A parents worst fear...

[Killer-Kris]

... well maybe not entirely since this story has a happy ending.

This morning at approximately 2:00am I woke up to find my little 10 month old girl vomiting heavily, not breathing, and pretty much unconscious (she was actually asleep but I didn't know that at the time). After jostling her a little she started to breath again while the vomiting subsided. So now if that all wasn't frightening enough my little girl was pale, cold to the touch, shaking, and just generally acting flaky. Of course these are all pretty normal things for someone who just woke up out of an extremely deep sleep, vomiting, and is just generally not feeling well; but try explaining that to a pair of completely freaked out parents.

So yeah, her mother and I spent the next 3 hours trying to calm her tummy, and clean up the continuous vomit. Thankfully one of those special rehydration drinks for infants seemed to do the trick of calming her tummy, and we all got to go peacefully back to sleep with out incident.

Now looking back in retrospect I can't help but think about how bad this all really could have turned out. If she hadn't been in our bed, and instead was in her crib sleeping on her back she likely would have drowned in her vomit and this story would have a very different ending.

So to all of those parents out there, go home, give your kids a big hug, and tell them you love them. Because you never know what may happen, we just got lucky this time.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I'm glad to hear she's ok, I don't think I ever entirely slept when my kids were infants just for fear of something like that happening. :?

 

[3dilettante]

Did you take your daughter to the hospital, Killer-Kris?

Maybe take her for a check up to make sure she didn't aspirate too much vomit.

I'm happy she's okay, that sounded terrifying.

 

[Zol]

I've lost a 3 mounth old baby boy, 13 years ago .... same symptoms but he was not with us at that time. :?

Good catch.

;^(

P.S. On a happier note, I have a 11 years old boy who is constantly in a "parents/child hugging mode"...

 

[pascal]

Thanks god she is ok.
My daughter stayed with us more than an year until we feel comfortable with her capacity to react.

 

[jvd]

Put the crib in your room , there is no reason why she has a crib in another room

 

[Killer-Kris]

I've lost a 3 mounth old baby boy, 13 years ago .... same symptoms but he was not with us at that time. :?

Good catch.

;^(

P.S. On a happier note, I have a 11 years old boy who is constantly in a "parents/child hugging mode"...

I can't even imagine what it would have been like to have gone through that. It makes my heart hurt just thinking about the could haves from last night, let alone what it must be like to actually experiencing it.

The worst part is that no matter how good or attentive of a parent anyone is, things like that can happen and there isn't anything anyone can do about it. Unless you call giving up on sleep entirely a solution.

 

[Killer-Kris]

Did you take your daughter to the hospital, Killer-Kris?

Maybe take her for a check up to make sure she didn't aspirate too much vomit.

We didn't take her to the hospital but that's only because once she was done puking and had woken up she was her normal self. She even had quite an appetite (which of course she'd throw anything she ate right back up), no diarhea, no fever, or even anything else out of the ordinary.

This was most certainly a very peculiar episode, and like I said, once she started acting like her normal self and we got everything under control, I fear we were maybe a little too lax. What are some of the dangerous if she did breath some of the vomit? And what are some warning signs to look out for incase there is a problem?

I'm happy she's okay, that sounded terrifying.

Thank you to everyone who has expresssed their concern. This was a truely frightening experience and I really hope no one ever has to go through that.

 

[Sonic]

I am very happy everything turned out for the best. It must have been quite fearful but you did your job as a father very good. Seems like you kept your calm and made sure your baby would be ok.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I too, am Happy everything turned out alright. A parents worst nightmare must be if any of their kids die before them .. and at such a young age too.

Condolences to Zol for his loss.

I too think you should at least take your daughter in for a check up Killer-Kris .. but that's my personal opinion.

Be sure your kids a big

and

.

US

 

[Zol]

I can't even imagine what it would have been like to have gone through that. It makes my heart hurt just thinking about the could haves from last night, let alone what it must be like to actually experiencing it.

In this situation, here are some of "life lessons" that I have draw:

1) It's not your fault.... The "what if" will only make you crazy. It's an accident, period.
2) Don't ever start the "blaming game"... that would kill your marriage or yourself. See point 1).
3) Family and friend are your absolute best allies. (My "brother-in-law" was a wreck who needed more support than me and my wife... strangely, it helped).
4) Hugging and crying is a wonderful therapy. Laughing is better yet (thinking about having your own personnal angel and stuff...).
5) Vacation to any place is important. (Thanks to my boss and colleagues at that time who "throw me away" from work)
6) Having experienced the "absolute bottom of emotional pain*" is a force and a weapon against life's now minor hassles (professionnal problems, stupid flame wars/people) You are a survivor... things can only go better.

I know that what you have experienced as a couple will only make you better parents and, I hope, better partner in life (which is the best way to raise a family). You had a scaring period, now back to the regular loving and caring and not-to-much-worrying part of your life.

Zol is hugging his and your family....if I may, of course

Well, life goes on and now back to lurking the forums....

* Picturing myself emptying unused baby formula in a sink, putting away clothes and toys in boxes, not knowing if that will ever be use again. Il was like prying away your heart by hand... realising the permanent loss

 

[3dilettante]

Did you take your daughter to the hospital, Killer-Kris?

Maybe take her for a check up to make sure she didn't aspirate too much vomit.

We didn't take her to the hospital but that's only because once she was done puking and had woken up she was her normal self. She even had quite an appetite (which of course she'd throw anything she ate right back up), no diarhea, no fever, or even anything else out of the ordinary.

This was most certainly a very peculiar episode, and like I said, once she started acting like her normal self and we got everything under control, I fear we were maybe a little too lax. What are some of the dangerous if she did breath some of the vomit? And what are some warning signs to look out for incase there is a problem?

I'm not a doctor, so I can't really say.

Sometimes vomit that gets in the lungs can cause irritation or may on rare occasions lead to infection. When you said she couldn't breathe, I wondered if it was possible she had inhaled some vomit.

If she doesn't have trouble breathing now and doesn't show any signs of a cough or fever, I don't think there's much to worry about.

Maybe you can call a pediatrician and ask for an opinion.

 

[Killer-Kris]

A quick update....

...on Friday last week we did call her doctor. He said that if she's acting normal and everything seems fine then in fact things likely are fine. So he recommended against bringing her in for a checkup.

Now in retrospect I'm starting to think that we should have. Not because she's come down with pneumonia, but because she has an ear infection. Likely had one back then too, just that it now has only gotten bad enough for her to get a fever with. So if we had taken her in last week it likely would have been found before it got so bad.

Boy the things you never expect to go through when becoming a parent. I can definitely see why my parents went grey.

So yes, no pneumonia (so far), and with the help of some antibiotics we'll shortly have a healthy happy girl again.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Boy the things you never expect to go through when becoming a parent. I can definitely see why my parents went grey.

It is pretty amazing what having your own kid(s) can do for appreciation of your own parents.

Glad to hear she'll be alright.