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Original poster

Son just choked

62 replies

helpingdvsurvivors · 07/04/2020 19:43

He's 17 months old. He was drawing with jumbo crayons and bit the end off one. Got lodged in his throat. Took me a good 30 seconds of hard slaps to his back to get it out. His back is bright red now. So shaken up. I am shaking. Anyone else ever experienced this? Just terrifying. The look of terror in his face was awful :(

OP posts:
Darbs76 · 07/04/2020 20:24

Worse nightmare. Ds put a fridge magnet in his mouth once and I had to fish it out. He was only 18mths is. It was so scary.

SeasonallySnowyPeasant · 07/04/2020 20:27

I made my parents, brother and ILs all do a ‘Save a Baby’s Life’ course when I was pregnant with my PFB DS. It felt a bit OTT at the time but it came in handy when DD choked a few years later.

LoopyLouLouLou · 07/04/2020 20:27

I can’t imagine how scared you must have been literally my worst nightmare of feeing helpless. My month old baby choked on milk, went bright red in the face & fell silent. He managed to cough it up. That was enough for me. I’m a nervous wreck at meal times now

Movingnot · 07/04/2020 20:29

You can do the Heimlich maneuver on anyone over 2 years old.

Worth doing a first aid course

sauvignonblancplz · 07/04/2020 20:30

Horrible , hope you’re ok Flowers

Putapeonyinyourpocket · 07/04/2020 20:32

Well done op, choking is utterly terrifying. When I was working in the baby room of a nursey, one of the babies bit the end of a pine cone off and instantly started choking. Even though we're trained for it, and thankfully go into automatic mode it never takes the fear from it. I always renew my first aid, it's definitely turned me into a fight person when dealing with hazardous situations. Have a cuppa and a biscuit, big hug.

endofthelinefinally · 07/04/2020 20:32

Everyone should learn some basic first aid.
My son would be alive today if the person he was with had just known some simple first aid.
If you are a parent you have a responsibility to learn.

cushioncovers · 07/04/2020 20:32

Hi op I agree with others to get your ds checked out, 30 slaps is a lot so best to get him checked for any bruising to ribs etc just to be on safe side.

endofthelinefinally · 07/04/2020 20:33

Meant to say well done OP.

MrsJoshNavidi · 07/04/2020 20:36

I choked on a piece of chicken in a restaurant. It was horrible. I really thought I was going to die.
DH, who's pretty good with the old first aid, being ex military, did all the back hitting, and the heimlich manoeuvre stuff but it wouldn't shift.
If you're ever in the situation, don't be afraid to punch/hit whatever so hard you might break a rib.

Obviously I didn't die. I coughed it v up eventually, and was then sick on the table, but I still have nightmares, and the occasional cold sweat in the daytime when something reminds me (I'm having one just writing this), and I now cut all my meat up very small.

2beautifulbabs · 07/04/2020 20:37

Yes it's horrible both my DCs have at some point mainly when weaning age DS at some point on a baby biscuit frightened the life out of me and DD on a piece of toast I will never forget the look on her face frightening

TriangleBingoBongo · 07/04/2020 20:38

Sorry this happened. But-sounds like you knew what to do and all is well. So be proud of yourself.

Happened to my DS and I was nervous for months. My hand would shake feeding him!

PsychoWiener · 07/04/2020 20:42

Yes, my DS choked on a piece of carrot when he was 9 or 10 months. Worst minute of my life. He went blue and I will never forget the terror in his eyes. It took me a while to come to terms with it and my partner is still wary of carrots. I cried about it a lot, talked to my friends, partner, my mum and eventually my anxiety faded.

He'll never remember it and you will come to terms with it. But let yourself feel whatever you need to get over it.

neverenoughwipes · 07/04/2020 20:49

@endofthelinefinally Thanks

Original poster
helpingdvsurvivors · 07/04/2020 20:50

Thanks everyone. Family member is coming round to check him out (recently retired a&e doc - how lucky is that!). I have done the baby cpr course and that's how I knew what to do. Also, agree that putting finger in baby's mouth is so dangerous as you can push further in. They told me this 4/5 times pretty sternly in the class. Otherwise I might have done that if I didn't know! It's instinctive. He's sound asleep and I am lying next to him as I don't want to take my eyes off him :(

OP posts:
candle18 · 07/04/2020 20:50

That sounds so scary, well done for getting it up. When my son was 2 weeks old I was winding him after his bottle and he was sick and inhaled it at the same time and started to choke and go blue. I was slapping him on the back and we jumped in the car to go to the hospital which is a few minutes away when it started to clear. So terrifying, you’ll feel really quite unsettled which is normal as it’s been a traumatic experience.

Sickoffamilydrama · 07/04/2020 20:52

@endofthelinefinally sorry for your loss

You are right I always remember seeing something that Sweden (or one of the other Nordic countries) teaches compulsory first aid for all children and that their survival rate post any accident/incident is higher as a result.

Cactuscube · 07/04/2020 20:53

My DS chocked on spaghetti at about 12 years old.

I remember him clawing into his own mouth. He managed to pull it out of his throat. I shit myself :(

X1402 · 07/04/2020 20:53

My newborn choked on gripe water it was fucking horrendous, I was using a calpol syringe and baby just went completely still with eyes bulging and gasping for air. I was screaming his name but luckily I just automatically put him over my knee and kept firmly patting him on the back and it came out....it felt like forever and I was hysterically sobbing, il never forget that I thought I’d killed him I felt so guilty and threw that bloody gripe water straight in the bin.

gah2teenagers · 07/04/2020 20:54

Both of mine did this when they were young. DD1 at 11 months popped a Conker in her mouth on a walk before I could stop her and really choked DH swung her by her ankles obvs he had no 1st aid training and luckily she coughed it up. DD2 at age 4 was given a boiled sweet after I said no and choked very badly I did backslaps and after a few looked at her face and her eyes were rolling and she was blue it was awful. I slapped her back so hard and she vomited it up.

RideaCockHorseOfCourse · 07/04/2020 20:55

So sorry for your loss endofthelineDaffodil

ZenDay · 07/04/2020 20:55

I was about 4 when I was eating a sweet on my mum's lap and suddenly it was stuck in my throat. next thing I know I'm upside down and looking into the sink - where the sweet landed.

tinkerbellla · 07/04/2020 20:57

Well done, it sounds like you handled it so well. Try and relax now Smile. Your post has prompted me look into first aid courses so thank you.

DHW1 · 07/04/2020 20:57

DD choked on mucous at 3 days old. No sound, just a wide glassy stare and change of colour. Something told me to check on her and I am so grateful I did. Randomly, I had been at a Mothercare expectant event and they’d briefly covered cpr (taster) and thats how I knew what to do... The memory is still with me though and always causes me to well up when thinking about it.

tinkerbellla · 07/04/2020 21:00

So sorry for your loss endoftheline Thanks

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