Most of my writing on The Football Wife is light-hearted & fun.  Today’s post is not so fun.  Read on…

Yesterday, in the parking lot of a grocery store, my parenting skills were tested.  I have always felt that I’m pretty good in a crisis — like my own mother, I can maintain my composure enough to make good decisions. 

The Football House was out of food, so Babycakes and I made a run to the grocery store.  We thought we’d try out a new place – afterall, the blueberries in the circular looked delicious and were nearly free in price.  We did our shopping, but part of the process at this store is that you must bag your own food.  So, Babycakes and I wheeled the cart out to the car.  I opened the back hatch of our SUV (shh… it’s really a mini-van, but Coach doesn’t know it!), placed Babycakes in the back next to me and began to move things from the cart into the cargo space.  She was fine, happily chatting to me.  When I came to the box of animal cookies that I had purchased, I thought I’d treat her by giving her one.  Thus far, she has been a champion cracker eater. 

One mistake:  I didn’t test the cookie first.  I assumed it was soft. 

I bagged the cold foods, looked up, and saw that she was choking.  Not coughing choking — glassy eyed, red eyed, no air moving choking. 

“Oh God.  Oh God. Oh God…” I called out.

Quickly, I flipped her to my forearm, head tilted to the macadam of the parking lot and began giving her slaps to the back between her shoulder blades.  Melted cookie began to foam from her lips.  I turned her up towards me, swept out her mouth and cheeks, and gave her more slaps to the back.  The second set freed her airway and I was able to remove the rest of the cookie from her mouth. 

She is fine now — quite fine.  In fact, she laughed at me for giving her so many kisses after the incident.  I, however, am not fine.  I have never been so scared in my life as I was at that moment.  I know that a lot of babies choke, but this was my baby.  I knew that her delicate little life was in my hands.  I encourage you, if you don’t know what to do in the case of a choking emergency to call your local hospital or Red Cross and get CPR certified. 

Here are the official steps

from WebMD about what to do in

the case of an infant choking –

 If the baby can cough or make sounds, let him or her cough to try to get the object out. If you are worried about the baby’s breathing, call 911.

If a baby can’t breathe, cough, or make sounds, then:

• Put the baby facedown on your forearm so the baby’s head is lower than his or her chest.
• Support the baby’s head in your palm, against your thigh. Don’t cover the baby’s mouth or twist his or her neck.
• Use the heel of one hand to give up to 5 back slaps between the baby’s shoulder blades. See picture C.
• If the object does not pop out, support the baby’s head and turn him or her faceup on your thigh. Keep the baby’s head lower than his or her body.
• Place 2 or 3 fingers just below the nipple line on the baby’s breastbone and give 5 quick chest thrusts (same position as chest compressions in CPR for a baby). See picture D.
• Keep giving 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts until the object comes out or the baby faints.
• If the baby faints, call911 (if you haven’t called already). Then:
  • Do not do any more back slaps or chest thrusts.
  • Start CPR. Each time you open the airway, look for an object in the baby’s mouth. If you see the object, take it out. But if you can’t see the object, don’t stick your finger down the baby’s throat to feel for it.
  • Keep doing CPR until the baby is breathing on his or her own or until help arrives.