Anxiety about choking

[Oomling]

Hi, I’m a FTM and I’m afraid I might be slipping into PNA or PND tendencies. My daughter is 6 weeks old, and everything was fine (albeit no sleep and some feeding issues) until last week, when I tried to settle her screams with a teaspoon of gripe water.
She coughed, choked and stopped breathing twice- I had to call an ambulance and my whole world flashed before my eyes. I panicked and didn’t know what to do, luckily my mum was here and was able to get her breathing again.

They checked her over and concluded she has some reflux which may have caused it - she sicks up after most feeds and gets constant hiccups- other than that we were sent home and I’ve been a ball of anxiety ever since. I’ve had ranitidine prescribed but I’m terrified of using it in case she chokes on that.

Basically I barely sleep as she coughs and splutters herself awake, and when she feeds (I’m breastfeeding) sometimes she takes so much milk she coughs, sicks up and stops breathing momentarily to the point where I have to pat her back and get her to spit up...

I’m a mess and I have never been so tired in my life. I genuinely don’t believe she’s going to be okay, and I expect her to stop breathing every day.

I’m seeing the health visitor on Thursday but I didn’t want to come across like I’m over exaggerating or that I’m incapable of looking after my baby.

Does this sound like PND? Or anxiety? Am I overreacting and do all babies do this?

Sounds like anxiety and maybe a touch of PTSD from your horrible experience of her not breathing. I had massive choking anxiety when my DS was born, I did 3 paediatric first aid courses so I was prepared if it happened. When he was about 10 months old he choked on a rice cake, I panicked but because of the training I knew what to do.

Could you do a similar course so at least you feel more armed with how to deal with it if it does happen? Babies and toddlers do tend to gag etc as they learn to eat and chew, it always makes my heart jump but most of the time they manage to bring it back themselves.

I would also see your GP about the anxiety, maybe you could do with talking to someone about what happened?

Definitely use the Ranitidine too. My DD has reflux and we tried all the stuff from the GP and in the end we changed her formula to a reflux formula and that sorted it. The ranitidine will help her and stop her being uncomfortable