Sunday, September 6, 2009

Chewing and Choking.

With growing babies comes new foods to chew.

Karl has been eating biter biscuits for well over a month now, maybe two. I'm also starting to make his pureed fruits/veggies a little chunky. And he's been eating many of the Gerber brand 'graduates' foods like wagon wheels, puffs and melts. (have you seen the melts yet? omg, they rule for the new eater).

Well.

If you haven't experienced your new eater choking on something, you will. And when it happens, it scares the absolute crap out of you.

With Ella, it was when I was in the other room (of course) and hubby's mom decided that letting her chew on an eaten chicken leg bone would be okay. (I can't even give you a reason why she may have thought this nothing but a horrible idea.) And I suddenly hear hubby yell out "NANCY!".

I run to the kitchen to find my daughter blue and choking. I reach my finger in and feel something back there, but I didn't want to shove it down her throat, so I pick her up and smack her on the upper back. Out comes the grisle end of the chicken bone. Ella pinks up. Crisis adverted.

Allison ate her infamous penny a few months ago and we took the magical $300 ride in an ambulance.

Karl had his first real choking fit on Friday.

The weird thing is, I don't even know WTF he choked on. I took Allie and Karl on errands and we stopped for lunch. Karl was sitting in his car seat carrier next to me, chewing on ~his~ toys. Nothing was near him. I hear him choke and look at him - he's red and turning purple. I do the careful reach in and dislodge something in which he then swallows. As fast as it happens, it's over. He continues chewing on his teether.

I never want to feel that scared again.

Except I know I will. Lame.

13 comments:

CanadianMama said...

"Lame" - haha, that made me laugh! Chicken hasn't really choked badly on anything yet (like no turning blue or anything) but he still chokes on his own spit all the time!

Glad your kids are ok! Oh, and what was your mother in law thinking!!

areyoukiddingme said...

Chicken? Really? The stuff you don't even give to dogs?

I am fortunate that I haven't had to deal with anything my girl couldn't cough up yet. However, Allison's penny incident indicates that I should not get smug because it can happen at any time!

Jennifer said...

That would scare the crap out of me (all of the incidents). WTH - what was she thinking? I'd be just a "bit" annoyed.

I'm glad they were all over quickly (except the penny).

Thankfully, I haven't had that happen yet. Maybe since they've each had their one incident they are done for life now.

Lisa said...

Thankfully, I have only experienced gagging and not official choking. And I hope to never have to...

Sarah said...

Andrew had so many teeth (16 by a year) that he was able to take whole plums in his hand by his first birthday and eat them. We would take it from him when he got close to the center, pull out the pit, and give it back to him. One time, we weren't quick enough and we saw him with the "oh shit" look on his face. As we whacked his back, he swallowed it. It came out in his diaper the next day. It sure was scary though!

Kristin said...

That is so scary.

Me said...

We've had plenty of gagging with both kids - it lasted a lot longer with TBB with his reflux, TTG seems to be well past it by now. No choking though, thank goodness!

Robin said...

Thankfully my Allison has never done the turn purple choke, but she went through a phase where she semi-regularly gagged on something and then Wham! She would puke out everything she had eaten previously and the meal would be done.

Glad your kiddies are okay... and, uh, WHAT was your MIL thinking?!

Hollie said...

That is really scary. I can't believe... a chicken bone? Ok...

Morgan Owens said...

This is one of my fears and I don't know why I haven't asked the Pedi this...but what do you do?? I've heard lift their arms above their head and pat their back, I've hear turn them over on their tummy, I've heard turn them upside down...so do you know, what do you do?

jenn said...

I can't even imagine what she was thinking with a freaking chicken bone! Like a pp said- you don't even let dogs have them!
Pumpkin will periodically choke a little on her own spit, totally used to it now & she just coughs a second & it's done. But the very first time when she didn't breath for like 20 seconds... yeah- totally freaked out! I was certified in cpr & baby care when I was 16- luckily the flip her over & smack the back thing was still somewhere in my head!

Jen said...

I had one minor incident with Jillian and a goldfish cracker. And even such a slight incident completely freaked me out.

Sara said...

Choking is my biggest fear. Payton gets choked on her milk sometimes and it scares me to no end.
Parenting is scary stuff.