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Sawyer's first night on this earth began with a very alarming incident. The evening nurse was in my room performing some routine checks when Sawyer coughed and began choking on mucus. It is a very common occurrence for newborns. The nurse calmly turned him on his side, patted him on his back and out came a lovely gob. She handed him to me and was doing something else when he choked again. I did what she did, turning Sawyer on his side and patting him on his back. Nothing came up and when the nurse asked if he was breathing I replied with a panicked "no!" She promptly hit some silent alarm and yelled "suction" as she was ripping open a package. Two other nurses came running in as the one already present got the suction going and managed to clear his airway.
I think I also stopped breathing during those few seconds. Needless to say I was on alert the rest of the night, I even had Sawyer sleeping on me on his side for the first few hours of the night. He had a couple more incidences at home over the next few days, once I even had to stick my finger in his mouth and scoop out the mucus. For his first week he slept beside our bed on his change table and I never hit deep sleep because I jumped at every sound he made out of paranoia. Thankfully this didn't last long and after a week he was in his own crib in his own room.
One morning last week I heard Sierra cough and make choking noises and, sure enough, when I looked over she was struggling for air. I ran over and she coughed and gagged and managed a laboured breath but did not resume normal breathing. I pounded her on her back and wracked my brain to try and remember what basic first aid training had taught me some mere months before. Also as I was pounding her I glanced at the TV stand and noticed a little claw clip of hers that I had just put there was now gone. Instinctively I told her to open her mouth and then stuck my finer down her throat and felt the clip. I manged to get it out on the second try. Once again I stopped breathing for those few seconds and my heart pounded the rest of the day.
God got some huge prayers of thanks with both of those incidences and I hug my children close every day.
I think I also stopped breathing during those few seconds. Needless to say I was on alert the rest of the night, I even had Sawyer sleeping on me on his side for the first few hours of the night. He had a couple more incidences at home over the next few days, once I even had to stick my finger in his mouth and scoop out the mucus. For his first week he slept beside our bed on his change table and I never hit deep sleep because I jumped at every sound he made out of paranoia. Thankfully this didn't last long and after a week he was in his own crib in his own room.
One morning last week I heard Sierra cough and make choking noises and, sure enough, when I looked over she was struggling for air. I ran over and she coughed and gagged and managed a laboured breath but did not resume normal breathing. I pounded her on her back and wracked my brain to try and remember what basic first aid training had taught me some mere months before. Also as I was pounding her I glanced at the TV stand and noticed a little claw clip of hers that I had just put there was now gone. Instinctively I told her to open her mouth and then stuck my finer down her throat and felt the clip. I manged to get it out on the second try. Once again I stopped breathing for those few seconds and my heart pounded the rest of the day.
God got some huge prayers of thanks with both of those incidences and I hug my children close every day.
1 comment:
That's pretty scary, made me stop breathing just reading that! Thank God for your quick thinking with Sierra and for the nurse in the hospital with Sawyer. All part of parenting I guess but thank God they are both alright.
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