed Heimlich on her and she recovered also.. *thankfully*

It does only take an instant for something like this to happen.. And in that instant, your life could be changed forever.. Congrats to you mom for knowing how to handle the situation!

Thank you, Blondie! Seeing your child in that situation certainly changes everything, doesn't it? I find myself reevaluating all of my priorities in view of what they mean to my children rather than what they mean to myself.

Great job on saving your child from that bite of apple! I think that training makes the difference between freezing and acting when you get into a crisis situation. Thank goodness you, too, had that training!

Yes! Very true! My DD13-1/2 has had the maneuver done twice already, once by my DH and once by me. When she was a crawling baby, she got a hold of a small, not-totally-popped piece of popcorn. She put it in her mouth and began to choke. My DH performed the baby version of the maneuver, and out the kernel came.

When she was around 8 to 10 years old, we were at her grandmother's house, and DD was eating angel-hair pasta (something we never ate at home). She somehow inhaled with a mouthful and ended up with a wad of the pasta in her airway. There was no sound from her at all, only frantic waving of her hands and fear in her eyes. I whacked her back. Her lips began to turn blue! :shocked: She could absolutely move no air in or out, even to cry. That is when I realized what I had to do. I grabbed her, pulled her out of her chair and did the maneuver. It took a few times, and then the wad flew out and across the room. :lol: She immediately began to cry this horrible relieved-but-still-afraid cry. I just held her and cried too, realizing the severity of the situation that had been. Nothing is more scary than to see your child come near death like that.

Definitely learn this maneuver!

On Sunday we went for a drive and stopped for lunch at a fairly nice family restaurant. Everything was normal until my 4-year-old, Rachel, started choking on her corn dog. She wasn't breathing. Her eyes were bulging and her face was turning bright red while her lips were turning blue. My DH started pounding her on the back, which we all know does no good. I performed the heimlich manouver and dislodged the food, thank everything that's holy! She's fine now, other than red eyes. But as I was holding my choking and gagging baby girl and trying not to cry, the waitress FINALLY wandered over to the table and asked, "So is she OK?" I thought it was a law that everyone who worked in a restaurant had to know the signs of choking and what to do to save a life. Apparantly, I was wrong. My DH has never had any training in CPR or Heimlich or first aid, but I have. Again, thank everything that's holy that I got that training because there wasn't ANYONE else in that restaurant that could have helped Rachel, and calling 911 would have been useless - they would have arrived in time to take her to the morgue.

All parents out there, please, please educate yourselves in how to save your children's lives. It happens so fast, it just takes seconds for your entire life to come to a screeching halt. I have never in my life been so terrified as I was for those few moments in that restaurant, and it could have ended so very badly. I still tear up when I think too hard about it. Don't let tragedy happen to your family. Call the Red Cross and get the training you need.

God bless us all,
Susan

Oh Susan, I am so glad to hear your daughter is fine now! What a horrifying experience... :(
Your daughter was extremely lucky to have you there!

- I have many times thought about learning heimlich, for emergencies. I got some training when I was younger and in school, but I have since them forgotten the basics. Also afraid that if you do it wrongly, you can end up damaging ribs on the person you try to save.. But I will definitely consider learning how to preform heimlich the correct - life saving way!
:flower:
Blessings!

Currant first aid opinion in the UK tends to be that that you dont do the Heimlich maneuver on babies and small children, but instead invert them and do back slaps. The issue is seems to be that there are things you can do prior to the Heimlich which won't cause epic levels of internal damage for the hospital to sort out later - mind you if back slaps and turning them upside down doesnt' work I think I'd probably try the Heimlich as a matter of last resort..

A selection of opinions on what to do here.
http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40001960/
http://www.redcross.org.uk//standard.asp?id=45049&cachefixer=
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/general/9298.html
http://www.mothercare.com/stry/firstaidemergencies

Good test on what to do with choking children
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/first_aid_action/hs_child/hs_choke.shtml

This reminds me I need to refresh my ability...I took a class, but it has really been years. I agree this is a very worthwhile lifesaving procedure. I am glad your kid is fine, it is so scary to think of someone not knowing what to do at all. Ecspecially working in the food industry.

How terrifying!!! I'm so glad you knew what to do!

It really is helpful to know basic first aid (including Heimlich and CPR) when you have kids.

Good luck!

I am a firm believer that everyone should learn the Heimlich maneuver and baby Heimlich. They come in handy in those emergency situations. I am not certified or anything, but my sister taught me how to do both, because she didn't want anyone watching her children that didn't know how to do those maneuvers.

My oldest niece has choked twice, both while she was small enough for the baby Heimlich. And due to my sisters quick thinking the food was dislodged before my niece had time to panic.

What a scary thing I'm gald she is ok. Me and my hubby both know the heimlich and first aid at a prof. level but what I have found out from a very sad story I woint go into is there are people out there that do know how to help but dont. I've seen people just watch others need help and not do anything it's very sad that some people are like that. So I do incourage everyone to get a little training often its cheap to free to get.

I didn't finish my nursing training in college (realized I preferred writing research papers over working with people, ha!), but one of the things I really appreciated learning was first aid, CPR, etc. Especially now that I have young children.

I've done the heimlich on a few people. I agree with everyone else. Take a few minutes to learn it. It's a matter of life or death.